Guide For Leaving Fort Lauderdale Airport
Just landed at Fort Lauderdale Airport but don't know the best way to get out? Don't fret, this guide will explain everything. When returning home, have a look at how to get back in time for the flight. If stopping at JFK on the way home, see this article for how to get out of JFK Airport.
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1
Moving Between Terminals
Fort Lauderdale Airport has four terminals, all of which are able to be accessed by the airport's courtesy shuttle bus. It travels between the airport terminals from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., and between the airport and the Rental Car Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The shuttle bus departs every 10 minutes and every shuttle stop is located on the arrivals (lower) outside level of each terminal.
Keep an eye out for these signs that indicate where the shuttle bus stops.
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Bus
The only bus that leaves Fort Lauderdale Airport is the Broward County Transit (BCT) Route 1 bus. The bus line goes south in the direction of Miami and stops at Adventura Mall in Adventura, and north to the Broward Central Terminal. This bus is only able to be accessed via the Rental Car Center (RCC).
To get to the RCC, exit the plane and follow the flow of passengers to baggage claim. There are signs. From here, pass through immigration (which is close to the baggage claim). Once through baggage claim, take the escalator or lift to the lower level (if not already on it) and walk out of the airport doors to the taxi and bus stands.
Look out for the blue signs that indicate the courtesy shuttle bus stops. The shuttle bus arrives every 10 minutes and after taking passengers to each terminal, it goes to the Rental Car Center. Alight at this station and turn right, walking to the end of the building.
The Broward County Transit (BCT) bus station will be here, with the Route 1 bus going south and north. Buses depart from here every 20 minutes during working hours and less regularly in the early morning and late night. One-way cash tickets cost $2. See the Broward County Transit website for more information about fares.
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Tri-Rail
The Tri-Rail is a train that runs down the east coast of Florida, connecting Fort Lauderdale Airport with Miami Airport in the south and Palm Beach Airport in the north (with many major stations in between).
To access the Tri-Rail, passengers must catch the Tri-Rail Commuter Connector Route FLA-1 (free shuttle bus) from the airport to Dania Beach Station. There are three Tri-Rail bus stops in Fort Lauderdale Airport; they are located at the west end of Terminal 1, between Terminals 2 and 3, and between Terminals 3 and 4 (see them on this map). The buses depart every 5-10 minutes during peak hours, with longer intervals in the early morning and late night. Have a look at the Tri-Rail Commuter Connector Schedule.
To get to the Tri-Rail Commuter Connector bus, exit through baggage collection and customs, and descend to the lower level of the airport. Go to the nearest Tri-Rail bus station (here is the Tri-Rail airport map again) and board the bus. The bus will stop at Dania Beach and all other stations on the Tri-Rail line are accessible from here.
It takes around 40 minutes to get from Dania Beach Station to Miami Airport Station on the Tri-Rail, and around an hour to arrive at West Palm Beach Station (where passengers should transfer to get to the Palm Beach Airport).
One-way fares start at $2.50, increasing with the number of zones traveled through. The Tri-Rail website has more information about fares and a fare calculator. For customer service and information, call either of these numbers: 800-874-7245 / 954-783-6030.
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4
Shared Shuttle/Private Car
Go Airport Shuttle is a company that offers shuttle services and private car airport transfers between Fort Lauderdale Airport and surrounding areas.
Go Airport Shuttle's services can be booked online, on the telephone (call 773-363-0001), and in person at the airport. Go Airport Shuttle desks are located in every terminal at the airport - on levels 1, 2 and 4, they are located on the lower level near the baggage claim area. In terminal 3, a kiosk is located on the curb outside the airport (near the taxi ranks).
All Go Airport Shuttle staff wear green uniforms with the company's logo. The waiting time is usually no more than 30 minutes after ordering a car, and shared shuttle services usually take around 10 minutes to leave. When booking online, the passenger will be asked to enter their flight details and destination, and will be met in the arrivals area by their driver.
Passengers can choose which car service they would like to use. Options include a shared shuttle bus, and private sedan, SUV and van. For an example of the price differences, a shared shuttle service from Fort Lauderdale to Miami costs $38, a sedan costs $97, an SUV costs $120 and a van costs $143.
