Getting to Fort Lauderdale: Options for Traveling to the Fort Lauderdale Area

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Fort Lauderdale

Getting There

In addition to hosting all major airlines, the well-managed Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL) has made something of a specialty in attracting low-fare carriers such as JetBlue, ATA, Southwest, and Spirit in recent years, with the result that over 20 million passengers come through its gates annually. Flight times to South Florida run from two–three hours from the Northeast, three–four from the Midwest, and five–six from the West Coast. See our current air deals to Fort Lauderdale or use QuickSearch to find the best deals on your preferred travel dates.

Amtrak , Greyhound, and driving yourself along Interstate 95 and the toll Florida Turnpike are, of course, all very viable alternate ways down to Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, but their location near the bottom of the big, long peninsula that is Florida means long travel times by ground (it takes six to seven hours just to make it down from the Georgia border). The Tri-Rail commuter train (800/874-7245; $2-$5.50 each way) will get you as far north as Palm Beach as well as down to Miami International Airport.

GETTING INTO/AROUND FORT LAUDERDALE
Downtown Lauderdale (and Hollywood, for that matter) are both about a 15-minute drive from the airport; Tri-Rail will get you to just west of the Las Olas corridor. Other transfer choices include BCT buses (954/357-8400), taxi ($18 to the Lauderdale beachfront hotels), and Airport Express shuttle (800/244-8252; 954/359-1200; $9 each way to beachfront/Las Olas). If you're planning to drive yourself, all the rental-car majors have on-airport facilities (a full list is available on the FLL web site).

In terms of getting around once you're settled in, the main A1A beachfront strip and the western part of the Las Olas corridor are reasonably pedestrian friendly; otherwise you'll need to catch a ride. Good taxi service is available throughout the county, and considerable chunks of the areas you'll want to visit can also be done via Water Bus (954/467-6677), its reach extending several miles in from the ocean. If you go the rental-car route, just remember that navigating outside the areas covered above can be frustrating and time consuming, as that picturesque web of waterways that crisscrosses the county makes for countless unexpected dead ends and roads that don't lead where you expect. Also, as elsewhere in South Florida, traffic can be maddening just about any time of day other than late at night. Fort Lauderdale, with its many waterways, adds another unforeseen delay to your travels: drawbridges. Always build in plenty of extra time to get where you're going, and above all drive defensively!