Transportation from Airport to Vero Beach?

[FamilyMan1426]

Does anyone have any recommendations on a car service that will pick us up at Melbourne Airport and take us to Vero beach? And approximate cost?

Thanks!

 

[PammyK]

Does anyone have any recommendations on a car service that will pick us up at Melbourne Airport and take us to Vero beach? And approximate cost?

Thanks!

I always drive myself but you may want to go to the airport's website to see if they have any suggested vendors.

You may also wish to consider renting a vehicle if you have a driver in your travel party. Car service will be pretty pricey, so unless there is a reason you can't drive yourselves, a rental may be the better value.

 

[FamilyMan1426]

Thank you Pam. We're going to be there for 8 days and there are 5 of us so we would need at least a mini-van. If my memory serves me correct it's about $600 for the rental. I would hope a round trip ride/shuttle to Vero Beach wouldn't be that much. If it's close I probably will just rent a vehicle. I'll have to look into both.

 

[rlovew]

I would guess a ride from the Melbourne airport to Vero Beach will be at least as much as the van rental plus unless you only want to eat at the 4 places available at Vero and only want to spend time in the pool and on the Beach you will want a car once you are there. There is nothing really in walking distance of the resort.

 

[FamilyMan1426]

This is our first time using our DVC points at Vero Beach. Maybe i'm being naive, I was hoping we could just stay there. If we're going to have to leave the property it probably would be better to rent something. It's been a long year and was just looking to relax with the family(beach/pool). That's why we chose Vero Beach this year instead of Disney World. Now I'm thinking we may want to leave the property?

Anyone who has already visited Vero Beach have any thoughts?

 

[rlovew]

This is our first time using our DVC points at Vero Beach. Maybe i'm being naive, I was hoping we could just stay there. If we're going to have to leave the property it probably would be better to rent something. It's been a long year and was just looking to relax with the family(beach/pool). That's why we chose Vero Beach this year instead of Disney World. Now I'm thinking we may want to leave the property?

Anyone who has already visited Vero Beach have any thoughts?

We have +been there and it is a nice resort but if I was staying for 8 days I would want a change in food and possibly to do other things. Of course sitting around a pool or on a beach for more than 1 day drives me crazy so I may not like the same kind of vacation as you do. There are 4 places to eat on property. I believe it is just 1 place open for breakfast each morning- the main restaurant. For lunch you can eat at the pool counter service or the upstairs bar. At dinner I believe the upstairs bar, the main restaurant and the upscale place are open. Personally while the places we ate were fabulous I would be bored with only these options for 8 days. There is nothing I remember within walking distance to eat.

I would rent something even if it was just to eat a meal out each day (which would be less expensive) and possibly to pick up simple breakfast items if you don't want a sit down breakfast every morning. There are some nice gardens and such time attractions around if it is a rainy day or you want a change from the pool but again you would need to drive for these things.

 

[n2mm]

We have +been there and it is a nice resort but if I was staying for 8 days I would want a change in food and possibly to do other things. Of course sitting around a pool or on a beach for more than 1 day drives me crazy so I may not like the same kind of vacation as you do. There are 4 places to eat on property. I believe it is just 1 place open for breakfast each morning- the main restaurant. For lunch you can eat at the pool counter service or the upstairs bar. At dinner I believe the upstairs bar, the main restaurant and the upscale place are open. Personally while the places we ate were fabulous I would be bored with only these options for 8 days. There is nothing I remember within walking distance to eat. I would rent something even if it was just to eat a meal out each day (which would be less expensive) and possibly to pick up simple breakfast items if you don't want a sit down breakfast every morning. There are some nice gardens and such time attractions around if it is a rainy day or you want a change from the pool but again you would need to drive for these things.

I share your views completely. We got bored with the food options after day 2. We had a rental car and liked exploring the area. We were there for only 3 days. We did the character breakfast and the seafood buffet. Sadly my family did not enjoy vero and all found it boring. Guess we are not beach people anymore. No one wants to go back. I could not imagine being there without a car. The lunch offerings were the worse part. Either the small bar/ lounge or a counter service window. We did eat at Sonya's during a brief stay there on a different trip and enjoyed that meal, but they are only open on weekends I think.

 

[Hopefully]

This is our first time using our DVC points at Vero Beach. Maybe i'm being naive, I was hoping we could just stay there. If we're going to have to leave the property it probably would be better to rent something. It's been a long year and was just looking to relax with the family(beach/pool). That's why we chose Vero Beach this year instead of Disney World. Now I'm thinking we may want to leave the property?

Anyone who has already visited Vero Beach have any thoughts?

