Getting to Port Miami by public transportation?

[qek585]

Hi everyone! In order to save some money on parking, I was hoping to park my car at the Earlington metrostation and taking public transit to the port. It seems this would save me about $80-$100 over parking at the port, as its only $4.50/day at the station. As opposed to $20/day at the port itself.

 

Has anybody ever tried this? I've looked into it quite extensively, and it seems the only form of public transportation that would take you to the port itself would be the trolley (Coral Gables route). I don't see any bus routes leading directly to the port. Why is that?

So basically I would park my car at Earlington, take the metro to downtown, then hop on the trolley to the port. Sounds simple enough, right?

 

Anybody have any advice or any ideas why this would be a good/bad idea? Ive been told the trolley is notoriously unreliable...

[JohninDC]

I'll leave it to locals to advise you on the safety of leaving your car for a week or so at that metro lot. :confused:

 

I am not aware of any public transport to POM. If you can use a bus or trolley, etc. to get to Bayside it is "only" about a 1 mile walk (depending upon berth) in the Miami heat and crazy traffic :eek: to get to your ship.

 

I personally would find someplace else to save $$ in my trip budget - this does not sound like a good plan to me, but it is your cruise - so it is your call. Good luck! :)

[fireofficer5]

There is no simple way to get to Port Miami cheap.

 

The trolley does not run on Sunday.

 

But If your really determined to do it on the cheap,

I have parked for a week at the Okeechobee Metro rail station.

 

Rode Metro Rail to Government Center station.

 

Then I cought a cab to the ship.

 

 

But you can transfer to the free metro mover at the Government Center station.

Ride the Inner Loop Metro mover to Bayfront Park station.

 

There you can catch the Coral Way route of the Miami Trolley to the Port.

 

Or catch a Taxi from either stop.

 

Taxis are near the entrance escalators at the Government center station.

 

Bayfront park station for the Metro mover drops you off on Biscayne Blvd.

Busy main road, plenty of cabs.

Edited September 15, 2015 by fireofficer5

[qek585]

Thanks fireofficer5, that's exactly what I was planning, except I'll be parking at earlington and not Okeechobee. I'll be doing it on a Monday, so I do intend to use to coral way trolley. Does it drop you off right at the port? And if so, do many people use the trolley to get to port?

 

I've also heard the trolley is notoriously unreliable though. In which case, I'll just walk the dang way from the nearest metro. 1.5 miles ain't so bad IMO. How many people did u see walk to port when you were there?

[brunello22]

Thanks fireofficer5, that's exactly what I was planning, except I'll be parking at earlington and not Okeechobee. I'll be doing it on a Monday, so I do intend to use to coral way trolley. Does it drop you off right at the port? And if so, do many people use the trolley to get to port?

 

I've also heard the trolley is notoriously unreliable though. In which case, I'll just walk the dang way from the nearest metro. 1.5 miles ain't so bad IMO. How many people did u see walk to port when you were there?

 

The trolley is unreliable. Take a taxi from the Bayfront Park MetroMover station to your ship terminal, it should be no more than $10. The 1.5 mile walk is over a long bridge, and you will have to wheel your luggage over the bridge.

Edited September 15, 2015 by brunello22

[skrufy]

I personnally would never leave my car in an unsecured parking lot in the Miami area.

[mcatmcat]

The trolley is unreliable. Take a taxi from the Bayfront Park MetroMover station to your ship terminal, it should be no more than $10. The 1.5 mile walk is over a long bridge, and you will have to wheel your luggage over the bridge.

 

 

Unless someone give him a ride lol

[FreestyleNovice]

It's not only the bridge but also the looong stretch of port if your ship docks in the back?

[Dorothy & Morty]

[/b

 

We live in Fort Myers and may rent a car and leave it at the car rental company near the port. Can you tell me which car rental company has a shuttle to the cruiseport? Thanks so much. We will rent by the day both ways.

dorothy&morty]

[JohninDC]

[/b

 

We live in Fort Myers and may rent a car and leave it at the car rental company near the port. Can you tell me which car rental company has a shuttle to the cruiseport? Thanks so much. We will rent by the day both ways.

dorothy&morty]

 

This post was about transport to the Port of Miami, and your question is about Port Everglades. You might be better off starting a new thread. ;)

 

I would get the best deal you can for one way rentals and not worry about shuttles - a taxi between the FLL airport and PE if needed is only about $15.

