In general, one of the easiest ways to save money on a trip is to use public transport instead of renting a car.
In some cities this decision does not have a major impact on the itinerary. In New York, for example, it is even advisable not drive, regardless of your budget. The ideal is to use the metro to get anywhere, as there are more than 400 stations and 36 lines. The same case applies to Buenos Aires and London.
Unfortunately, there are metropolises where the main attractions are far from each other, and where the public transport system is not very efficient. The best-known example is Los Angeles, where driving can save up to hours on the day's itinerary. It’s even possible to enjoy the city without a car, as I’ve already shown in this post., but it is always preferable to rent a car.
I would say that Miami is a middle ground between these two situations.
You can drive without any major worries – the traffic doesn't even compare to the madness that is New York, but you can also use other means of transport to get to the tourist attractions, which are far from each other but nothing like the city of angels.
I believe that most people choose to rent a car when they are in the city because, financially, it is not such a big saving to take the bus or uber.
If you are a family of four, you will pay US$9 each way on the bus (US$2.25 per passenger). Thinking about the trip from the hotel to the first attraction, a second tour and then back to the accommodation, the total spent would be US$27, considering that there would only be one bus between each of them.
The expense would be a little higher using the uber, between US$12 and US$15 one way, making it around US$45 per day, a little less than R$150 at the current rate.
An economical car on Rentcars currently costs R$130 per day in Miami, and it is still possible to pay in reais, without IOF and in installments via credit card. It's easy to understand why driving is an attractive option, right? Furthermore, having your own vehicle gives you more freedom to take longer trips, like Fort Lauderdale, or visit several attractions in a single day.
It is worth remembering that this bill, however, can rise very quickly when considering the price of parking at hotels (often more than US$20 per night).
Either way, there are several reasons to experience Miami without a car – not wanting the stress of driving and parking (I!), not having a driver's license, traveling in a small group that will only use buses (in this case, much more economical), enjoy walking to get to know the neighborhoods, etc.
In this case, the simplest solution to discover the main tourist attractions is to take a guided tour in Portuguese. WePlann offers a really cool option, which includes a visit to Miami Beach, Wynwood and Little Havana, with a typical lunch in the region!
If you don't want to take a tour, I suggest using the city's public transport, which includes buses, metorail, trolley and even one people move! In this post I will teach you how you can use each of them.
Miami without a car – How to use public transport in the city
Where to stay

For a visit without a car, I suggest staying in South Miami Beach. Despite being a more expensive and touristy area, it has a little bit of everything: restaurants, open-air shopping, the beach, and all that vibe of Miami that we see in the movies. When staying near 15th Street, it is possible to do most of the area's tours on foot.
Washington Park Hotel: Four stars at a great price in Miami. It has a swimming pool, gym and parking, as well as offering free Wi-Fi for guests. The rooms have a flat-screen television, and room rates start at around US$215. Booking rating: 8,0.
Buses and Metrorail
These are the two public transport services payments that operate in Miami-Dade County. By bus it is possible to go from Miami Beach to the city of Miami and to the main neighborhoods and tourist attractions in the region, with a fare of US$2.25 each way.
Already Metrorail is a surface metro system, which runs on suspended tracks. With 23 stations, it connects the northern part, such as Brownsville, with the airport, downtown and the area to the south. It's a great transportation option to visit some attractions like the Vizcaya museum and Coconut Grove. The cost is the same as the bus fare, US$2.25, but it is mandatory to use the card Easy to board.
O EasyCard, like most cards of this type, allows you to load several tickets at once. With it there is also the possibility of purchasing unlimited passes for one day (US$5.65), seven days (US$29.25) and even for a month (US$112.50). Each person must have their own card (you cannot buy one for the whole group), and the cost is US$2.00. Another possibility is to buy an Easy Ticket, at no extra cost and valid for 60 days, perfect for tourists. You can buy the same passes offered for the Easy Card, but you can only top it up with the same amount as the initial purchase.
Another advantage of using the Easy is being able to make bus-to-bus or bus-to-rail transfers for free, or rail-to-bus transfers for just US$0.60.
Cards or tickets can be purchased at stations Metrorail or in selected stores.
To find out which bus or subway to take to get to your destination, I suggest using Google Maps. There is already a blog post explaining how to use the app when traveling.
Metromover and Trolley

