Orlando to Madeira Beach Transportation?

[RainbowsMist]

My parents are joining us in Orlando for a week before they spend a week at Madeira Beach.

I've been searching for transportation for them and the only thing I did find was Greyhound into Tampa but that's it.

I'm a rookie at this so any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[gw_lit]

Pretty much your best bet to get from Orlando to the Gulf Coast beaches is to rent a car. You should be able to get a one-day, one-way rental for no more than $40. Greyhound is really the only public transportation option, and that just gets you to Tampa, you still have to get to the beaches. I've never priced a town car, but I've heard it will run around $150-200.

 

[RainbowsMist]

Unfortunately they are very uncomfortable driving in Florida. I'm wondering if there's a train service?

 

[Peanutsmommy]

Sorry but there is no train service in this area. I second the rental car idea.

 

[RainbowsMist]

Hmmm...Amtrak runs from Orlando to Tampa and offers a thruway service from Tampa to St. Pete's.

 

[Peanutsmommy]

Yes, but it's not on a train it is on a grayhound bus to a parking lot in St. Pete. I live in St. Pete It could be done , But then they would have to take public bus to the Beaches, which is still a good 30 min. with out any transfers. So I think it would be a long trip and a lot of transfers.

 

[Peanutsmommy]

Or they could take a grayhound bus from orlando to St.Pete,then they could take a taxi to the beaches. Hope this is of some help.

 

[NotUrsula]

Gator Tours runs a transport bus to Clearwater from several points in Orlando http://www.gatortours.com/
It stops at the Clearwater Beach Hilton; from there it's about 15 miles to Madeira Beach. Still a hefty cab fare.

I've spent some time in Madeira; do they realize that they will be kind of stranded at their hotel without a car? Unlike, say, St. Pete Beach, Madeira's businesses are spread over a pretty large stretch of Gulf Blvd., it's not a very pedestrian friendly place. Of course, they may well be staying with friends or something of the sort, but if they are not, Madeira is going to be a bit difficult without a vehicle. What airport will they go home from? Unless it's St. Pete, the cab fare to the airport will be a monster, too.

IMO, if this plan is set and driving is really not an option for them, your best bet would be to rent a car and make a day trip out of taking them.

 

[RainbowsMist]

Gator Tours runs a transport bus to Clearwater from several points in Orlando http://www.gatortours.com/
It stops at the Clearwater Beach Hilton; from there it's about 15 miles to Madeira Beach. Still a hefty cab fare.

I've spent some time in Madeira; do they realize that they will be kind of stranded at their hotel without a car? Unlike, say, St. Pete Beach, Madeira's businesses are spread over a pretty large stretch of Gulf Blvd., it's not a very pedestrian friendly place. Of course, they may well be staying with friends or something of the sort, but if they are not, Madeira is going to be a bit difficult without a vehicle. What airport will they go home from? Unless it's St. Pete, the cab fare to the airport will be a monster, too.

IMO, if this plan is set and driving is really not an option for them, your best bet would be to rent a car and make a day trip out of taking them.

They are planning on hopping on the Suncoast Beach Trolley and just poking around for a week. They're not into attractions, just the beach and R&R. The condo they are renting is on the beach. Originally they were booked out of St. Pete's but Canjet (we're from Canada) decided to stop offereing their services and my parents were forced to be re-routed through another Canadian airline that helped clean up Canjets mess.

Actually the Amtrak from Orlando to St. Pete's isn't that bad. It's 2 hr 40 minutes which included the thruway from Tampa to St. Pete's or they offer the direct route.

As for DH & myself driving them, it's not even an option. My DH has NEVER been to Florida, let alone drove there before. He's already freaking out about driving to and from the Parks. Keep in mind we'll also have our 3 DD's and 17 yr old niece in tow.

My tasks today is to get their tranfers in order. Wish me luck!

 

[ducklite]

We drive the same in Florida as you do in Canada. Really, we do. I promise. Except that instead of the 401 we have I-4. But those flying into MCO and then heading to WDW can avoid I-4 entirely by using the much more civilized 417.

That said you DO NOT WANT TO TAKE A BUS FROM THE ORLANDO BUS DEPOT TO ANYWHERE!!!! In fact you don't want to go NEAR the ORlando bus depot. I'm not sure where you are from in Canada, but it's in a worse area than any I've been through in TO or Vancouver or C-Town. It's really, really bad. (not to mention from WDW to the bus depot would be probably the better part of three hours of travel and a few transfers on city buses.)

