New Airport Shuttle to Downtown

Got a few hours to kill at the airport?

Specifically designed for vacationers and tourists, the city has launched a brand new shuttle service between the airport (FLL) and downtown for those who'd rather be out and about, than wait for their flights in a dreary airport terminal.

It seems like a well thought-out service.

You store your baggage at the airport at Bags To Go then hop on the Sun Trolley (we love the Sun Trolley) which will take you downtown and drop you off at the Fort Lauderdale History Center near the Las Olas Riverwalk and other attractions.

You can ride the Trolley all day or take a Water Taxi (which is another one of our favorite things down here) and explore everything the city has to offer.

The service's operating hours are:  9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday
Last departure from downtown:  3:30 p.m. so make sure you get back to the pick up stop at the History Center on time.

The one-day Sun Trolley excursion is $19.95 per person and the combo Trolley-Water Taxi ticket is $29.95 each. 

We really do love both the Sun Trolley and the Water Taxi service in Fort Lauderdale and use them all the time. You can read more about them in our article on Vacationing and Getting around Town.

For more details on the new airport service, contact the Sun Trolley .

Ft Lauderdale Airport: Dinner, A Show & All To Go!

We have several airports from which to choose in South Florida, all within minutes of each other. We recommend taking advantage of this when searching for flights -- so many options and all within minutes of each other.

The West Palm Beach Airport (just under an hour away by car) has a putting green in the terminal and Miami International Airport (about 35 minutes away) has some pretty good shopping, but now Fort Lauderdale airport has it's own claim to fame - The very first Food Network Food Kitchen in Terminal 3 (JetBlue)!

Airlines ask that you arrive at the airport at least an hour before your flight, and now FLL offers a refreshing, useful and entertaining way to pass the time. Plus, you have some better options for bring-on-board meals. And what makes this concept restaurant unique is that they also have television monitors broadcasting Food Network shows, featuring their own celebrity chefs, including Paula Deen and Guy Fieri.

If you just landed and don't know where to eat in town -- just sit down here, order a nice meal and get comfortable with your surroundings. They have a full bar so take advantage of a local person, a bartender, waiter, or fellow traveler, and get some useful tips on what to do and where to eat in the South Florida area.

Airlines are cutting back and have fewer decent items to buy-on-board. Take our advice and bring something with you when you travel. And with an institution like the Food Network behind it, you can count on a good meal. And it turns out, that can take it with you!

We will sample the food as soon as we can, and provide our own review.

Fort Lauderdale Airport Parking - Port Everglades too!

Finally a really useful Groupon deal for many of us... Up to half off parking at the airport or port everglades.

There's only 3 days left to grab this deal and it needs to be used by June 1st. So if you were going to be parking at the Airport or Port between then and now, why not take them up on the deal.

$15 gets you 3 days of airport and port parking (up to a $30 value).
$25 gets you 5 days of airport and port parking (up to a $50 value).
$35 gets you a week (at $5 a day, that's a really good deal)

Anyway, this just hit our email inbox this morning and thought we would pass it along.
To get this deal simply follow this link.

PS. If you want to see the daily deals that Groupon offers, simply follow the link and sign up yourself. Occasionally, something really good comes up for restaurants, attractions, cruises, vacation packages, etc.... We always post the good ones here so follow us or sign up yourself.

Fort Lauderdale Airport Shuttle

Looking for a Fort Lauderdale airport shuttle or shared ride?

TIP: Many of the hotels in the Fort Lauderdale area offer free shuttles to the hotel so always check with your hotel first if you're looking for a ride from the airport. If you're not staying in a hotel or your hotel doesn't offer the service then, depending on your destination and how many of you there are in your party, an airport shuttle could be a good option.

From the airport to our place which is about a 20 minute drive (we're near Oakland Park at the beach) will cost around $16 plus taxes while a taxi will run around $30. So it doesn't make sense for us to take a shuttle when we are two or more people.

Fort Lauderdale airport shuttles are best when one person needs a ride. They are comfortable and clean and the service is usually very courteous. The biggest drawback about them is that they leave on a set schedule meaning if you arrive at the airport and request a shuttle just after one has left for your area, you could end up waiting up to 30 minutes for the next one. On the other hand, it has happened that I've been the only person going to my area and basically got a private car all to myself.

We much prefer using the shuttle service from the airport rather than for going to the airport. When you book a shuttle service to the Fort Lauderdale airport they ask you what time your flight is due to depart and whether or not it's international. They then check all their other reservations for your area and set your pick up time based on how many people they have to pick up and where they're going. This means that you may end up leaving for the airport much sooner than necessary if you're the first pick up and they have a few more to do on the way.

Fort Lauderdale airport shuttle services along with all other ground transportation from the airport is easy to find. Once you've picked up your luggage from baggage claim go outside whichever terminal and you'll find a Transportation Podium located curb side. From there you can make arrangements for a taxi, luxury sedan or the airport shuttle and shared ride services. The rates are often posted on the podiums and on the walls near the terminal exits in the baggage claim areas.

Here are some sample rates just to give you an idea, many of the longer hauls do require a 2 person minimum so inquire before you commit. Most of the fares are based on Zones, so depending on what zone your going to will dictate the cost.

Fort Lauderdale Airport Shuttle: (sample shared ride rates per person)
 

Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotels	$12 - $18
Port Everglades	$13
Pompano Beach	$18
Deerfield Beach	$18
Boca Raton	$22
Hollywood Beach	$13
Miami South Beach	$25 - $39
Miami International Airport	$36 - $39
Port of Miami	$35 - $39

If you're heading down to the Miami area make sure you ask if there are any other costs that are not included in the fare price. (e.g. express lane tolls, gratuities, fuel surcharges etc.)