Two free transportation options in the city of Miami and Miami Beach. The Metromover is a “people move” electric, which operates between five in the morning and midnight every day of the week. With trains arriving every 30 seconds during peak times, and every three minutes during the rest of the period, it's a great way to get to your destination quickly and without paying.
Ideally, consult the map of stations to find out if it is useful on your route, as Google Maps does not show Metromover as an option in the app.
Already Trolley It was the best discovery of my trip! First I need to make it clear that there are two trolleys different ones, the one in the city and the one on the beach. They have different hours, lines and appearances, and the only thing in common is that they are free.
The one in Miami Beach operates from six in the morning until midnight, with the exception of Sundays when service starts at 8. There are four different lines – North Beach, Middle Beach, Collins Express and South Beach, the latter with two different meanings. Most of them run every 20 minutes at the stops, with the exception of the South Beach Loop via 10 St., which runs every 35.
We use the trolley a few times, mostly to go to South Pointe Park, one of the best places to watch the sunset in the city. We took the Loop A at Washington Ave. and 14th St., down to S Pointe Drive. To return, just take the Loop B and stop on the other side of the street from the starting point. Super practical, and all trolleys They even have free WiFi!
To see the points of all lines, just access the city hall website.
Already trolley in the city of Miami I found it a little more complex, but only because there are more lines and the points are close to each other, without many identifications.
I believe we took the Little Havana line at Brickell station, but I confess I'm not really sure, rs. Either way, I know we ended up in trolley right and we got to know the famous neighborhood without spending a lot on transport.
You can check the route of all lines on the city's website, but I must say that the maps are difficult to read as they do not mark the stopping points. You will need to look on the street for the sign written trolley (interest).

From Miami Beach to other cities
I'm not going to lie to you: although it's easy to get around Miami Beach without a car, getting from the beach to the city can be a long trip.
From the hotel where we were staying in South Beach to Wynwood Walls, for example, it would be necessary to take at least two buses. An alternative route, not shown by Google Maps, would also be a bus, a metromover and then a trolley, rs. To get to the Vizcaya Museum it would take three bus stretches according to Google Maps, or some other crazy combination with the trolley.
If most of your trips are in the city and you don't make a point of going to the beach every day, the ideal is to stay in downtown ou rent a car. Staying in Miami Beach, it is possible to see all the tourist attractions using public transport, but some journeys will probably be long and tiring.
My trip was as a family, and there were eight of us, without a car. What we normally did was choose a tour in the city, go back and forth uber (the cost-benefit of splitting the race between four people made this the best option in terms of time x cost), and then spending the rest of the day exploring Miami Beach with the trolley free.
It is also possible to visit other nearby cities like Fort Lauderdale without driving. The common bus journey lasts around an hour and a half with line 195, while services such as MegaBus They cost US$10 per person and take approximately half an hour to get there.

And here are the main tips for enjoying Miami without a car! Both by bus and trolley, It is possible to see all the attractions without spending a lot. If you still don't know what to do in the city, there's a post with a suggested itinerary here on the blog!
Do you have any questions? Do you have any other tips to share with travelers who are exploring the region without driving? Leave it in the comments! 🙂
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I didn't understand the question about the 1 day, 7 day card, with this card can I use the bus and subway unlimitedly like in NY?
Exactly 🙂 You can purchase a card that gives you unlimited access to transportation for so many days, just like in NY!
I loved the free trolley tip!! I also loved the others in the 3-day itinerary in Miami, but I thought the fact that there was free transportation was really incredible!!
The trolley is great, we used it a lot! 🙂