Best way to get to Port Canaveral from Orlando airport?

Hi all,

This will be my second cruise in February and we are cruising on the Epic. Because we are coming from up North and because the price for airfare was SO expensive we are leaving 2 days before our cruise begins. However, our flight doesn't get in until after midnight and we booked hotel room in the Port area. The shuttles don't run after 10pm so we are limited as to ways to get to our hotel. Is it best to hire a car service? Rent a car? Use Uber or something like it? Or stay in Orlando instead and the morning of head to the port?

Also, we don't want to spend a fortune..

Any and all advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

We've had very good luck with one-way rental cars. There are several rental agencies in the port area, and they have free shuttle service to the cruise terminals.

Oh thank you.. that's a great idea.. would I. E able to use one if we got in on a Thursday but our cruise wasn't until Saturday?

Oh thank you.. that's a great idea.. would I. E able to use one if we got in on a Thursday but our cruise wasn't until Saturday?

Sure, you can rent the car for as long as you like. You pay by the day.

I would suggest staying in Orlando that night and driving to Port Canaveral the next day . That area is jammed with tourists and you are getting off a late flight and then making the drive .I would rest up and do it the next day . You have the time .

I would suggest staying in Orlando that night and driving to Port Canaveral the next day . That area is jammed with tourists and you are getting off a late flight and then making the drive .I would rest up and do it the next day . You have the time .

I'll second it. If your budget allows it, stay at the Hyatt right inside the airport. Gather your bags, go up to your room and sleep. If you stay offsite, get a hotel with airport shuttles that run 24/7. Of course, you can rent a car and forget the shuttles, however I'd still spend the night by the airport.

I would suggest you stay on Orlando for at least one night. There is not much to do in PC other than the Space Centre. If you rent a car (one way) you could see the sights in Orlando, do some shopping (my DW loves the Outlet Malls in Orlando :( ), and also stay on the Friday night and drive over to PC in the morning of your cruise. If you stay by the airport, PC only a 45 minute drive away.

I would stay in Orlando. I have used shuttles and Uber.

Renting a car is normally the best way to go - as plenty of CC'ers will attest to. You can find similar priced hotels in both Orlando and PC. It comes down to what you want to do pre-cruise.

We've stayed in Orlando pre-cruise and went to Universal (can be expensive) as well as Disney Springs (pay for what you do, fun to just walk around and people watch).

In Jun '17 we were planing on one or two days pre-cruise on the beach on Cocoa Beach until we decided to visit friends in Tampa who very graciously volunteered to drive us to the port (I think they are using it as an excuse to hit-up Disney on their way home ;) ). We are also renting a car post-cruise to kill time before our flight home - probably Disney Springs for a few hours.