Getting There

You can fly straight into Miami’s International airport from London and Manchester. You can sometimes bag a bargain if you are willing to catch a connecting flight at one of the large US hubs.

Book it…

British Airways offer direct flights from the UK to Miami daily. Flights take around 9 hours. Flights leave from Heathrow but BA does offer numerous regional flights so arranging a connection is usually fairly simple.

Virgin Atlantic also operate direct flights from the UK to Miami.   We love them for the great on board entertainment systems and family friendly approach.

If neither of these options appeal we like Skyscanner for a good listing of all the operators  running flights.

Getting Around

Miami airport is not well served by public transport but the authorities are working to improve the situation. There is a train service out to some of the suburbs and a bus service downtown and to South Beach. The airport flyer bus service covers the length of South Beach but it does not go directly from the airport, you do have to get a train from the airport to the main transit hub (Miami Intermodal Centre) where you can pick up the bus. For more information see.  http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/routes_detail.asp?route=150

Snowy Egret, Florida

There is also a shuttle service, essentially a mini bus that fills up with people going to the same area and then drops off. Unless you are travelling alone we have not found this to be much cheaper than getting a taxi so we have never got the shuttle. A taxi journey to South Beach will cost around $35 plus tip.

Make sure you get into a proper yellow taxi at the airport rank and do not accept and offers of taxis touted in the baggage hall. These will be from unlicensed operators. The airport website has further information regarding shuttles and taxis. http://www.miami-airport.com/hotel_shuttles.asp

The alternative to a taxi is to pick up a hire car at the airport. All the major operators have this facility and you can catch a free courtesy  bus to the large off airport car hire hub.

Once you are in South Beach, the SoBe Local bus service runs in a loop down one side of South Beach and up the other. It costs 25¢ a ride so it is a very inexpensive way to get around.