How to Exit Miami Airport
Just arrived at Miami Airport but not sure how to get out? This will explain everything. Don't forget to read about coming back on the way home. Passing by JFK on the way? See this guide for getting out of JFK Airport.
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1
Arriving at the Airport
Navigating a busy airport is difficult at the best of times. Here's how to get to the ground transportation area after landing.
Domestic passengers coming from Canada or the Bahamas will arrive on level 2 and must take an escalator or lift to level 1. All baggage claim is on level 1 and ground transportation is located beyond the baggage claim area. For the Skyride, parking garages and the MIA Mover, go to level 3.
International passengers will proceed to US Customs and baggage claim, and then through the Interline Lobby, where passengers can re-check baggage if they have a connecting flight. There are two exits from international flights: exit at level 1 in North Terminal D (blue) and exit at level 3 in South Terminal J (red). Passengers exiting from North Terminal D will find ground transport beyond the baggage claim. Passengers exiting from South Terminal J will have to take an elevator to level 1 to get to ground transportation. Parking garages are on level 2 and 3.
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2
Moving Around the Airport
The MIA Mover is an automated people mover that operates between the Central Terminal (in between the Dolphin and Flamingo parking lots on Level 3) and the Miami Intermodal Center, which houses the Rental Car Center (RCC), the Metrorail train station and the Metrobus station. The MIA Mover is free to use and operates 24 hours a day.
To get to the MIA Mover, use the Skyride (moving walks) on Level 3 until reaching the end. Follow the signs for the MIA Mover and board. It only has two stations; the MIA Station and Central Terminal Station. These two apps, Miami-Dade Transit Tracker and Miami Trolley are useful for getting around Miami on public transport.
Miami Airport also has a SkyTrain that operates along Concourse D (as it is a mile long). If a passenger's flight is departing from a gate in Concourse D, it is a good idea to plan for having extra time to travel along Concourse D. The SkyTrain has 4 stations, and trains arrive every 3 minutes. It takes around 30 minutes to walk along the length of Concourse D (see map below).
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3
Metrorail and TriRail Trains
There are two train companies that connect with Miami Airport: the Metrorail train and the TriRail train.
The Metrorail has two lines: the Green Line, which heads towards Palmetto, Okeechobee, Hialeah, Northside, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Brownsville stations, and the Orange Line, which goes towards Dadeland North, South Miami, Douglas Road, and more. Trains depart every 30 minutes during the week, and every 15 minutes on the weekend. One-way tickets for the Metrorail start at $2.25. Download the Transit Tracker app for easier journey planning and real-time updates.
The TriRail train runs up the coast (see the TriRail map here), connecting Miami Airport with Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Trains leave every 15 minutes to one hour, depending on the time of day. See exact times on the website's schedule. Tickets start at $2.50 for a one-way journey and increase depending on the number of zones the passenger passes through. See the TriRail's fare calculator here.
For both Metrorail and TriRail trains, passengers can buy a one-time paper ticket, or pay with an EASY Card. EASY Cards cost $2 to buy but can be topped up and used on Metrorail, Metrobus and TriRail services.
Passengers leaving the airport by train must get to the Miami Intermodal Center via the MIA Mover. See instructions on how to get there. Once there, follow the signs for each train service.
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4
Miami Beach Bus and Metrobus
All buses from Miami Airport leave from the Miami Intermodal Center. See above for how to get there. The Miami Beach Bus leaves every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 11:40 p.m. seven days a week. This bus departs from the Miami Central Station and goes to Miami Beach (from 41st Street to South Pointe Drive). One-way tickets cost $2.65 and the bus is equipped with luggage racks.
The following Metrobus lines connect with the airport: 37, 42, 57, J, 150 Miami Beach Airport Express, and East-West Connection. Go to the Miami-Dade County website to see the timetables and information for each bus line. These buses leave roughly every 30 minutes. Passengers traveling on Metrobus buses must pay with an EASY Card, which can be bought from vending machines inside the airport.
