Driving from Miami to Orlando... advice pls?

[alibabaxx]

Hi all,

Flying into MIA in August and we were thinking of driving straight up to Universal and checking into HRH for 2 nights so we are there bright and early the following morning for the parks.

I know the drive is around 3 and half hours? (Flight arrives around 3.30pm US time)
Has anyone done this after a long flight, is it doable...
Is it an easy/nice drive with plenty of places to stop off?...
or would it be better to stay nearer to MIA attempting the drive in the morning ? (although that would cut into our park time...)

Other option would be to drive to Orlando area and stay in cheap motel before heading to HRH for one night instead...

Also bit confused about toll payments etc... are there many on route up via I4 and should we prepay?

Sorry for all questions at once, would be interested to see who did this and how it worked for them... thanks in advance

[mickchick]

It is doable, but not advisable. You will have been up and about since early morning UK time, and by the time you get to Miami, queued for between two and three hours to get through immigration, queued another 45 minutes for Customs, and then picked up your car, you simply won't be safe to drive. The route from Miami to Orlando can be stressful too, particularly in the late afternoon. If you must drive, the best way is on the Turnpike,which will be quieter and cost around $23 in tolls. You will need Sunpass for this. There are very few places to stop unless you turn off. The route you are considering, I95 (although you say I4) will be a lot slower, much busier, and frankly, between 4pm and 8pm it is a nightmare. There are no tolls on it.
Your best bet is to check into a hotel near Miami airport for the night and set off for Orlando early next morning when you feel refreshed.

[Reunion]

We have done this just once - and would think hard before doing it again! We didn't wait as long as the previous poster at immigration and were through in just over an hour. It takes longer to collect a hire care at Miami as you have to catch a monorail. The roads out of Miami at that time of the evening are very busy - and a satnav is almost essential because the signposting is not great! There are tolls on the Turnpike that are unmanned so need a Sunpass. There are a couple of alternative routes which are toll free which I think is what you are suggesting. On the Turnpike there isn't anywhere to stop without pulling off - but there are places very close to the exits. If you land on time, and manage to go straight to sleep when you get to HRH then I think this doable as you will be up early the first morning anyway! But that drive after a 9 hour flight (plus travel time to the airport this end) feels like it goes on for ever!

[Florida Liz]

If your checking into HRH best to check in very early morning so you get the most of the FOLP, valid for day you check in and day you check out
Never been to Miami so can't comment on the drive but you will be tired and very excited

[Tetrarch]

We've driven straight up to Orlando after flying into Miami once but wouldn't do it again as we felt too tired to really be safe. We have flown into Miami since that occasion but opted to stay over. You are going to be awake very early the next morning anyway so personally, I'd book a hotel room near to the airport and drive up fresh the next day.

Debra

[james weir]

The I 4 does not go anywhere Miami,the 3 most common routes are the I95,the
turnpike or the US 27,we normally use the US 27 which has no tolls this takes
about 3.5 hours.The distance from Miami to Orland is 230 miles.One has to be very
careful has the FHP are everywhere and they do catch speeders.I would not Travel
the day you fly in as others have said 3 hours is not uncommon going through Miami
Airport

[florida girl]

We flew into MCO and stayed there overnight before our drive down to Miami so the other way around from you. Personally I would'nt have liked to do the drive on the day we arrived it is a pretty boring drive and it will be in the dark. We did this the previous year when we arrived from MCO to AMI which is a shorter journey and we said never again.

Better to be safe than sorry.

[alibabaxx]

Thanks for the advice everyone, may be a case of booking somewhere cheap near the airport then. Is there somewhere nearby that would be easy to get to without a car and then return next day to pick up one for our drive to Orlando? Or would you advise picking up the car after landing whilst at the airport?

Don't mind tolls just want the safest, easiest drive to Orlando as will feel uneasy being in a different area...

We would be looking at doing Universal the day after our arrival (Monday) so would mean to drive up, check in at HRH and then do the parks Monday/Tuesday as we go to AKL that evening...

[PerksP]

We flew into Miami this year and missed our connection because of delays. We go through the US citizens immigration line so it really didn't take long but the line for non-residents was pretty horrendous. We were put on standby for the next flight and did get on that but driving was our alternative.

I have to say that we were very glad to get on the 38 minute flight to Orlando as really wouldn't have fancied the drive. It was already dark, it was a 10 hour flight into Miami and we were pretty shattered.

Have you thought of a connecting flight? They are like shuttles (hourly) from Miami to Orlando - you barely get up to altitude before you are coming back down to land. Otherwise I would advise a hotel at Miami and drive up early after a good few hours sleep.

[alibabaxx]

Originally Posted by PerksP

We flew into Miami this year and missed our connection because of delays. We go through the US citizens immigration line so it really didn't take long but the line for non-residents was pretty horrendous. We were put on standby for the next flight and did get on that but driving was our alternative.

I have to say that we were very glad to get on the 38 minute flight to Orlando as really wouldn't have fancied the drive. It was already dark, it was a 10 hour flight into Miami and we were pretty shattered.

Have you thought of a connecting flight? They are like shuttles (hourly) from Miami to Orlando - you barely get up to altitude before you are coming back down to land. Otherwise I would advise a hotel at Miami and drive up early after a good few hours sleep.

See more...

That sounds like an option too. How long should you give yourself between taking another flight? Are there any cheap airlines you would recommend? Would we still clear immigration at Miami then with you saying you were in us residents queue?