Getting Around Downtown Miami and Miami Beach

Getting around Miami Beach and Downtown Miami is a breeze. There are plenty of affordable transit options that suit every traveler, whether that’s by bike, car, bus, elevated railways or – when in Miami – boat. 

Fly into Miami International Airport, and you’ll immediately find easy options for getting to South Beach or to your Downtown Miami hotel. 

Discover all the ways you can get around Downtown Miami and Miami Beach so that you can start exploring all the art, culture, food and fun.

Transportation Options In Downtown Miami

Get Around for Free On The Metromover

Get around Downtown Miami on the Metromover, a free, electrically-powered, elevated light-rail system that makes 21 stops on three neighborhood routes: Omni, Inner and Brickell Loop (and one full loop that covers it all).

With service from 5 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, it’s a quick and easy way to get to top sites and attractions, including the following:

• Kaseya Center, home of basketball’s Miami Heat
• Maurice A. Ferré Park
• Pérez Art Museum Miami
• Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
• Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County

Before your journey, check for information about stop frequency, connections and operational changes at individual stations.

Accessibility

Every Metromover station has an elevator, and public announcements will be made if elevators are out of order. Service animals that are not a threat to the health or safety of others are allowed.

Take The Metrorail For Convenience

Another Downtown Miami public transportation option is the Metrorail, a 25-mile elevated rail system that runs from 5 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. 

There are two lines (Green and Orange) making it a convenient option for passengers who need to get to key Downtown Miami locations. 

Download the free GO Miami-Dade Transit app and use it throughout your stay to plan routes, purchase fares and check timetables and alerts. Or before your journey, check the Metrorail map for updated information about individual stations and timing. 

Metrorail trip fares start at $2.25 (discount fares are as low as $1.10) and can be purchased online, on the GO Miami-Dade Transit Tracker app or at a ticket vending machine at any Metrorail station. 

Accessibility

Every Metrorail station has an elevator, and public announcements will be made if elevators are out of order. Service animals that are not a threat to the health or safety of others are allowed.

Metrobus Makes It Easy

Metrobus stations can be found throughout Downtown Miami and Miami Beach and provide easy, low-cost services. With more than 120 bus routes, the best way to find out how to get to your destination is to use the trip planner.

Metrobus trip fares start at $2.25 (discount fares are as low as $1.10) and can be purchased online or on the GO Miami-Dade Transit Tracker app. Passengers get free Wi-Fi onboard, free bus changes for three hours.

Accessibility

Metrobuses are equipped with wheelchair lifts and ramps and give wheelchair-bound passengers priority when entering or exiting the bus. If those lifts or ramps are inoperable or the accessible areas in the bus are already full, another form of accessible transportation will arrive within 30 minutes.

Service animals that are not a threat to the health or safety of others are allowed.

Remember to check the Metrobus website or GO Miami-Dade app before your trip.

Getting Around Miami Beach

Free Trolley To Key Sites

Get around Miami Beach on the Miami Beach Trolley seven days a week. Its five routes – the Middle Beach Loop, North Beach Loop, Collins Express, South Beach Loop and Mount Sinai Link – take passengers to key Miami Beach locations, such as South Pointe Park and Lincoln Road Shopping District.

Download the Miami Beach Trolley App for specific information about routes, operational changes and timing. 

Bike To Your Next Adventure

Biking is a great way to sightsee in South Beach, as well as the Mid Beach and North Beach areas. Rent a regular or electric bike from CitiBike, which has nearly 100 bicycle stations in Miami Beach. All bikes can be picked up and returned at any location. 

There are various pricing models, with hourly rentals starting at $6.50 for 30 minutes, one-day access passes priced at $24 and different monthly memberships starting at $15 per month (memberships come with unlimited 30- or 60-minute rides).

Electric bikes are not allowed on any sidewalk in Miami Beach, including the Beachwalk. They’re also not permitted on Lincoln Road. Some parks do not allow bikes, including Collins Canal Park, Lummus Park and South Pointe Park. 

Download the CitiBike app or check the Citibike station map online to find nearby stations and bikes.

A Walkable City

Miami Beach is known for being incredibly walkable. Sidewalks line all the major streets that are open to vehicles, such as Collins Avenue or Alton Road, while parts of other popular Miami Beach thoroughfares, like Lincoln Road, are pedestrian-only.

To see it all, walk along the Beachwalk, a nine-mile oceanfront promenade that is ADA accessible and spans the entire length of Miami Beach. Designed for joggers, cyclists, roller bladers and anyone who just wants to stroll along the Atlantic Ocean.

Walking is both the most convenient and fun way to see this iconic part of Miami.

Ridesharing And Taxi Services

Uber And Lyft Are A Great Alternative

Ride-sharing services such as Lyft or Uber are very popular forms of Downtown Miami and Miami Beach transportation. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, they serve as a great alternative during special events.

Simply download the Lyft or Uber apps on your smartphone, type in the name or address of your destination and choose the fare or car option that works best for you. (You’ll receive a range of options, from solo or shared rides to larger vehicles, pet-friendly or high-end rides, rides with extra legroom as well as rides that are both large and luxurious.)

Both apps let you communicate directly with your driver and come with safety features such as route tracking and the ability to call the police if you veer off course. For peak safety, when your car arrives, make sure to verify that the license plate number matches the one assigned to you on the app.

Taxi Services Never Go Out Of Style

Taxis offer another way to get around Downtown Miami and Miami Beach. Unlike ridesharing apps, the cost is determined by meter pricing, the price isn’t always available up front and you either have to hail a taxi off the street or call to schedule one in advance.

To help passengers estimate the cost, check out the taxi rates. Flat fares are not available.

Water Transportation With Ease

Miami Water Taxi Makes Waves

One of the great things about Miami is that transportation doesn’t have to happen on land; you can travel on the water, too.

Water Taxi Miami takes passengers from Bayside Marketplace in Downtown Miami to the Miami Beach Marina and back for $20 one-way and $40 roundtrip. Reservations are required, and the trip takes about 30 minutes each way.