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5
Rent a Car
The Miami Airport Rental Car Center (RCC) has 14 car rental companies to choose from and is connected to the airport via the MIA Mover. See instructions for how to get there. Passengers can either book a car in advance, or upon arrival in Miami. The following companies are located in the RCC:
There are also a number of car rental companies that are located outside the RCC but within close proximity of Miami Airport. See Miami Airport's full list of outside car rental companies. If interested in renting a car from an outside company, passengers must communicate with the car company beforehand. Upon arrival at the airport, the car company will pick up passengers outside the lobby at the RCC. For more information, directly contact each car company.
The following navigation apps are very useful for driving around a new city: Google Maps, Waze and Maps.me.
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6
Hotel or Airport Shuttle
Many hotels will offer shuttle services to and from Miami Airport. To find out whether a hotel provides shuttles from the airport, contact them prior to landing at Miami Airport. Each hotel will have different policies regarding pricing, pick-up and drop-off areas, and regularity of shuttles. Most hotel shuttles will meet passengers at the (upper) departures level of the airport, but contact the hotel to be sure.
SuperShuttle is a shuttle bus company that operates shuttles to and from Miami Airport, 24 hours a day. SuperShuttle offers a range of different vehicles, from shared shuttle vans to private SUVs. For more information about pricing, available vehicles, and how to download the SuperShuttle app, visit the SuperShuttle website. Reservations are not necessary, but make traveling easier, especially during peak holiday times.
Miami Airport provides a price comparison page for SuperShuttles and taxis, showing the estimated costs for many locations in the areas surrounding Miami Airport. Click here to see the page.
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7
Taxi
Taxis are located on the arrivals (ground) level of the airport outside the baggage claim area. Taxis are priced in the following two ways: flat rates (which can be seen on this fare comparison page) and with metered fares. The metered fares start at $4.50 for the first 1/6 mile, with $0.40 for each 1/6 mile afterwards. This equals $6.90 for the first mile and $2.40 for every additional mile. Each minute of waiting time costs $0.40.
Taxis don't need to be booked in advance, although the waiting time for getting a taxi may vary depending on the time of day.
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8
Ride-sharing apps
Uber and Lyft are ride-sharing apps that are available to pick up passengers from Miami Airport, however there is no designated pickup area for ride-sharing services, so passengers must choose a location. The arrivals area on the ground floor (beyond the baggage claim) is the best place to get picked up by a driver.
To use Uber or Lyft (which are both very similar to use), passengers should download the app onto their phone and open it. They will be required to enter their payment details and pickup location. Then passengers should choose the type of vehicle they want - Uber and Lyft have a number of different services, including shared carpooling, private cars, and luxury cars. After this, passengers should enter their location by entering the terminal number or dropping a pin - either way it should be the exact location so the driver is able to find their passenger (and there are a lot of people at the airport).
Passengers will be able to view the location of their driver and call the driver if needed. Ride-sharing services are generally a lot cheaper than taxis. See Uber and Lyft's fare estimate pages. To have a look at the rates for Uber and Lyft in Miami, have a look at this page by Miami and Beaches.
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9
Get Picked Up
Miami Airport is a short distance away from central Miami, so driving there doesn't take long (15 minutes without traffic). Miami Airport's address is 2100 NW 42nd Ave, Miami, FL 33142. The Miami Airport website provides directions, and navigation apps like Google Maps, Waze and Maps.me are useful for drivers getting to Miami Airport. The arrivals area on ground level (beyond the baggage claim) is the best area to get picked up from.
While drivers of private vehicles (friends or family, not hire vehicles like Uber or taxis) are waiting, they can wait in the Cell Phone Waiting Lot. This is a parking lot designated for drivers waiting to pick up friends, and it has 60 free parking spaces. The Cell Phone Waiting Lot is located just off LeJeune Road and NW 31 Street and this is its location on Google Maps.
Those with disabled or stroller permits can use the accessible parking on level 3 and the ground level in all parking lots.
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10
Still Confused?
If still not sure about how to get out of Miami Airport, the following links may be useful:
SuperShuttle - (305) 871-2000
Directions to Airport - (305) 876-7000 #3
Parking - (305) 876-7000 #4
Ground Transportation - (305) 876-7000 #5
Tri-Rail - 1 800 TRI-RAIL
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