Car Hire South Beach

Car Hire

South Beach is among Miami, Florida’s most affluent neighbourhoods. This tourist haven features enough bars, clubs, restaurants and shopping options to keep even the most active of travellers busy. Arranging a hire vehicle is the easiest way to see Miami as well as Florida state at large.

Who to Book With
South Beach Exotic Rentals and Hertz are two of the most prominent car rental companies in the area. They are, however, rivalled by the likes of Sixt (which has two branches), Enterprise and Bentley GT Rentals. Booking in advance on the internet before arrival in Miami can lessen the usual rates.

Best Time to Go
Spring, between March and May, is considered the best time to visit South Beach as the weather is bearably hot and there is hardly any rainfall. During this period, the area can be swamped with young people looking to enjoy spring break, which makes arranging car rental and accommodation in advance a near necessity.

Need to Know Essentials
When collecting a rental vehicle in Miami, the following documents are to be shown:

- International Driving Permit
- Passport or other form of valid photo ID
- The same credit card that was used for the reservation
- Printed copy of reservation confirmation

For more info read our FAQs.

Driving
Although South Beach is served by public transport, having a vehicle is essential in the area and the most convenient way of getting around. Although this part of town is nowhere near as busy as the Downtown area, its popularity and amount of beaches mean traffic can be a problem. On the other hand, parking is easily found.

Our Guide to the United States contains more detailed driving information.

Transport

Some areas of South Beach can be walked around, with tourists able to refer to sites such as walkit.com for specific routes. Driving in the area is convenient as public transport is limited to buses and taxis.

Trains
While South Beach is without its own train station, it is possible to travel around the rest of Miami via the MetroRail, which serves 23 stations and is split into the Orange Line and the Green Line. Fares are around £2.30 per ride, with day, week and month passes available.

Buses
Known as the SOBE to the locals, the South Beach Local is a reliable bus service used by both locals and tourists. It runs every 10 to 15 minutes and a single tickets costs just £0.15. Alternatively, for travel around the rest of the city, the MetroBus is another option, with fares the same as MetroRail rates at around £2.30 per ride.

Taxis
Taxis are an expensive way to travel in Miami, especially in South Beach, which is regarded as the costliest area for such travel. Rates are re-determined, with fares to beaches and nightclubs typically costing between £20 and £40 for a single journey.

Exploring

South Beach is a strategically located corner of Miami, from where Florida’s largest city can be explored with ease. From here, a series of destinations around the Sunshine State can be explored on daytrips or overnight trips.

Recommended Drives

Fort Lauderdale - Often regarded as part of the greater metropolitan area of Miami, Fort Lauderdale is a popular beach destination with an international airport that is particularly useful for trips around the Caribbean, especially to islands such as Jamaica. It is easily reached via the I-95.

West Palm Beach - Around 30 minutes further north of Fort Lauderdale, on the same road, is West Palm Beach. This town is more popular with domestic tourists than Miami and is often regarded as having better beaches while being a playground for the rich and famous.

Orlando - The 3 hour, 30 minute journey north of South Beach to Orlando is worth the time it takes. Here, families can take their pick between some of the world’s most famous theme parks, with Disney World and Universal Studios among the most highly-regarded. Catching the city's NBA basketball team, the Orlando Magic, in action is a must for sports fans, while shoppers often take advantage of the outlets in the area which offer knock-out prices on brand names.