Planning a trip to Miami

Fast Facts

Neighborhoods in Brief

City Layout

Miami seems confusing at first, but quickly becomes easy to navigate. The small cluster of buildings that make up the downtown area is at the geographical heart of the city. In relation to downtown, the airport is northwest, the beaches are east, Coconut Grove is south, Coral Gables is west, and the rest of the city is north.

Finding an Address -- Miami is divided into dozens of areas with official and unofficial boundaries. Street numbering in the city of Miami is fairly straightforward, but you must first be familiar with the numbering system. The mainland is divided into four sections (NE, NW, SE, and SW) by the intersection of Flagler Street and Miami Avenue. Flagler Street divides Miami from north to south, and Miami Avenue divides the city from east to west. It’s helpful to remember that avenues generally run north-south, while streets go east-west. Street numbers (1st St., 2nd St., and so forth) start from here and increase as you go farther out from this intersection, as do numbers of avenues, places, courts, terraces, and lanes. Streets in Hialeah are the exceptions to this pattern; they are listed separately in map indexes.

Getting around the barrier islands that make up Miami Beach is easier than moving around the mainland. Street numbering starts with 1st Street, near Miami Beach’s southern tip, and goes up to 192nd Street, in the northern part of Sunny Isles. As in the city of Miami, some streets in Miami Beach have numbers as well as names. When those are listed in this book, both name and number are given.

The numbered streets in Miami Beach are not the geographical equivalents of those on the mainland, but they are close. For example, the 79th Street Causeway runs into 71st Street on Miami Beach.

The Neighborhoods in Brief

South Beach-The Art Deco District Long known as a Caribbean-chic cafe society with a sexually charged, tragically hip nightlife, people-watching on South Beach (1st St.–23rd St., roughly 10 miles of beach) remains an amusing pastime, but the crowds have changed. Gone are the supermodels and A-list stars. In their place are a motley crew of characters, from eccentric locals, seniors, snowbirds, college students and curiosity seekers. On the plus side, individuality is still as widely accepted on South Beach as Visa, MasterCard and Apple Pay. But the crowds these days are into gigantic, sugary-sweet cocktails in oversized glasses and, whereas it used to be a Milan-caliber fashion show on Ocean Drive, well, today it’s more like OnlyFans.

Of course the reason why South Beach exists at all are its stunning buildings, the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world (in 1979, much of South Beach was listed in the National Register of Historic Places). The pastel-hued structures are stalwart supermodels in their own right, dealing with the effects of age, gravity, disinterested TikTok addicts, and climate change.

Miami Beach -- In the fabulous '50s, Miami Beach was America's true Riviera. The stomping ground of choice for the Rat Pack and notorious mobsters such as Al Capone, its huge self-contained resort hotels were vacations unto themselves, providing a full day's worth of meals, activities, and entertainment. Then in the 1960s and 1970s, people who fell in love with Miami began to buy apartments rather than rent hotel rooms. Tourism declined, and many area hotels fell into disrepair.

However, since the late 1980s and South Beach's renaissance, Miami Beach has experienced a tide of revitalization. Huge beach hotels, such as the recently renovated and Vegas-esque Fontainebleau and Eden Roc, are finding their niche with new international tourist markets and are attracting large convention crowds. New generations of Americans are quickly rediscovering the qualities that originally made Miami Beach so popular, and they are finding out that the sand and surf now come with a thriving international city -- a technologically savvy city complete with free Wi-Fi with 95% coverage outside, which means on the sand, and 70% indoors up to the second floor of any building.

Before Miami Beach turns into Surfside, there's North Beach, where there are uncrowded beaches, some restaurants, and examples of Miami Modernism architecture. For information on North Beach and its slow renaissance, go to www.gonorthbeach.com.

Surfside, Bal Harbour, and Sunny Isles make up the north part of the beach (island). Hotels, motels, restaurants, and beaches line Collins Avenue and, with some outstanding exceptions, the farther north one goes, the cheaper lodging become before you hit haute Bal Harbour—with a few luxe exceptions. Excellent prices, location, and facilities make Surfside and Sunny Isles attractive places to stay, although, they are still a little rough around the edges.

In exclusive and ritzy Bal Harbour, few hotels besides the swanky The Ritz-Carlton and The St. Regis remain amid the many beachfront condominium towers. Instead, fancy homes, tucked away on the bay, hide behind gated communities, and the Rodeo Drive of Miami (known as the Bal Harbour Shops) attracts shoppers who don’t flinch at four-, five-, and six-figure price tags.