[Diver2014]

May I offer an opinion? I would NEVER leave my car for a week at the Earlington Heights Metrorail station unless you never want to see it again.

Pay for an off site lot near the port or pay the $20/day to park at the port of Miami. Earlington Hts is an area I wouldn't feel comfortable in during broad daylight. Don't take the chance. Even if your car is still there a week later, the wheels and tires won't be. And forget about the security there - my car was broken into at the South Miami Metrorail station and made undriveable while the alarm blared away while the security guard sat in her cart downstairs eating her lunch. Jus' sayin'.....

[FreestyleNovice]

OP already parked his car across the Metrorail park site.. ;)

 

https://goo.gl/maps/VhSjV

[BlueHerons]

Hi everyone! In order to save some money on parking, I was hoping to park my car at the Earlington metrostation and taking public transit to the port. It seems this would save me about $80-$100 over parking at the port, as its only $4.50/day at the station. As opposed to $20/day at the port itself.

 

Has anybody ever tried this? I've looked into it quite extensively, and it seems the only form of public transportation that would take you to the port itself would be the trolley (Coral Gables route). I don't see any bus routes leading directly to the port. Why is that?

So basically I would park my car at Earlington, take the metro to downtown, then hop on the trolley to the port. Sounds simple enough, right?

 

Anybody have any advice or any ideas why this would be a good/bad idea? Ive been told the trolley is notoriously unreliable...

 

This is the absolute worst idea I've ever heard of to save money. I wouldn't leave my car unattended in any public lot in Miami for 24 hours let alone a week.

[qek585]

Wow. You guys are making Miami sound like Ciudad Juarez. Honestly, how bad can it be? What's so bad about a metrorail station as opposed to any other parking lot? Granted I don't know the area, I've always parked my car in parking garages and never had a problem. If Earlington Heights is such a bad spot, do you think maybe Okeechobee or South Miami station is safer? Perhaps the airport is safer?

[Diver2014]

Let's just say that an awful lot of stolen cars and parts are shipped to South America from Miami. My Ford Expedition was so badly damaged at the South Miami Metrorail station that it could not be driven and I had to have a flat bed truck haul it away for repairs to the steering column that had been hammered by some jerk trying to hot wire it. The airport parking garage is an expensive option. We've been on a lot of cruises out of Miami and we just pay the $20 per day to park in the covered, secured parking garages. Peace of mind.

[capriccio]

Wow. You guys are making Miami sound like Ciudad Juarez. Honestly, how bad can it be? What's so bad about a metrorail station as opposed to any other parking lot? Granted I don't know the area, I've always parked my car in parking garages and never had a problem. If Earlington Heights is such a bad spot, do you think maybe Okeechobee or South Miami station is safer? Perhaps the airport is safer?

 

My insurance company (USAA) sure thinks it is bad! When we moved to Broward County (Fort Lauderdale is the county seat) from Northern Virginia our car insurance skyrocketed even though we now have a secured parking garage (in Virginia we parked on the street). The customer service rep commiserated (she lived in south Florida too) and said it was due to the high number of stolen cars and drivers without insurance or even licenses.

 

In addition to security, convenience is important to us. So far we have only sailed out of Fort Lauderdale but we always use the port garages (or take a taxi) although Park and Go gets extremely high marks and, if money were an object, I might try them. If we ever sail out of Miami the port garages are a no brainer -- I've read too many horror stories on this Board about Miami parking to be penny wise and pound foolish!

[Host CJSKIDS]

My insurance company (USAA) sure thinks it is bad! When we moved to Broward County (Fort Lauderdale is the county seat) from Northern Virginia our car insurance skyrocketed even though we now have a secured parking garage (in Virginia we parked on the street). The customer service rep commiserated (she lived in south Florida too) and said it was due to the high number of stolen cars and drivers without insurance or even licenses.

