Flying to Orlanda, cruising from Ft. Laud -- transport and hotel suggestions?

We are flying into Orlando 3 days pre-cruise. Will stay in Orlando overnight, and need a hotel for that night. Safe and clean, no need for fancy :) Then, what shuttle services should we consider for getting to Fort Lauderdale the following day? (hotel in FL already booked)

Thanks in advance :)

You would be better off renting a car...FLL is about 3 hours or so from Orlando.

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Agree, it is commonly recommended here to rent a car. We are in March.

Orlando is home to every imaginable hotel. If you have a chain you are familiar with,mandatory meets your budget desires, check their website. Very likely they have something in the area. For example,,the Hilton family has about a dozen hotels in the area.

You would be better off renting a car...FLL is about 3 hours or so from Orlando.

 

 

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Agree, it is commonly recommended here to rent a car. We are in March.

 

Orlando is home to every imaginable hotel. If you have a chain you are familiar with,mandatory meets your budget desires, check their website. Very likely they have something in the area. For example,,the Hilton family has about a dozen hotels in the area.

Yeah, a big NO on renting a car :) that's why we were wondering about shuttle services. Vacation should be totally non-stressful and driving an unfamiliar car on unfamiliar roads were be too hard on us. And it could get nasty in that car :eek: :) Not the best way to start a longish vacation! :)

Re hotel. We'd like to be either close to the airport, and take a cab to the shuttle pick up point, or close to the shuttle pick up point. We are completely unfamiliar with Orlando. Ours friends can only tell us about Disney, which isn't helpful.

Or if there's something like a commuter train, that'd work, also. We can manage our luggage.....

Come back in about a year for our new Orlando to Miami train http://www.allaboardflorida.com/

Right now it's car rental or a bus.

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There are short flights from MCO to FLL. Lots of reasonable hotels near MCO and then shuttle back for your flight.

You can check with Greyhound and MegaBus - I've used Mega to get from DC to NYC and was pleased.

Take another look at a one-way car rental; if you are worried about driving on the "correct" side of the road, the switch is not that tough - I drive in Ireland and the UK often, and if an old guy like me can do it why not you? :confused: The drive from MCO to FLL is almost all on tolled highway and takes about 3.5 hours - even if you rent a minivan/SUV you are likely looking at maybe $100 compared to much more (and a longer total trip) is you fly.

There are short flights from MCO to FLL. Lots of reasonable hotels near MCO and then shuttle back for your flight.

 

You can check with Greyhound and MegaBus - I've used Mega to get from DC to NYC and was pleased.

 

Take another look at a one-way car rental; if you are worried about driving on the "correct" side of the road, the switch is not that tough - I drive in Ireland and the UK often, and if an old guy like me can do it why not you? :confused: The drive from MCO to FLL is almost all on tolled highway and takes about 3.5 hours - even if you rent a minivan/SUV you are likely looking at maybe $100 compared to much more (and a longer total trip) is you fly.

Thanks I will check out Mega Bus. :) We really do not want to drive, because traffic :) and lost :) and and and. We'd be a road hazard :eek: I could bore you with all the times we have driven and gotten lost, even in familiar areas, but I won't. Just trust me on this :D

Orlando to Fort Lauderdale is approximately two hundred twenty five miles and usually under normal conditions a three to four hour drive. If you decide not to rent a vehicle Greyhound maybe the way to go. I never heard of Megabus operating in the State Of Florida. A short flight from MCO to FLL is under forty five minutes. Let us know what you decide.

Florida has the most comprehensive bus/shuttle system of any state I've lived in thanks to the theme parks in the north and the casinos in the south and the cruise ports, etc.

There are at least a dozen companies running daily shuttles between Orlando - Fort Lauderdale - Miami (generally they do not stop at cruise terminals). Fares can be as low as $20 per person.

The catch is - the pickups and drops are generally in public places (outside a Denny's, McDonalds, etc). So you have to make your way with all your luggage to one of these places and wait faithfully for some company to pick you! What if they do not show up? Reviews online are generally not very favorable so that does not help either!

I have seen Javax, Smart Shuttle Line, Jet Set, Super Tours and Megabus on the roads and I am sure there are many others.

Only a few companies (ESCOT and Florida Express for example) actually focus on the cruise ports from what I can tell with fares starting at $50.

Amtrak from Ft Lauderdale to Orlando departs at 8:50am - 4h30 minutes

Amtrak from Orlando to Ft Lauderdale departs at 10:20am and 1:04pm (both arrives too late for cruises)

https://escotbuslines.com/

http://us.megabus.com/Default.aspx

http://www.thefloridaexpressbus.com

http://us.megabus.com/orlando-to-fort-lauderdale-bus.aspx

Thank you, that's very helpful! :)

Florida has the most comprehensive bus/shuttle system of any state I've lived in thanks to the theme parks in the north and the casinos in the south and the cruise ports, etc.

 

There are at least a dozen companies running daily shuttles between Orlando - Fort Lauderdale - Miami (generally they do not stop at cruise terminals). Fares can be as low as $20 per person.

 

The catch is - the pickups and drops are generally in public places (outside a Denny's, McDonalds, etc). So you have to make your way with all your luggage to one of these places and wait faithfully for some company to pick you! What if they do not show up? Reviews online are generally not very favorable so that does not help either!

 

I have seen Javax, Smart Shuttle Line, Jet Set, Super Tours and Megabus on the roads and I am sure there are many others.

 

Only a few companies (ESCOT and Florida Express for example) actually focus on the cruise ports from what I can tell with fares starting at $50.

 

Amtrak from Ft Lauderdale to Orlando departs at 8:50am - 4h30 minutes

 

Amtrak from Orlando to Ft Lauderdale departs at 10:20am and 1:04pm (both arrives too late for cruises)

 

https://escotbuslines.com/

 

http://us.megabus.com/Default.aspx

 

http://www.thefloridaexpressbus.com

Thank you, also! Those are also very helpful.

(We are arriving multiple days in advance of our cruise, so a mid afternoon arrival in Fort Lauderdale is just fine :) )

We will fly out of FLL at the end of the cruise since we are doing a multi-stop trip home.

any option other than renting a car is gonna cost you a full day time wize .... maybe more

how many are you? Let's make a deal ......

any option other than renting a car is gonna cost you a full day time wize .... maybe more

 

how many are you? Let's make a deal ......

LOL :D 2 of us, we arrive Orlando late afternoon, will spend the night in Orlando, then take a shuttle to Fort Lauderdale, and spend a couple of days pre-cruise. Since we are not happy travelers, I expect we may be speaking to each other by the time we have a late dinner in Fort Lauderdale ;) Or it could take until lunch the following day before we can be civil to one another. I wish I was kidding but I'm not :eek:

Orlando to Fort Lauderdale is approximately two hundred twenty five miles and usually under normal conditions a three to four hour drive. If you decide not to rent a vehicle Greyhound maybe the way to go.

I personally would not recommend Greyhound to anybody. Red Coach is a more civilized option. They depart MCO for FLL. From there, it is just a short and inexpensive taxi ride to hotels and Port Everglades. http://www.redcoachusa.com/stops/orlando/

Is using Amtrak a reasonable thought?