Which means of transport to use Florida?

From the airport to the city centre Florida

Florida has four international airports: Miami (MIA), Orlando (MCO), Fort Lauderdale (FLL) and Tampa (TPA). From France, it is recommended to land in Miami (direct flights from Paris CDG in 9:45 am). If you come to Florida to visit the theme parks, it is wise (and cheaper) to land directly in Orlando, but you will have to transit through an American airport because there is no direct flight from France.

From the Orlando airport, many shuttle services will take you directly to the hotels of the main Disney World and Universal parks, starting at US$16 one way per person. There are also cabs and VTCs. It is of course possible to rent a car directly from the airport, but this costs more than a pick-up outside the airport, due to airport taxes.

To get to downtown Miami from the airport, you have several options:

By cab: count 35 US$ to reach South Beach, 25 US$ to reach Coconut Grove or Downtown.

By Lyft or Uber: it will cost you 20 US$ to go from the airport to South Beach. Remember to install the application on your smartphone before taking the plane to Miami.

By private shuttle: a compromise between a cab and a bus, the shuttle will take you to your hotel for an intermediate price of 20 to 25 US$ depending on your destination. The vans generally hold 9 people (you share the vehicle with other passengers) and are comfortable with air conditioning.

With the Tri-rail: the station is located east of the airport between LeJeune Road and NW^21st Street. A free shuttle bus runs to the station from the airport terminal for those with a valid Tri-Rail ticket.

By Metrorail: If you are staying in Downtown, you can take the Metrorail Orange Line (US$2.25 per trip)

By bus: This is the longest and cheapest way to get downtown (US$2.25). The bus terminal is located a few meters from the airport. Note that an express bus reaches Miami Beach, the 150, which operates from 6am to 11pm every day. This bus has a special compartment for luggage, it stops at^16th Street and from there you can take a connection depending on where you need to go in South Beach (S, M, L for example). Be careful, the drivers do not stop at all the stops, but you can indicate your destination when you get on the bus to be warned when you stop.

By rental car: it is best to reserve your car in advance. Free rail shuttles take you to the Car Rental Center where all the car rental companies are located. It takes about 20 minutes to get there, as you have to go through several conveyor belts to get to the right terminal and then wait a few minutes for the shuttle (the trip takes 5 minutes). It is important to keep these 20 minutes in mind for the day you return your car, so that you don't arrive too late for your flight check-in...

Arrival by train Florida

Florida is served by the American company Amtrak (francais.amtrak.com). Among the main stations are Miami, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa.

In the second half of 2023, the high-speed train company Brightline (gobrightline.com) will make it possible to connect Miami to Orlando in 3 hours, compared to about 4h30 by car.

Arrival by boat Florida

Ferries offer connections from Marco Island to Key West (3h30) or Fort Myers to Key West (4h). There are no ferries from the port of Miami.

However, there are many possibilities if you want to cruise from Miami to the Bahamas (from 2 nights).

Public transport Florida

Florida has a dense but not always convenient bus network. The stations are often located outside the city centers and delays are frequent. However, the bus can be an option to consider if you want to go to Key West from Miami for example. You can then take the GreyHound company (greyhound.com).

In Miami , the city buses are often very late and the stops are very (too!) numerous. If you are in the Downtown area, you should take the Metrorail (US$2.25 per ticket) or the Metromover (free). You can buy single tickets directly on the buses (cash only, bring extra money) or at the Metrorail stations (credit card accepted). There are also 1-day (US$ 5.65) and 7-day (US$ 29.25) passes valid for the bus and metro networks, which can be loaded onto an Easy Card (cost US$ 2). This card can be purchased online or at a Metrorail station.

If you arestaying in Orlando, most hotels offer shuttles to the parks and the city's bus system is well designed.

Bike, scooters & co Florida

Some large cities have self-service bike rentals. This is notably the case in Miami (with Citi Bike), Saint Petersburg (with Coast) or Fort-Lauderdale (with Broward B-Cycle). Rentals are available by the hour and by the day.

With a driver Florida

You will find cabs anywhere in Florida. VTC like Uber and Lyft are also omnipresent, and the rates are cheaper than in France. However, there can be price differences between the two companies for the same trip, so we advise you to download both applications to make the comparison. If you are alone or in pairs, you should know that shared trips are even cheaper. Quick tip: it's easy to find a promo code to use on your first few rides.

If you're staying in a big city like Miami, it's best to ditch the car rental and get around by foot and Uber.

It is customary to leave 10% to 15% of the fare as a tip. Usually, cab drivers will take it from you automatically or you can add it via the Uber or Lyft app.

By car Florida

Car rental. In the United States, the best way to get around is to have a car. The minimum age to rent a car is 21 years old, and young driver fees may apply up to 25 years old (it depends on the company).

To drive in the state of Florida, officially the French driver's license is sufficient, but the French consulate in Miami advises to apply for an international license (permisdeconduire.ants.gouv.fr) to present with your French license. If you wish to continue further north along the Atlantic coast, the international license is mandatory in Georgia and South Carolina.

Many car rental companies operate in the cities and at the airports. It is best to book your car in advance as prices have risen drastically in recent years. Some companies offer discounts to Gold credit card holders.

Another possibility is to rent a car between individuals via the Turo platform (equivalent to Ouicar in France). Rates are generally much lower.

Speeds are indicated in mph(miles per hour). The speed limit is 65 mph (105 km/h) to 70 mph (115 km/h) on highways. The blood alcohol level cannot exceed 0.08 g/l.

Traffic rules and signs are mostly the same as in Europe, but there are some exceptions. For example, it is possible to turn right at a red light if the lane is clear, this is the "first come, first served" rule. However, you must mark a stop sign in the same way as a stop sign. Also, when driving on the highway, pay close attention to the exit signs: they can be on the right as well as on the left. Finally, be aware that traffic can be very heavy, especially on the outskirts of large cities. It is not uncommon to drive on five- or six-lane roads, which is impressive at first, but you soon get used to it!

The highways are not free, but it is relatively easy to avoid them and to drive free of charge, although it increases the travel time. For that, you can check the option "avoid tolls" on your GPS. However, if you prefer to save time, we advise you to opt for the Sun Pass, the equivalent of remote toll collection in France. It is available in the form of a box (often optional in car rental) or in the form of a sticker to be stuck on the windshield. This option is the most economical because it costs only US$ 4.95 to buy (compared to several tens of dollars with the car rental company). You just have to load the SunPass on the Internet (explanations provided at the time of purchase). In addition to the economic aspect, there are dedicated lanes for SunPass users, which saves time. Otherwise, you can pay by card or cash at each tollbooth.

As for parking lots, they are very often paid and expensive, especially in Miami. Several applications will help you find the cheapest parking lots around your location.