Toll roads in Florida

[chip&dale1]

Hi need help from our USA DIS friends. We are travelling from Miami to Fort Myers beach (using I75) then to Orlando. We have a rental car.Can anyone tell us if the toll roads are cashless? How do we pay?We will also be touring around Florida and eventually returning to Miami.Pre paying through rental for a whole month for tolls may not be cost effective. Any suggestions please?

 

[siberian57]

If I remember correctly when I lived there, if you're taking I75 to ft Meyers and then crawling up the west coast and hitting 4 in Tampa to head to Orlando then there might only be 1 toll around the miami area getting onto 75 but I can't remember 100%. If you backtrack a little and take the FL turnpike then yeah there are tolls. I think they are cash or sunpass only but don't quote me on that having driven it only a few times. What route are you taking? If you mapquest it, I would assume they should tell you of any tolls on your route. If not, wikipedia lists the toll roads in Florida

Type in something like list of toll roads in florida and it should pop up. I can't paste the link because my post count is so low.

 

[JimMIA]

It depends on where in Miami you start, and the route you take to I-75. If you tell me where you're starting I can give you much more accurate info.

The Florida Turnpike sections in Miami-Dade County are cashless. If you don't have a SunPass (which you can get from the rental car company) the system will automatically bill the tag. With a SunPass, you get a discount on the tolls

There is also an HOV lane northbound on I-95 in Miami-Dade which is cashless.

There are several other toll roads in Miami-Dade County which are NOT cashless. Those are run by the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority.

I-75 between West Broward County and Naples is a toll road. SunPass works, and they have toll booths.

There are several options to either avoid tolls or lessen your driving time, but I assume you've already considered and eliminated those.

I believe there is also a section of I-75 between Naples and Fort Myers with a cashless HOV lane similar to I-95 in Miami. But both of those are optional, not mandatory tolls.

North of Fort Myers to Orlando is free on I-75/I-4.

 

[seashoreCM]

Several toll plazas including some near Disney require that you take what looks like an exit ramp to pay in cash if you do not have a Florida electronic toll transponder (Sunpass, Leeway, E-pass; not EZ-pass). Watch the signs.

This kind of toll plaza arrangement is found in some other states as well.

In most cases signing up for the toll payment system offered by rental companies is much more expensive than paying in cash.

 

[CarolMN]

Moved to Transportation from DVC-Planning

 

[Disneyadore]

Florida recently changed the toll paying methods. In many cases you only can pay whit a transponder and not with cash. I would look into this.
For that reason we only rent at Hertz.

Never a problem or paid to much.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Most rental car agencies have toll programs now. It can add $2 a day for any day you travel through a toll plaza without paying (most agencies will max this out between $6 and $10 for your entire rental) plus the cost of tolls. If you encounter a cashless toll and plan to pay cash at others, the cost to you will be negligible.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

I-75 between West Broward County and Naples is a toll road. SunPass works, and they have toll booths.

I believe there is also a section of I-75 between Naples and Fort Myers with a cashless HOV lane similar to I-95 in Miami.

The tolled section of I-75 is better known as Alligator Alley and the toll is $2.50 each way, $2.00 if you have SunPass. I'm not aware of any toll section between Naples and Fort Myers.

BobK/Orlando

 

[gmeh1]

You can get a sunpass for 4.99 and they give you that amount in toll credits. You do have to activate with a min. of 10.00, but, it is much less expensive than paying the rental agencies for their toll program.
www.sunpass.com

 

[chip&dale1]

Great thanks to all for the info

 

[gmeh1]

Florida recently changed the toll paying methods. In many cases you only can pay whit a transponder and not with cash. I would look into this.
For that reason we only rent at Hertz.

Never a problem or paid to much.

Not all of Fl has changed......yet. The Orlando area still has cash options.

Not sure what Hertz and the FL toll roads have in common, but, all rental agencies now have the toll option.

 

[MyMuse]

You can get a sunpass for 4.99 and they give you that amount in toll credits. You do have to activate with a min. of 10.00, but, it is much less expensive than paying the rental agencies for their toll program.
www.sunpass.com

I've been researching this too as the car rental agencies toll program is very expensive.

If you get the SunPass mini for the $4.99, it warns you that it must be permanently fixed onto your window.

I've looked at sunpass.com and trid to order the bigger one for $25 but it seems to only want FL cars. I'm going to call them and see what I can do.

I really wish FL took EZ-Pass (northeast toll system), I have one of those!!

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

If you get the SunPass mini for the $4.99, it warns you that it must be permanently fixed onto your window.

I've looked at sunpass.com and trid to order the bigger one for $25 but it seems to only want FL cars. I'm going to call them and see what I can do.

I really wish FL took EZ-Pass (northeast toll system), I have one of those!!

1) The $4.99 SunPass unit indeed must be affixed to your windshield in order to work properly. So this is perfect if you drive your personal car in Florida but no good if you drive rental cars. You'll need the $25 full-sized SunPass for that which is affixed with velcro, a plastic suction holder or even just layed on your dashboard as you pass toll plazas.

2) Many out-of-state people that are regular visitors have a SunPass unit so you should be able to order one.

3) Unfortunately E-ZPass from the northeast/midwest uses a different technology than SunPass/E-PASS used in Florida. So they can't work together.

BobK/Orlando

 

[MyMuse]

1) The $4.99 SunPass unit indeed must be affixed to your windshield in order to work properly. So this is perfect if you drive your personal car in Florida but no good if you drive rental cars. You'll need the $25 full-sized SunPass for that which is affixed with velcro, a plastic suction holder or even just layed on your dashboard as you pass toll plazas.

2) Many out-of-state people that are regular visitors have a SunPass unit so you should be able to order one.

3) Unfortunately E-ZPass from the northeast/midwest uses a different technology than SunPass/E-PASS used in Florida. So they can't work together.

BobK/Orlando

Thanks!

I'm going to try again to order one online. I'll just put my info on my car in, I guess.

I rent a car in FL since I don't drive my own down. I live a bit too far away for that.

I know our toll systems aren't compatible but I wish they were!