Note that North Miami Beach, a residential area near the Dade-Broward County line (north of 163rd St.; part of North Dade County), is a misnomer. It is actually northwest of Miami Beach, on the mainland, and has no beaches, though it does have some of Miami’s better restaurants and shops. Located within North Miami Beach is the posh residential community of Aventura, best known for its high-priced condos, the JW Marriott Turnberry Resort & Spa, and the Aventura Mall.

Key Biscayne -- Miami's forested and secluded Key Biscayne is technically a barrier island and is not part of the Florida Keys. This island is nothing like its southern neighbors. Located south of Miami Beach, off the shores of Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne is protected from the troubles of the mainland by the long Rickenbacker Causeway and its $3 toll.

Largely an exclusive residential community with million-dollar homes and sweeping water views, Key Biscayne also offers visitors great public beaches, a top (read: pricey) resort hotel, world-class tennis facilities, and a few decent restaurants. Hobie Beach, adjacent to the causeway, is the city's premier spot for windsurfing, sailboarding, and jet-skiing. On the island's southern tip, Bill Baggs State Park has great beaches, bike paths, and dense forests for picnicking and partying.

Downtown -- Miami’s downtown boasts one of the world’s most beautiful cityscapes and, over the last decade, it has finally emerged as an actual ‘downtown’ of a major city with daylife—and nightlife. During the day, a vibrant community of students, businesspeople, and merchants make their way through the bustling streets. At night—especially in the areas of Brickell Ave. and NE 11th St., where there are bustling nightlife scenes—the city comes alive. The downtown area still has the somewhat schlocky, touristy outdoor mall, Bayside Marketplace, where many cruise passengers come to browse, but there’s much better shopping in the Brickell business district.  As for the culture—wow, has Miami evolved with the emergence of the  sprawling bayfront Perez Art Museum and Frost Science Museum. It also has a few great restaurants, as well as the arena (whose name is constantly changing) that’s home to concerts and the Miami Heat. Add to all that an assortment of hip boutiques, eateries, and bars, and downtown Miami has been brought back to a life it never really had. The Downtown Miami Partnership offers guided historic walking tours daily at 10:30am (tel. 305/379-7070).

Design District --With restaurants and luxury shopping springing up between galleries and furniture stores galore, this once sleepy, seedy district, like downtown Miami, has finally come into its own.  Still a hotbed for furniture-import companies, interior designers, and architects, it has also become a player in Miami’s ever-changing fashion and dining landscapes. Hipsters beware however: the shopping here is more 5th Avenue, glossy magazine luxe—the kind of place Jennifer Lopez comes with her security to shut down Gucci, or where a Kardashian picks up a new pair of red-soles at Louboutin. But if you’re not shopping, browsing is free, and it’s always fabulous. There are often very arty events and concerts at night here, many free. An up-to-date website, www.miamidesigndistrict.com, includes a calendar of events, such as the internationally lauded Art Basel, which attracts the who’s who of the art world. The district is loosely defined as the area bounded by NE 2nd Avenue, NE 5th Avenue East and West, and NW 36th Street to the south.

Midtown/Wynwood -- What used to be called El Barrio is now one of Miami’s trendiest, coolest areas or, as the kids say, the ‘hood with the most rizz. But again, not for long. As the area is still burgeoning, what’s going up are pricey condos, pushing out the arty folk once again. It’s a vicious cycle of urbanization Miami can’t seem to avoid. But hurry while that, uh, rizz is still rising.

Just north of downtown and roughly divided by I-395 to the south, I-195 to the north, I-95 to the west, and Biscayne Boulevard to the east, Wynwood actually includes the Miami Design District, but has developed an identity of its own thanks to an exploding, albeit still very rough and gritty, arts scene made popular by cheap rents and major exposure during Art Basel Miami Beach. It has a painfully hip collection of bars and restaurants alongside Midtown Miami, a mall-like town-center complex of apartment buildings surrounded by shops—namely Target—and restaurants.

Biscayne Corridor -- From downtown, near Bayside, to the 70s (affectionately known as the Upper East Side), where funky curio shops and upscale restaurants close as fast as they open, Biscayne Boulevard is aspiring to reclaim itself as a safe thoroughfare where tourists can wine, dine, and shop. Once known for sketchy, dilapidated 1950s- and 1960s-era hotels, this boulevard is getting a boost from residents fleeing the high prices of the beaches. They’re renovating Biscayne block by block, trying to make this famous boulevard worthy of a Sunday drive. It’s still a work in progress, one which many locals are pleased about because it has yet to be fully commercialized.

