How to navigate Miami, Fort Lauderdale airports during an especially busy Memorial Day weekend
Are you traveling to or from Miami or Fort Lauderdale for Memorial Day weekend?
With record crowds expected at South Florida airports and millions expected to hit the road, you need a solid plan to make sure your vacation is epic.
If you’re flying, be sure to arrive at the airport a few hours before your flight, and check to see if your travel destination has any COVID-19 restrictions. If you’re taking a road trip, gas apps can help you save money on fuel.
And if you’re planning to chill in Miami Beach or elsewhere in South Florida, take advantage of the free trolleys or low-cost transit options some cities have.
Here’s a guide to help make it happen.
DO I REALLY NEED TO BE AT THE AIRPORT THAT EARLY?
It’s going to be busy at Miami International Airport and Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport. Expect packed roads and garages, similar to spring break.
Miami’s airport is averaging 150,000 passengers a day, compared to 126,000 a day during its record-setting year in
2019. The Broward airport is expecting more than 680,000 travelers between Wednesday and Tuesday, mirroring prepandemic levels.
That means you should plan to arrive early. MIA is recommending passengers arrive at least three hours before a domestic flight and 31⁄2 hours before an international flight to give yourself time to check in and go through security. FLL recommends people arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight; check with your airline to see if it’s recommending additional time for check-in.
TIPS FOR MIA
Use the airport’s
Queue Analyzer to find the fastest TSA checkpoint for your flight. The site provides real-time updates on checkpoint wait times.
If flying internationally, see if you’re eligible to use the free and secure Mobile Passport Control app to submit passport and customs declaration information to avoid completing a paper form or using an automated passport control kiosk.
If you get hungry while waiting for your flight,
MIA recommends ordering food and drinks through its MIA2GO system for contactless pickup at restaurants throughout the airport.
TIPS FOR FLL
Use FLL’s online directory to see which types of restaurants, shops and services (including ATMs and Lactation Suites) are available at your terminal. You can filter results by post- or pre-security.
Not sure how to find your terminal or the restaurant you want to try? Just open Google Maps to see a detailed layout of the airport. You can even use LiveView to help figure out where the restrooms, ATMs and gates are located.
Have time to spare before your flight or Uber arrives? Check out the hyper-realistic painted bronze sculpture of an airport vendor by the late artist Duane Hanson in the baggage claim area of Terminal 1. It’s so lifelike, you’ll do a double-take.
WHAT ABOUT MASK REQUIREMENTS?
Masks are no longer required at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Most airlines have made masks optional, too. Many other transit services in South Florida, including Ubers, Lyfts, buses and trains, have made masks optional.
However, keep in mind that your travel destination (especially if you travel internationally) may require masks or other COVID-19 safety protocols, including testing or proof of vaccination.
Check with your airline for the latest information.
WHERE CAN I PARK AT THE AIRPORT?
Miami International Airport: It has two garages and a few charging stations for electric vehicles. However, the airport expects its garages to be full as early as Thursday for the holiday weekend. Instead of parking at MIA, officials say, travelers should be dropped off by friends or family, a rideshare service or a taxi. Another option is to take Miami-Dade Transit’s Orange Line.
If you still want to brave the garages, try to find a spot near your airline.
Dolphin Garage serves Concourses D and E. It’s the best place to park if you’re flying with American Airlines, Qatar Airways, British Airways or JetBlue. Flamingo Garage serves Concourses E-J and is the best place to park if you’re flying with all other airlines, including Delta and Southwest.
Maximum daily rate is $17 and your car can stay in the garage up to 45 days, except where “no overnight” is listed. After 45 days, your car will be towed. Accepted payments: cash, credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover), Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. The airport no longer uses SunPass and its valet service is temporarily closed.
To find the closest parking location to your terminal, visit MIA’s website.
Fort LauderdaleHollywood International Airport: It has three garages and an overflow lot that opens at peak travel times during the holidays or when the garages are full (signs and workers lead you to them). The airport is also recommending travelers get dropped off.
Maximum daily rate is $15 at Hibiscus Garage Levels 3-7, Palm Garage Levels 2-4 and Cypress Garage Levels 6-9. At Hibiscus Garage Level 2 and Palm Garage Level 1, the maximum daily rate is $36. If you park in the overflow lot, expect to pay $10 per day. Curbside valet costs $25 per day. Accepted payments include cash, credit cards and SunPass Plus.
Use the FLL app to see real-time parking availability and to help locate your car if you forget where you parked. To find the closest parking location to your terminal, visit the airport’s website.
I’M PICKING SOMEONE UP; WHERE CAN I PARK?
Both the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports have a cellphone parking lot where people can park free while waiting to pick someone up from the airport. MIA’s cellphone parking lot is just off LeJeune Road and Northwest 31st Street. At FLL, the lot is at 600 Terminal Dr.
TRANSIT OPTIONS FOR VISITORS
If you don’t want to rent a car, you can take a taxi, Uber or Lyft. There are other transit options, too.
Metrobus routes run across Miami-Dade County and into Broward and the Keys, including Miami Beach, Liberty City, Little Haiti, Little Havana, Key Biscayne, Miami Gardens, West Miami-Dade, Homestead and Florida City. Buses have free Wi-Fi and bicycle racks. The buses run from 5 a.m. to midnight daily, including holidays, with some routes providing overnight service.
Metrorail runs along a 25-mile dual track with service to Miami International Airport, and stretching
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. Metrorail stations have free Wi-Fi and bicycle racks, which can also be found in some rail cars.
Metromover circles downtown Miami and extends to Brickell and Performing Arts areas from 5 a.m. to midnight daily. Destinations include FTX Arena, home to the Miami Heat, Bayside Marketplace and Miami Dade College’s downtown campus.
Cost: Metromover is free. Metrobus and Metrorail fare is $2.25 each way or $5.65 for a one-day pass. However, Metrobus and Metrorail transfers are free though you will have to pay 95 cents if you’re transferring from a Metrobus/Metrorail to an express Metrobus route.
Some cities have free trolleys including Miami Beach, Miami, Coral Gables, Doral and Miami Gardens. Some cities, like Miami, Key Biscayne, Hialeah, Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach and Islamorada in the Keys have
Freebee, which is a free ride-sharing electric vehicle service. (You’ll need the Freebee app to use it.)
Brightline runs from downtown Miami with stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. There’s also Tri-Rail, a commuter train that runs through 18 stations across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, including the Miami and
Fort Lauderdale airport. And there’s Amtrak,a nationwide train that has stations across Florida. Prices vary depending on where you want to go and when.
If you want to exercise and be environmentally friendly, rent a bike through Citi Bike Miami, a bike rental service with more than 160 stations across Miami Beach, Surfside, Bay Harbor Islands and Miami, including in Wynwood and Coconut Grove. And no, you don’t have to drop off the bike at the same place you picked it up. You can leave it any of the other Citi Bike stations. Prices vary.
WHAT WILL THE WEATHER BE LIKE?
Storms across South Florida, as well as the west coast of Florida, ramp up Friday through Monday’s Memorial Day.
Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas are looking at 40% chances of rain Friday, increasing to 60% rain and thunderstorm chances Saturday through the holiday. The Florida Keys are a bit brighter, at 40% on Sunday and Monday.
Be careful if swimming at the beaches. There is a heightened risk for rip currents at coastal MiamiDade, Broward and Palm Beach County beaches through Thursday night, the center said.