Flying into Miami?

[hillgj1]

Hi All, looking at prices in October for 2 weeks round the half term and flights to Orlando are coming in around 1500+ each!! Miami is showing for as low as £456.... has anyone here flown to Miami before and driven straight on to Kissimmee? If you have is the drive fairly simple and about how long would it take? got to say to save 4k it is very tempting!

[Lynnes]

We always fly into Miami. There are different ways of getting to Orlando. You can come all the way on H27 which is just a couple of turns from the airport. You can take the Florida Turnpike or the I95. We do H27 as it comes straight up to Southern Dunes. The drive will take you around 4 hours.

[SteveandJan]

We have used this route for a number of years now because of cost. We use the I95, Florida turnpike and then the 192. It's very easy

[cash]

Just be aware that the car rental is a lot different in Miami as it is in Orlando.

We flew into Miami for the first time in March as we were joining a cruise from Ft Lauderdale, it wasnt a pleasent experience, took ages to get out of the customs hall and then we knew we had to pick up a shulltle bus to take us to the new car rental building but didnt have a clue where to go as there were no signs, we finally found someone who told us to look for the rental white shuttle buses which we duly found and all of us including all our luggage had to board the bus which took us to the rental building about 5-10 mins away.

We were lucky in that i am a dollar express member so we didnt have to que at the rental desk but headed straight to the kiosk in the car park and was then directed to our car which like Alamo you can choose.


Reagrding getting upto Kissimmee i use the turnpike as its a quicker route but dont forget the tolls !!!!!

[Katys Grandad]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by cash
Just be aware that the car rental is a lot different in Miami as it is in Orlando.

We flew into Miami for the first time in March as we were joining a cruise from Ft Lauderdale, it wasnt a pleasent experience, took ages to get out of the customs hall and then we knew we had to pick up a shulltle bus to take us to the new car rental building but didnt have a clue where to go as there were no signs, we finally found someone who told us to look for the rental white shuttle buses which we duly found and all of us including all our luggage had to board the bus which took us to the rental building about 5-10 mins away.

[/quote]

I fly in and out of Miami at least a dozen times a year and have always found it to be the worst of the US airports for immigration and luggage (last week I waited an hour and 10 minutes at the carousel). I do think the new car rental facility is better than the previous set up but is still not great and you drive out into a very confusing road system. Having said that, if you're saving that amount of money, then it's definitely worth it.

Just a word of warning - Miami isn't a great place to find your way and when it gets dark, it's very tricky. While the drive is pretty straightforward once you get out of the Miami urban area, it isn't hard to get lost.

My advice would be to find an airport hotel for the night and drive up to Orlando in the morning when you're rested and the journey is all in daylight.

[ellie]

We always try to join the immigration line closest to the US Citizen's line as once they have gone through they will wave us 'aliens' over to join these lines.

If you are going to save this much I would definitely book via Miami.

I agree, KG, that you need to be very alert as Miami is busy, particularly round the airport, but you don't need to worry about finding the rental facility as you will have a shuttle to take you there. Once you leave the car rental facility you need to look out for the 112, which will take you to the I-95 and later, the Florida Turnpike, which is a brilliant road, by the way.

Once you are on the Airport Expressway (112) it is pretty simple, and I do think that the new rental car depot makes it easier to do that. It is on Le Jeune Rd and you simply come out of the facility, turn right and look for signs for the 112. From there you follow signs to the I-95 and then onto the Turnpike.

Hope you have a great time, and I am sure you will cope fine. You could always book a Sat Nav from the car hire link above - that would give you peace of mind, and enable you to stop worrying about getting lost.

[christhear]

We have flown into and out of Miami before. As others say its not the nicest of airports but can save a lot of money. Unfortunately we were delayed around 5 hours thus the drive was a nightmare for us.
If you ave enough time I would say book an airport hotel for the night. We prefer to use the 27 as it is much more entertaining than the florida turnpike

[Katys Grandad]

Just another thought:

You don't say exactly what dates you're looking at but whoever is offering the £456 fare into Miami might also add a connection to Orlando for very little more (often the fare is the same that way or sometimes even less). You certainly won't be paying anything like £1,500

Don't assume just Virgin offer flights to Miami. BA, American and now Delta fly direct from London to Miami and the fare is usually fairly competitive as a result. BA, AA & Delta will all add a Miami-Orlando leg which will save you making that and the return trip by car.

[ellie]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Katys Grandad
Just another thought:

You don't say exactly what dates you're looking at but whoever is offering the £456 fare into Miami might also add a connection to Orlando for very little more (often the fare is the same that way or sometimes even less). You certainly won't be paying anything like £1,500

Don't assume just Virgin offer flights to Miami. BA, American and now Delta fly direct from London to Miami and the fare is usually fairly competitive as a result. BA, AA & Delta will all add a Miami-Orlando leg which will save you making that and the return trip by car.
[/quote]

Great suggestion, KG.

Now that Delta has joined the airlines which fly to Miami direct it is a very good option.

[JK1]

We have used Miami in the past, if you want to enjoy a scenic drive try the 27. Alternatively the I4 towards Tampa, for wonderful views use Skyways to cross to Alligator alley. May take longer than the I95 motorway route but worth it if you want to see more of the area.