Little Havana -- If you've never been to Cuba, just visit this small section of Miami and you'll come pretty close. The sounds, tastes, and rhythms are very reminiscent of Cuba's capital city, and some say you don't have to speak a word of English to live an independent life here -- even street signs are in Spanish and English.

Cuban coffee shops, tailor and furniture stores, and inexpensive restaurants line Calle Ocho (pronounced Ka-yey O-choh), SW Eighth Street, the region's main thoroughfare. In Little Havana, salsa and merengue beats ring loudly from old record stores while old men in guayaberas (loose-fitting cotton short-sleeved shirts) smoke cigars over their daily game of dominoes. The area was always noted for the groups of artists and nocturnal types who had moved their galleries and performance spaces here, sparking culturally charged neo-bohemian nightlife that is thriving today.

Coral Gables -- "The City Beautiful," created by George Merrick in the early 1920s, is one of Miami's first planned developments. Houses here were built in a Mediterranean style along lush, tree-lined streets that open onto beautifully carved plazas, many with centerpiece fountains. The best architectural examples of the era have Spanish-style tiled roofs and are built from Miami oolite, native limestone commonly called "coral rock." The Gables's European-flaired shopping and commerce center is home to many thriving corporations. Coral Gables also has landmark hotels, great golfing, upscale shopping to rival Bal Harbour, and some of the city's best restaurants, headed by renowned chefs.

Coconut Grove -- An arty, hippie hangout in the psychedelic '60s, Coconut Grove once had residents who dressed in swirling tie-dyed garb. Nowadays, they prefer the uniform color schemes of the Gap. Chain stores, theme restaurants, a megaplex, and bars galore make Coconut Grove a commercial success, but this gentrification has pushed most alternative types out. Ritzier types have also surfaced here, thanks, in part, to the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Mr. C Miami, and seriously pricey dining spots. The intersection of Grand Avenue, Main Highway, and McFarlane Road pierces the area’s heart. Right in the center of it all is CocoWalk, once sad and empty and now re-filled with boutiques, eateries, and bars. Sidewalks here are often crowded, especially at night, when University of Miami students come out to play.

Southern Miami-Dade County -- To locals, South Miami is both a specific area, southwest of Coral Gables, and a general region that encompasses all of southern Dade County, including Kendall, Perrine, Cutler Ridge, and Homestead. For the purposes of clarity, this guide has grouped all these southern suburbs under the rubric "Southern Miami-Dade County." The area is heavily residential and packed with strip malls amid a few remaining plots of farmland. Tourists don't usually stay in these parts, unless they are on their way to the Everglades or the Keys. However, Southern Miami-Dade County contains many of the city's top attractions, meaning that you're likely to spend at least some of your time in Miami here.

Getting There

Originally carved out of scrubland in 1928 by Pan American Airlines, Miami International Airport (MIA) is a hot mess—the fastest growing airport in the country with over 80 airlines and 150 destinations, through which 52 million travelers passed in 2023. In that same year, MIA was named the fifth worst airport in the country by Family Destinations Guide, for its many flight delays and cancellations. Because of these problems, travelers should consider flying into the less crowded Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL), which is closer to north Miami than MIA, or the Palm Beach International Airport (PBI; which is about 1.5 hours from Miami.

Visitor information is available 24 hours a day at the Miami International Airport Main Visitor Counter, Terminal E, second level (miami-airport.com.; 📞 305/876-7000).

Getting into Town

Miami International Airport is about 6 miles west of downtown and about 10 miles from the beaches, so it's likely you can get from the plane to your hotel room in less than half an hour. Of course, if you're arriving from an international destination, it will take more time to go through Customs and Immigration.

By Car -- All the major car-rental firms operate off-site branches reached via shuttles from the airline terminals. If you're arriving late at night, you might want to take a taxi to your hotel and have the car delivered to you the next day.

By Taxi -- Taxis line up in front of a dispatcher’s desk outside the airport’s arrivals terminals. Most cabs are metered, though some have flat rates to popular destinations. The fare should be about $17 to $45 to Coral Gables, $20 to $30 to downtown, and $35-$55 to various parts of Miami Beach, plus tip, which should be 15 to 20 percent (add more for each bag the driver handles). Depending on traffic, the ride to Coral Gables or downtown takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and to South Beach, 20 to 25 minutes, but prepare for the traffic, because it’s almost as ubiquitous as the palm trees.

By Van or Limo -- Group limousines (multipassenger vans) circle the arrivals area looking for fares. Destinations are posted on the front of each van, and a flat rate is charged for door-to-door service to the area marked.