In all honesty the only two reasonable ways of getting from point "A" to point "B" is by renting a car or taking a car service--which my guess would cost $200 or more (plus a 20% tip for good service)for a towncar.

Anne

 

[RainbowsMist]

We drive the same in Florida as you do in Canada. Really, we do. I promise. Except that instead of the 401 we have I-4. But those flying into MCO and then heading to WDW can avoid I-4 entirely by using the much more civilized 417.

That said you DO NOT WANT TO TAKE A BUS FROM THE ORLANDO BUS DEPOT TO ANYWHERE!!!! In fact you don't want to go NEAR the ORlando bus depot. I'm not sure where you are from in Canada, but it's in a worse area than any I've been through in TO or Vancouver or C-Town. It's really, really bad. (not to mention from WDW to the bus depot would be probably the better part of three hours of travel and a few transfers on city buses.)

In all honesty the only two reasonable ways of getting from point "A" to point "B" is by renting a car or taking a car service--which my guess would cost $200 or more (plus a 20% tip for good service)for a towncar.

Anne

Thank you. I've sent them the driving directions via Map Quest and really hope they will consider this. We are not from TO, Vancouver or anything close to that, we're from Nova Scotia and live in the country!!! My mom's husband has drove in FL before but as he's got older he's not comfortable with it. Who knows, he may just go for it!

I couldn't help but notice you are from Clermont, FL. I'm hoping you can help me on another topic. We are renting a villa in Mission Park, which I'm told is in or close to Clermont. Have you heard of it and if so, will we country bumpkins be able to get from our villa to the parks without causing complete chaos?? We're renting a mini van at MCO. I'm hoping my directions wont' fail me!

Should my parents decide to go with the car rental option, and if our villa is in Clermont, do you happen to know where they would rent a car from that close?

Thanks!

 

[goofy4tink]

Okay....let me ask yet another question since you've mentioned not taking I-4 from Orlando to Tampa but 417. I'm more than a bit nervous about getting from MCO back to WDW so we can head down to Tampa for the wedding. So, how easy is it to hop on 417 from MCO and how far does it go? Do I then switch back over to I-4 at some point? This is turning into a nightmare for us...we go to WDW then have to go back to MCO to pick up dd who is being dumped there by my ex, then grab her and drive to Tampa, only to have to turn around and go back towards Orlando to a town called Mullberry (?) or at least that's what I think it is. It's an hour away from us in Tampa though. I just want to find the easiest way to get from MCO to Tampa. Okay, done whining now.
To the OP who was looking for ways to get to the St. Pete area...we rented a car last spring for the drive from WDW to Tampa and I can't tell you how well marked the highways are in Florida. I'm not at all nervous about that part of the drive. It's the nasty ole airport traffic that gets my knickers in a twist!!

 

[ducklite]

Thank you. I've sent them the driving directions via Map Quest and really hope they will consider this. We are not from TO, Vancouver or anything close to that, we're from Nova Scotia and live in the country!!! My mom's husband has drove in FL before but as he's got older he's not comfortable with it. Who knows, he may just go for it!

I couldn't help but notice you are from Clermont, FL. I'm hoping you can help me on another topic. We are renting a villa in Mission Park, which I'm told is in or close to Clermont. Have you heard of it and if so, will we country bumpkins be able to get from our villa to the parks without causing complete chaos?? We're renting a mini van at MCO. I'm hoping my directions wont' fail me!

Should my parents decide to go with the car rental option, and if our villa is in Clermont, do you happen to know where they would rent a car from that close?

Thanks!

Mission park is on the other end of town from me, but it's very easy to get to WDW from there. You wuld take 27 to 192, head east for about five miles and by the McDonalds turn onto Sherbeth Road. Take that to teh light and turn right and follow the signs to where you want to go.

In all honesty picking up a car at a WDW or DTD location would be the best place. The only other in Clermont that I know of is an Enterprise location on the north end of Clermont, but cars must be returned back there.

Once they ahve the car, they can get onto the 429 south bound all the way to I-4 to cut out a ton of congestion. It's a brand new highway with very little traffic using it.