We are beach people and are headed back for our 3rd trip in a month. We are pretty happy sitting on the beach reading, walking, relaxing.
That said we rent a car and drive from MCO. We use the car for grocery shopping, a visit to Hale's Orchard for fresh OJ, and for dinner out most evenings. We don't explore most days and are happy at the beach/pool but I agree about wanting to eat elsewhere.
We have eaten at Shutters and enjoyed it as well as Sonya's on a weekend. The Green Cabin menu isn't as extensive at night as it used to be.
Have Fun. It is a nice resort

 

[dhelin]

This is our first time using our DVC points at Vero Beach. Maybe i'm being naive, I was hoping we could just stay there. If we're going to have to leave the property it probably would be better to rent something. It's been a long year and was just looking to relax with the family(beach/pool). That's why we chose Vero Beach this year instead of Disney World. Now I'm thinking we may want to leave the property? Anyone who has already visited Vero Beach have any thoughts?

if you enjoy a quiet pace, and will take full advantage of the kitchen in your accommodation (needing a grocery stop of course) then eating off property every day may not be necessary....budgeting the cost of feeding 5 guests ON Property in the restaurants is expensive---cutting those costs by driving to off-site eateries, having leftovers for lunch etc might be worth the cost of a car. If you don't have a car you could always taxi to offsite locations, but again, more $$$ and less convenient.
Budget Car rental had the best rates with a "pay in advance"option when I booked our car for Melbourne.

 

[FamilyMan1426]

We are a family of 5. We could fit in a mid to full size car. All 3 of my kids are under 9 but I'm not sure about our suit cases. A mini van will cost $654 for the week. A Chevy Malibu will only cost $352. I'm agreeing that it may be a good idea to rent I'm just not sure if it's worth it to shell out almost $700 for a mini van.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

This is our first time using our DVC points at Vero Beach. Maybe i'm being naive, I was hoping we could just stay there. If we're going to have to leave the property it probably would be better to rent something. It's been a long year and was just looking to relax with the family(beach/pool). That's why we chose Vero Beach this year instead of Disney World. Now I'm thinking we may want to leave the property?

Anyone who has already visited Vero Beach have any thoughts?

I understand where you're coming from. Imersing yourself completely in Disney isn't as easy at Vera as it is at WDW, but it's completely do-able. We didn't leave to explore other entertainment options during our stay. We spent the days enjoying the pool and the beach. But after trying each of the Disney restaurants, we did enjoy going out in town for several meals.

I'm not sure what the situation is with taxi service for trips to other restaurants. It seems like a pretty sleepy place to have taxis, but you never know.

 

[Dean]

Does anyone have any recommendations on a car service that will pick us up at Melbourne Airport and take us to Vero beach? And approximate cost?

Thanks!

$100 RT for one and $150 for 2 is one price I've seen. There are 4 resorts within DVC I would not do without a car and these are HH, VB, OKW and Aulani.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We have been to Vero many times. We like the food. But also enjoy getting out to other restaurants and to a store for breakfast and lunch items. For us we love the pool and the beach. Always have a great time. With the tennis, mini golf, bikes, kids games and activities, there is plenty to do. But you will get tired of the food. The green cabin, which is the bar on the second floor offers food, excellent cocktails and live music. Great place to hang out in evening. All that said I would not do Vero without a car.

 

[PammyK]

We are a family of 5. We could fit in a mid to full size car. All 3 of my kids are under 9 but I'm not sure about our suit cases. A mini van will cost $654 for the week. A Chevy Malibu will only cost $352. I'm agreeing that it may be a good idea to rent I'm just not sure if it's worth it to shell out almost $700 for a mini van.

A couple things to think about. First, even though you're staying 8 days, you'll have access to complimentary laundry facilities even if you're in an Inn Room, so you can definitely use that to your advantage when it comes to what you bring clothes-wise. You could probably manage 1 roll-aboard sized bag for the kids clothes and one full sized suitcase for the adults' clothes. After all, it is a beach vacation so do you really need more than a pair of flip-flops/beach shoes and a pair of athletic shoes each?

Next, having a car, you'll be able to stop and pick up some of the heavier space-consuming items like shampoo/conditioner, sunscreen, lotion, etc. instead of having to fly with it. So that will free up room and allow you to make a more economical vehicle work.

Another advantage of having a car is that you'll be able to make a grocery run and can save money by not purchasing breakfast and lunch daily. In a 1-BR or larger villa, you'll be able to cook full meals, but even in a studio or Inn Room, I'm able to make quick, easy and yummy ham and egg sandwiches for breakfast using the microwave and toaster and cold cuts with fresh fruit make for an easy lunch.

The car will also give you access to more than just the resort's restaurants for dining options if you choose not to use your kitchen facilities in the villa. There are plenty of good, economical choices within a 10-20 minute drive of the resort. If you're willing/able to take advantage of early bird specials, that will be even more economical. And as much as I love Disney dining, it isn't exactly inexpensive.

The final advantage of having a car is that it does give you the opportunity to take in some activities further afield. I don't think you mentioned when you'll be traveling, but there are some interesting places to visit in the area. There are two shipwreck/treasure museums (nominal admission fee) near the resort - one (Mel Fisher's) is more treasure oriented and the other (McClarty) is a bit more historically oriented. There are a few boats that do nature tours of the Indian River Lagoon where you might spot dolphins or manatees or other cool creatures. Or if the weather isn't cooperating, a car will let you run out to the movies to see something on the big screen instead of watching something in the villa.

Oh, and may I ask where in Central NJ you're from? I grew up in Sayreville and I still have family in the area.