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Taxi
Catching a taxi from Fort Lauderdale is straightforward and passengers have many choices for taxi companies. Fort Lauderdale Airport lists over 20 authorized taxi companies on its website that are available for hire at the airport. Each of the four terminals has a taxi rank outside the airport (past the baggage collection and through the doors) where taxis are able to be booked.
The Fort Lauderdale Airport website also has a transportation choices chart, which compares the estimated fares for 65 locations surrounding Fort Lauderdale Airport. Taxis don't have to be booked in advance and can be booked at the airport with minimal waiting time. Ground Transportation Booths are located inside each terminal on the lower level and have more information about taxi companies.
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6
Ride-sharing apps
As ride-sharing apps have become more popular in the recent years, they have become a staple of public transport options. Uber, Lyft and Via are all popular ride-sharing apps and are available to use at Fort Lauderdale Airport.
To use any of these apps on Apple or Android phones, download it from the App Store or Google Play Store and open the app. Users will be required to enter their payment details and their pickup location (including the terminal number), and choose the kind of vehicle they would prefer.
All three apps offer a number of different services (for example, Uber's carpooling UberPool service lets passengers share the ride with others to save money, while UberX offers private sedans). Once these details have been selected, users are able to track their driver's location on the app, until the driver arrives.
Passengers are able to be picked up from any of the four terminals at the airport on the lower 'Arrivals' level beyond the baggage claim. There are designated areas for being picked up by a ride-sharing app, and they will be marked by a sign saying 'Ride-Sharing' with the image of a cell phone. Fort Lauderdale Airport offers a list of ride-sharing companies available.
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7
Pick up a Rental Car
Fort Lauderdale Airport offers it's passengers many options for renting a car while in Florida. The Rental Car Center (RCC), which is located a few minutes walk away from Terminal 1 and is accessible via a free shuttle bus for those in Terminals 2, 3 and 4, offers 12 rental car companies to choose from. For more information about how to get to the RCC, see the 'Bus' option above.
The airport also offers a number of off-site rental car companies that are not located at the Rental Car Center, but are able to be accessed by catching the shuttle bus #7 to the RCC and then catching the rental car courtesy shuttle bus from there. For more information about off-site rental cars, visit the Fort Lauderdale Airport website.
Rental cars can be booked in advance or in person, although the range of available vehicles may be more limited if booking in person. The Fort Lauderdale Airport website suggests comparing prices before booking a rental car with rentacarnow.com.
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8
Get Picked Up
Passengers are able to get picked up in any of the four terminals on the 'Arrivals' (lower) level. The pickup area is located near the taxi ranks and ride-sharing pickup areas. There are signs separating the designated areas, and if in doubt, ask a member of the airport staff. To get to the pickup area from inside the airport, move through the baggage claim, immigration and through the front doors.
If drivers have time to wait before the flight of their passenger arrives, the Fort Lauderdale Airport has a Cell Phone Waiting Area - a well-lit and paved parking lot. As drivers are not permitted to park or linger in any areas in the airport, it is recommended that they wait here until their passengers are ready to be picked up.
The Cell Phone parking lot is located near Terminal 1 on Perimeter Rd. Parking here is free for the first 15 minutes, and any time afterwards is charged at the hourly parking rate ($3 per hour).
Navigation apps such as Google Maps, Maps.me and Waze are useful for driving around and are free to use.
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Still Not Sure?
Haven't figured out how to leave Fort Lauderdale Airport? The following links might help:
Fort Lauderdale Airport's Customer Service - 1-866-435-9355
Broward County Transit - 954-357-8400
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Fart Lauderdale
And finally, a word of caution. If someone farts near you, don't complain about it. Why? This woman was in a dollar store in Fort Lauderdale when she ripped a big one (better out than in, right?). A man behind standing in line behind her complained about it, and what did she do? Pulled a knife on him and told him she was going to gut him. Luckily, authorities intervened before anyone got gutted. But the moral of the story? Fort Lauderdale residents don't like it when you complain about their farts. We recommend bringing a face mask with you, just in case.
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