SuperShuttle (tel. 305/871-2000) is one of the largest airport operators, charging between $11 and $60 per person for a ride within the county or into Fort Lauderdale. Its vans operate 24 hours a day and accept credit cards. This is a cheaper alternative to a cab (if you are traveling alone or with one other person) but be prepared to be in the van for quite some time, as you may have to make several stops to drop off passengers before you reach your own destination. If you have patience, great, if not, you may want to consider Uber, Lyft or another ride share service, which may end up being cheaper and faster depending on the time.

Private limousine arrangements can be made in advance. A one-way meet-and-greet service can cost as low as $69 to astronomically higher depending on car and destination. Recommended limo services include Aventura Limo (tel. 305/306-5466), Miami Prestige Limos (tel. 888/978-2532), and Miami Airport Limo (tel. 305/517-1177).

By Public Transportation -- Public transportation in South Florida is a major hassle bordering on a nightmare. Painfully slow and unreliable, buses heading downtown leave the airport only once per hour (from the arrivals level), and connections are spotty, at best. It could take about 1.5 hours to get to South Beach via public transportation. Journeys to downtown and Coral Gables, however, are more direct. The fare is $2.25. For those heading to South Beach from the airport, the 150 Airport Flyer provides direct express service from MIA to Miami Beach and costs $2.65. With only one minor stop en route, the trip to the beach takes about a half-hour. Not bad.

Getting Around

Officially, Miami-Dade County has opted for a "unified, multimodal transportation network," which basically means you can get around the city by train, bus, and taxi. However, in practice, the network doesn't work very well.

Things have improved somewhat thanks to Brightline, the privately owned and operated high speed rail system that opened a station in downtown Miami and goes all the way to Orlando now, but unless you are going from downtown Miami to a not-too-distant spot, you are better off in a rental car, ride share, or taxi.

With the exception of downtown Coconut Grove and South Beach, Miami is not a walker's city. Because it is so spread out, most attractions are too far apart to make walking between them feasible. In fact, most Miamians are so used to driving that they do so even when going just a few blocks.

By Public Transportation

By Rail -- Two rail lines, operated by the Metro-Dade Transit Agency (tel. 305/770-3131 for information), run in concert with each other.

Metrorail, the city's modern high-speed commuter train, is a 25-mile elevated line that travels north-south, between downtown Miami and the southern suburbs. Locals like to refer to this semiuseless rail system as Metrofail, but, it isn’t an epic fail anymore, as it’s been upgraded a bit and its coverage area is wider than it used to be, providing service to Miami International Airport, and running from Kendall through South Miami, Coral Gables, and downtown Miami; to the Civic Center/Jackson Memorial Hospital area; and to Brownsville, Liberty City, Hialeah, and Medley in northwest Miami-Dade, with connections to Broward and Palm Beach counties at three locations. There’s also a transfer to the Brightline station.

If you are staying in Coral Gables or Coconut Grove, you can park your car at a nearby station and ride the rails downtown. Metrorail operates daily from about 6am to midnight. The fare is $2.25.

Metromover, a 4 1/2-mile elevated line, circles the downtown area and connects with Metrorail at the Government Center stop. Riding on rubber tires, the single-car train is like an old school Weebles toy, an amusing contrast to the rest of the ultra-modern city, winding past many of the area’s most important attractions and its shopping and business districts. But give them a minute or ten. The city is working to upgrade it. Currently it runs seven days a week in the downtown Miami and Brickell areas. Major destinations include the arena where the Heat play, Bayside Marketplace, Miami Dade College, and the Miami-Dade County School Board. That’s about it.

You may not go very far on the Metromover, but it’s free and you will get a beautiful perspective from the towering height of the suspended rails. System hours are daily from about 6am to midnight, and did we mention the ride is free?

Brightline, an inter-city rail route that runs between Miami and Orlando, is a $5 billion high speed train that’s a convenient way to travel if you have the cash. The brand-spanking new system features clean, comfy seats with phone chargers and leg room as well as a premium ticket that includes beer, wine and cocktails on your journey. Each station—downtown Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando—have different amenities for passengers, but the best stations are by far the Miami and Orlando ones because of their sheer size and restaurants. While the trip from Miami to Orlando is pretty much the same three and a half hours it takes to drive, the other stops are obviously shorter and less expensive making it a fun way to explore another city for a day or night. Rates range from $10 to $150 each way, and there are often specials and passes on their website. While you can buy tickets at the station, it’s often cheaper to buy them directly on their website.