Anne

 

[NotUrsula]

Attractions aside, I was thinking more along the lines of the difficulty of things like buying groceries. Relying on the trolley they will end up blowing several hours alone just on that errand; if memory serves, the nearest supermarket actually on the route is in Treasure Island, but it's a small independent place -- for a Publix with a large selection, I think they would have to go all the way to St. Pete Beach.

Honestly, central Florida is one of the easiest places in the US for the foreign driver. (And I don't really count Canadians as foreign in this respect; you all drive on the same side that we do and use the same road signage that the US does, and you're not freaked out by the distances the way the Europeans are.) The streets in tourist areas are wide and straight, and there is no such thing as coming over a hill and getting surprised -- no real hills. (Well, Gulf Blvd isn't wide in most places, and not purely straight since it follows the shoreline, but it follows the shoreline -- as long as you can see water, you know which way you're going.) With a good map, specific route plans, a compass, and a second person to read them aloud for you, it is really quite easy.

PS: I've driven in the country in Nova Scotia -- if you can do that on a daily basis, central Florida is going to be a piece of cake! Your roads are wicked in the rain.

 

[ducklite]

Okay....let me ask yet another question since you've mentioned not taking I-4 from Orlando to Tampa but 417.

I was referring to 417 from MCO to WDW, not to Tampa.

I'm more than a bit nervous about getting from MCO back to WDW so we can head down to Tampa for the wedding. So, how easy is it to hop on 417 from MCO and how far does it go? Do I then switch back over to I-4 at some point?

You would take the 417 south from teh airport and pick up I-4 by the Gaylord Palms.

This is turning into a nightmare for us...we go to WDW then have to go back to MCO to pick up dd who is being dumped there by my ex, then grab her and drive to Tampa, only to have to turn around and go back towards Orlando to a town called Mullberry (?) or at least that's what I think it is. It's an hour away from us in Tampa though. I just want to find the easiest way to get from MCO to Tampa. Okay, done whining now.

The other option would be 417 to Osceola parkway to Buena Vista to Western Way to 429 to I-4, but that's convoluted and I wouldn't suggest it if you aren't familiar with the area. Or you could exit the north exit of the airport and take the Beachline west to I-4.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

no real hills.

You've obviously never been to Clermont or Minneola.

Anne

 

[NotUrsula]

Come on, Anne, the woman is from rural Nova Scotia. Nothing in Florida even comes close in terms of hills. I spent two weeks crisscrossing rural N.S. a while back -- after the 50th waterfall-going-over-the-cliff-onto-the-road in less than 100 miles, I gave up oohing and ahhing, the novelty fades when there is one around every bend. I actually *love* roller-coaster driving, and that was one of the best examples of it that I've ever experienced (DH was white-knuckled for most of the trip, LOL. He hates it when I get that mountain-driving gleam in my eye.)

I was speaking of the tourist routes, really -- most tourists don't spend much time in Clermont, though in all fairness it looks like this one will be coming fairly close. I've been to both; while they are hillier than most of Florida, they are still pretty flat in driving terms. I never felt the need to be really watchful cresting the tops of the hills.

 

[RainbowsMist]

It's the thought of 8 lanes of traffic that really gets DH all uptight. Our highways are 4 lanes, 2 on each side with a HUGE grass median between the two.

Hills and narrow roads are the furthest of his worries..

I myself haven't been to FL in over 15 years. Perhaps the roads have changed a lot since then?? We also stayed in Kissimmee and relied on shuttles back then when we were younger whipper snippers.

 

[ducklite]

Come on, Anne, the woman is from rural Nova Scotia. Nothing in Florida even comes close in terms of hills.

This is the entrance to my neighborhood:

Frankly the photo doesn't do the grade of the hill justice.

Trust me, we have hills in Clermont. While they aren't mountains, they are hills, and with some of them, yes, you do need to be cautious on what's on the other side. There's one on Hancock Road that I've seen more than a few people rear end others as they come over the crest and can't see the backed up traffic in front of them until it's too late.

That said, most of those types of hills are not on the main roads that tourists would be on (27 and 50)

Anne

 

[RainbowsMist]

They are at the Madeira Beach Yacht Club complex located on the intracoastal waterway. They tell me there is a Winn-Dixie right across the street from where they are staying.