Place to buy Soda and Water in Tampa

[eclipsethecat]

Hi everyone! I am going to be taking a taxi from the airport and wondered if there was A) a place at the port to buy soda, water, etc. or B) if I needed to have the taxi stop somewhere so I can pick some up. Thanks in advance!

[signman]

You will need to stop.

[J. Cassian]

If I were taking a taxi from the Tampa International Airport to Port Tampa and needed to stop to buy some last minute items, I think I would stop at:

 

Wal-Mart

1505 N. Dale Mabry Hwy

Tampa, FL 33607

(813) 872-6992

 

It is close on the way, when you tell the taxi to go to the Wal-Mart on Dale Mabry the driver should know where it is, it is open 24 hours, and it is a Wal-Mart, so it will have everything at a reasonable price.:)

 

To sound like a native, Dale Mabry is pronounced Dale MAY-bree.

He was an American WWI aviator.

[signman]

I'd probably opt for a Walgreens or similar. Quicker in and out. The closest one I can think of though is Dale Mabry and Kennedy. Anything on Westshore?

[stamptherapy]

Is this Walmart close to the Rocky Point Holiday Inn? Thanks!

[J. Cassian]

Is this Walmart close to the Rocky Point Holiday Inn? Thanks!

 

No, the Wal-Mart on N. Dale Mabry is in the opposite direction from the Holiday Inn on Rocky Point, and the travel time will be about 20 minutes -- so still easy to do. And that Wal-Mart is the closest big-box store to the Holiday Inn.

 

Here is a rough visual representation of the places invoved. The Holiday Inn, TIA, Wal-Mart, and the Port are kind of lined up in line going from West to East:

 

HIRP<--15 min-->TIA<--15 min-->Wal-Mart<--20 min-->Ybor City/Port

 

The times are conservative travel times NOT during rush hours. During rush hours I would add 20-30 minutes to each segment, just to be safe. On good days the travel times will be less than shown above.

 

Here is a map showing you STARTING at the West at the Holiday Inn and ENDING at the Wal Mart on Dale Marby. You can see the big Tampa International Airport between the Holiday Inn and the Wal-Mart. The Port of Tampa is another 20-40 minutes to the East from Wal-Mart, but the Wal-Mart is right on the way to the Port as you drive from the Holiday Inn:

 

http://*****.com/2jkk82

 

Below is a map showing how you would get directly from the Holiday Inn to the Port, when you drive from the Holiday Inn to the Port, the trip should take you between 25 and 50 minutes depending on traffic:

 

http://*****.com/3d7mtt

 

Here is a link to a world-famous restaurant — the Columbia in Ybor City (10 minutes from the Port of Tampa). It was established in 1905 and is, in my opinion, a wonderful Cuban/Spanish restaurant. Lunch is from $10 -$15 per person. Dinner is between $15 and $25 per person, plus if you see the flamenco dancers there is a cover charge, and you should have reservations for dinner. Get the 1905 salad, very good for lunch or dinner.

 

http://www.travel-watch.com/columbia.htm

 

http://www.columbiarestaurant.com/

 

There are several other good places to eat in Ybor City, several are less expensive than the Columbia.

 

If you do not like Cuban food and the Cuban/Spanish flavor of Ybor City (which is 10 minutes from the Port) At the port there is a nice tourist plaza — Channelside Bay Plaza. There are several places to eat. Here is the link to "Channelside":

 

http://www.channelsidetampa.com/

 

Have a wonderful cruise and have an enjoyable time in Tampa.:)