 

In addition to security, convenience is important to us. So far we have only sailed out of Fort Lauderdale but we always use the port garages (or take a taxi) although Park and Go gets extremely high marks and, if money were an object, I might try them. If we ever sail out of Miami the port garages are a no brainer -- I've read too many horror stories on this Board about Miami parking to be penny wise and pound foolish!

 

My rates when way up when I changed the address for insurance purposed to Miami out of Naples! And boy did my son's rates drop with USAA when his car left here and went to Hawaii. So much cheaper there!

[royalcruz]

I don't understand why people don't believe the locals. South Florida has a lot of automobile crime. Period. I live in a "nice" neighborhood in Ft Lauderdale and would not leave my car outside of the garage overnight. My neighbors who do have had their cars broken into many times. I also park in a gated garage at work. I once had the hood logo stolen off of my BMW at Sawgrass Mills Mall. Even cemeteries have had to warn people about cars being broken into during funerals.

[brunello22]

Wow. You guys are making Miami sound like Ciudad Juarez. Honestly, how bad can it be? What's so bad about a metrorail station as opposed to any other parking lot? Granted I don't know the area, I've always parked my car in parking garages and never had a problem. If Earlington Heights is such a bad spot, do you think maybe Okeechobee or South Miami station is safer? Perhaps the airport is safer?

 

Exactly ... you don't know the area. We (locals) do.

 

Budget for the $20/day and park at the airport or POM. Peace of mind.

[BlueHerons]

I don't understand why people don't believe the locals. South Florida has a lot of automobile crime. Period. I live in a "nice" neighborhood in Ft Lauderdale and would not leave my car outside of the garage overnight. My neighbors who do have had their cars broken into many times. I also park in a gated garage at work. I once had the hood logo stolen off of my BMW at Sawgrass Mills Mall. Even cemeteries have had to warn people about cars being broken into during funerals.

 

I got my Mercedes logo stolen off my car at Dadeland Mall. My sister and brother in law who live in Miami have had FIVE cars stolen from them. Five.

 

Wow. You guys are making Miami sound like Ciudad Juarez. Honestly, how bad can it be? What's so bad about a metrorail station as opposed to any other parking lot? Granted I don't know the area, I've always parked my car in parking garages and never had a problem. If Earlington Heights is such a bad spot, do you think maybe Okeechobee or South Miami station is safer? Perhaps the airport is safer?

 

Yes, it is that bad. You don't know the area. Miami is the number one area in the US for car theft.

Edited September 18, 2015 by BlueHerons

[mcatmcat]

I live in Miami and I never heard in the news that a car was stolen from those parking lot

[capriccio]

I live in Miami and I never heard in the news that a car was stolen from those parking lot

 

I've never heard of car thefts ever making the news unless something horrible happened in connection with it (a carjacking for example). I would think you would only know about it if 1) it happened to you, 2) it happened to someone you know, or 3) you happened upon the victim as they were looking for their car. There may be a #4 depending on where you live -- I live part of the year in very rural Virginia -- our local newspaper publishes a weekly police blotter usually very short and for the most part very mundane. Now I don't think the Miami Herald or the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel do the same - or at least not down to the level of stolen cars.

[Diver2014]

Stolen cars and parts are not 'news' here in Miami. When my Ford Expedition was broken into at the South Miami Metrorail Station parking garage, 4 other Ford trucks were broken into the same day - all F 150 pickups. Someone was obviously in the market for Ford parts to probably ship out in the black market. My neighbor across the street had his car broken into twice last month and his laptop stolen. Cars are not safe in Miami unless under lock and key and hopefully in a secure, guarded garage. Jus' sayin'. Be safe and pay the extra money to park at the port - at least they have security cameras so you can see who broke into your car.

[BlueHerons]

I live in Miami and I never heard in the news that a car was stolen from those parking lot

 

There is no way you live in Miami.

 

A stolen car news??? Are you kidding?

[tiger-91]

I left my car, a 2010 Chevy Equinox LT, on the ground floor of the Earlington Station for fourteen days in March/April 2017 with no incident. The Uber was about $11 on a Saturday late morning.