Before Brightline, there was Tri-Rail, a commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach—hence the word ‘tri’. With 18 stations throughout South Florida, it connects directly to Amtrak, Metrorail, and the Miami International Airport Intermodal Center. Fares range from $2.50 to $8.75. While a far cry from the fancy Brightline, it’s a favored mode of transport for students, commuters and those not on expense accounts. It’s reliable enough and often gets a bad rap for no reason. Complimentary shuttles from the major airports to Tri-Rail stations are conveniences, but there are no bathrooms or major amenities at the stations. That being said, it’s a lot better being on here than sitting in 1-95 traffic.

By Bus -- Ack, no. Just no. A bus ride in Miami is grueling. Miami’s suburban layout is not conducive to getting around by bus; instead of getting to know the city, relying on bus transportation will acquaint you only with how it feels to wait at bus stops. The fare is $2.25 or $2.65 for an allegedly “express” bus, which may save you two minutes. When on South Beach, however, consider the free Miami Beach Trolley, operating 15 hours a day, from 8am to 11 pm 7 days a week at approximately 20-minute average service frequency along each route. For specifics on where and when, go to miamibeachfl.gov/city-hall/transportation/trolley/.

By Car

Tales circulate about vacationers who have visited Miami without a car, but they are very few indeed. If you are counting on exploring the city, even to a modest degree, a car is essential. Miami's restaurants, hotels, and attractions are far from one another, so any other form of transportation is relatively impractical. You won't need a car, however, if you are spending your entire vacation at a resort, are traveling directly to the Port of Miami for a cruise, or are here for a short stay centered on one area of the city, such as South Beach, where everything is within walking distance and parking is a costly nightmare.

When driving across a causeway or through downtown, allow extra time to reach your destination because of frequent drawbridge openings. Some bridges open about every half-hour for large sailing vessels to make their way through the wide bays and canals that crisscross the city, stalling traffic.

Rentals -- Expect to pay about $205 per week in Miami for economy cars. You should also check with your airline: There are often special discounts when you book a flight and reserve your rental car simultaneously. A minimum age, generally 25, is usually required of renters; some rental agencies have also set maximum ages! 

National car-rental companies include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, and Thrifty and Enterprise. Comparison shop before you make any decisions—car-rental prices can fluctuate more than airfares.

Finally, think about splurging on a convertible. Not only are convertibles one of the best ways to see the beautiful surroundings, but they're also an ideal way to perfect a tan!

Parking -- Just in case, keep a couple of quarters on hand to feed hungry meters, though most have been removed in favor of those pesky parking payment stations where you feed a machine and get a printed receipt to display on your dash or even peskier ones for those who don’t live by their mobile phones in which you pay by app. Be careful, there are tons of those.

In addition to parking garages, whose flat rates are sometimes better bargains than the inevitable ticket you may get from an expired meter, valet services are commonplace and often used. It may be worth investing in valet if available because it will be cheaper than retrieving your car from a tow lot. Valet prices range from $40-$60.

Because parking is such a premium in bustling South Beach, downtown and Coconut Grove, prices tend to be jacked up—especially at night and when there are special events (day or night).  Again, Uber and Lyft are your friends.

Local Driving Rules -- Florida law allows drivers to make a right turn on a red light after a complete stop, unless otherwise indicated. In addition, all passengers are required to wear seat belts, and children 3 and under must be securely fastened in government-approved car seats.

By Taxi

If you're not planning on traveling much within the city (and especially if you plan on spending your vacation within the confines of South Beach's Art Deco District), an occasional taxi is a good alternative to renting a car and dealing with the parking hassles that come with renting your own car. Taxi meters start at about $2.95 at flag fall. You can blame the rate hikes on the gas crunch. There are standard flat-rate charges for frequently traveled routes -- for example, Miami Beach's Convention Center to Coconut Grove will cost about $25. During 2008's roller coaster year of insane oil prices, many cabs instituted a fuel surcharge costing $1 extra per person. Despite the improvement in gas prices, may cabs kept the surcharge. For specifics on rate increases and surcharges, go to www.taxifarefinder.com.

Major cab companies include Yellow Cab (tel. 305/444-4444) and, on Miami Beach, Central (tel. 305/532-5555).

By Bike

Miami is a biker’s paradise, especially on Miami Beach, where the hard-packed sand and boardwalks make it an easy and scenic route. However, unless you are a former New York City bike messenger, you won’t want to use a bicycle as your main means of transportation. Miami’s Citibike, a public bike-sharing and rental program including 1,000 custom program bikes at solar-powered, automated rental stations located at all major attractions, shops, hotels, condos, beaches, and civic centers throughout the city with rates beginning at $7.49 for an hourly pass to $24 for a day pass.