Most of the time, we've found it makes more sense to take a cab when we are more than one person.

Once when we arrived at Miami International from a weekend getaway in New Orleans we made a reservation online with our Iphone not twenty feet away from the Avis desk within the terminal, using a coupon code that they had online. We knew that there are no drop off fees if we left the car at our local Avis in Fort Lauderdale the next day and at $30 all in, there was no cheaper way of getting back home. An airport shuttle for the two of us or a taxi would have been more than double that.

A Fort Lauderdale airport shuttle can be a great option but don't assume it's necessarily the cheapest. Depending on how many you are and where you're going you may find that a taxi or car rental is a cheaper and more convenient alternative.

Return from Fort Lauderdale Airport Shuttle to... Fort Lauderdale Airport

Or go to the Fort Lauderdale Tips Home Page

Fort Lauderdale Airport Parking

Fort Lauderdale Airport Parking resides within a huge garage complex that also houses the Car Rental Center and is smack in the middle of all the Terminals. The complex is well organized and color coded to the terminals so remember to watch for signs inside the garage to park near you terminal.

The Ft Lauderdale parking complex has 3 separate garages.

They are:

:::	The Cypress Garage
	The Cypress Garage which offers daily parking rates on levels 6 & 7 and best serves Terminal 1.
:::	The Hibiscus Garage
	The Hibiscus Garage offers Hourly Parking on Level 2 and Daily Parking on all other levels. It serves all four Terminals due to its central location so if you're planning on parking here make sure you know which Terminal you are headed to so that you can park closest to it.
:::	The Palm Garage
	The Palm Garage offers Hourly Parking on Level 1 & Daily Parking on Levels 3 & 4 and best serves Terminals 2,3 and 4.

The rates for Hourly Parking Lots are:
$1 per 20 minutes/max $36 daily.

The rates for Daily Parking Lots are:
 $1 per 20 minutes/max $15 daily

Valet Parking is offered at all 4 Terminals for $8.00 for the first 0-2 hours, $4.00 for each additional hour and $21.00 is the max daily charge. So if you're going to park for the day at Hourly parking you may as well do Valet.

There is also an Economy Option for Fort Lauderdale Airport Parking which is off-site but they do have free shuttles to bring you to and from the airport. The shuttles run about every 15 minutes 24/7. The lot for the Airport Economy Parking is located at 2755 SW 42nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312.
You can also go the Park 'N Fly route (national chain) which is off-site as well and located at 2200 N. E. 7th Avenue in Dania Beach. They offer discounts for seniors and AAA/CAA members and run between $8.00-$10.00 a day depending on the days and times of year.

For the most up-to-date Fort Lauderdale Airport Parking information contact the airport parking offices at 954-359-0200.

TIP: Fort Lauderdale Airport provides a 15-minute self-parking grace period which means if you exit any self-park lot in under 15 minutes of entering it they won't charge you a cent. After the 15 minutes, the normal parking rates will apply from the time you entered the lot. So if you go this route, watch the time carefully! We've done it many times when picking up friends and family and have occasionally gotten so caught up in seeing the folks who just arrived that we completely forget about the 15 minute deadline.

Return from Fort Lauderdale Airport Parking to... Fort Lauderdale Airport

Or go to the Fort Lauderdale Tips Home Page

Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL)

Fort Lauderdale Airport is centrally located and easy to get to—no matter where you're heading within the Greater Fort Lauderdale Area (which extends from Hallandale Beach to Deerfield Beach), FLL will be no more than a 30 minute drive. And, if you're arriving by plane to head out on a cruise, Port Everglades is less than three miles away.

If your final destination is to other parts of Florida, Fort Lauderdale International Airport provides easy access to major roadways including the I-95, I-75, I-595, U.S. 1 and Florida Turnpike.

Terminal 1 at Fort Lauderdale International Airport

 ::: Four Color-Coded Terminals
Fort Lauderdale Airport has 4 Terminals that are color coded (see below) so that passengers can easily follow a color while navigating the airport and its facilities: Terminal 1 is Yellow, 2 is Red, 3 is Purple and 4 is Green. Getting from one terminal to another is easy, you can walk or take a courtesy shuttle bus—the choice is yours.

::: On-Site Car Rental Center
FLL also has one of the most convenient rental car facilities of any airport that we've ever been to. It is located on-site in the Parking area directly across from Terminal 1.

If you're arriving at Terminal 1 you simply need to cross the pedestrian bridge near the Concourse B security checkpoint. If you're arriving at any of the other Terminals, walk over to Terminal 1 or follow the Rental Car Center signage in your own terminal and hop on the free shuttle bus service which will deliver you and your luggage to the Center.

Returning your rental car is just as easy. You simply drive directly to the airport and drop off the car at your rental company's parking lot. Then, it's a walk back to Terminal 1 via the pedestrian bridge or take one of the shuttle buses back to your departing terminal.

TIP: The GPS address for the Car Rental Center is:
600 Terminal Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315

::: Airport Parking If you need to park at the airport, FLL has a multi-level garage with more that 12,000 spaces. Fort Lauderdale Airport parking is well organized and color coded to the terminals so watch for signs inside the garage to park near you terminal.

::: Airport Ground Transportation Getting to where you're going is fairly easy. The airport provides Transportation Stands located just outside of baggage claim at each of the Terminals. From there, you can arrange for an airport taxi, hire a private car, or decide on a Ft. Lauderdale Airport shuttle (shared ride). If you're trying to get to Port Everglades, Miami International Airport, South Beach, or Palm Beach International, just inquire about the available options at the same Transportation Stands.

::: Official Fort Lauderdale Airport Address 

320 Terminal Drive,
Fort Lauderdale, FL
33315