Getting Around Miami Without Getting Stuck

Last reviewed: October 26, 2026. Sources for this page are listed in its fact sheet.

Short answer first. Use transit for the downtown core and the airport run, the free trolley on Miami Beach, and a car or rideshare for everything spread out. Metrorail and Metrobus cost $2.25 a ride, with daily fare capping at $5.65 when you pay with the same card; the Metromover looping downtown and Brickell is free; and the Miami Beach trolley is free from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fares on this page were checked on the Miami-Dade Transit site on October 26, 2026.

Taxis and rideshare fill Miami's gaps; transit covers the core better than most visitors expect. Photo: Pexels.

What does Miami-Dade Transit cost?

Metrorail and Metrobus full fare is $2.25, with a discounted fare of $1.10 for eligible riders. Ride all day and fare capping stops your charges at $5.65 for unlimited Metrorail or Metrobus rides that day, as long as you pay each time with the same EASY Card or contactless card. Passes also exist: a 1-Day Pass is $5.65, a 7-Day Pass is $29.25, and a 1-Month Pass is $112.50. An EASY Card itself costs $2, an EASY Ticket is free, and the system also accepts contactless bank cards, digital wallets, and the GO Miami-Dade Transit app. Transfers between bus and rail are free with an EASY Card or EASY Ticket; an express bus transfer costs 95 cents. All of the above is from the Miami-Dade Transit fares pages, checked October 26, 2026.

Which transit fits which trip?

The Metromover is the visitor's best friend downtown: a free, automated loop through downtown Miami and Brickell that covers the museums, arenas, and restaurant districts without a fare or a parking hunt. Metrorail is the spine: its Orange Line links the airport station to downtown, Brickell, and the southern suburbs. Metrobus does the cross bay work trains cannot, including the Route 150 Miami Beach Airport Express between the airport station and Miami Beach. Inside Miami Beach, switch to the city's free trolley, which runs its routes from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week, at roughly 20 minute intervals, and can be tracked in the Transit App (City of Miami Beach).

How do you get from the airport into the city?

At Miami International, the free MIA Mover on Level 3, between the Dolphin and Flamingo garages, carries you to the Rental Car Center and the Miami Intermodal Center, home to Miami Airport Station. From there, Metrorail's Orange Line runs into downtown and Brickell for the standard $2.25 fare, Tri-Rail commuter trains head north, and Metrobus Route 150 goes to Miami Beach. Taxis and ride app pickups wait on the arrivals level, outside baggage claim. Our MIA Airport Guide walks through every option step by step.

What about Brightline and trips further afield?

Brightline's Miami station, MiamiCentral, is in downtown Miami at 600 NW 1st Ave, and its trains run north up the coast. Two cautions: Brightline does not serve the airport, and its station sits roughly 8 miles from MIA by the company's own help center, so an airport arrival still needs the Metrorail or a car to reach it. For the Keys, the Everglades, and anything in the suburbs, a rental car or an organized tour with transport included is the realistic option.

When is driving the honest answer?

Miami rewards drivers on spread out itineraries and punishes them on beach and event days. The causeways between Miami Beach and the mainland jam at beach hours and during big events, beach area parking is the scarcest commodity in the city, and a car parked all day at a beach hotel can cost more than the transit week you did not buy. Drive for day trips; do not drive to dinner in South Beach.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Metromover really free?
Yes. Miami-Dade Transit runs the downtown and Brickell people mover loops with no fare at all. It is the easiest way to move between downtown hotels, the waterfront museums, and Brickell dining.

Does the train go to Miami Beach?
No. Metrorail stays on the mainland. For the Beach, ride Metrobus, including Route 150 from the airport station, take a taxi or rideshare across the causeway, or drive. Once on the island, the free city trolley handles local trips.

Should I buy an EASY Card or just tap my bank card?
For a short trip, tapping a contactless bank card or phone wallet is simplest, and fare capping still applies if you use the same card every ride. The EASY Card makes sense for longer stays using passes, and it is sold at Metrorail stations.

Is Miami walkable?
In pockets: South Beach, downtown, Brickell, Coconut Grove, and Coral Gables' center are pleasant on foot. Between those pockets, distances, heat, and causeways make wheels the right call.

Keep planning

Start with the MIA Airport Guide for your arrival, then the First Time in Miami guide for where to base yourself. Watching costs? The Miami on a Budget guide builds a whole trip around the free and cheap layers described here.