Getting Around

Driving is the most practical way to get around Miami. Though the safety warnings handed to visitors as they pick up their rental cars can make unnerving reading, the much publicized tourist-targeted car-jackings of the early 1990s are now no more of an issue here than in any major city. Watch out for road signs marked with an orange sun on a blue background; they identify the most useful routes to the main attractions. Tourist police patrol in cars with the same logo.

With a lot of time and patience, it is possible to make your way around Miami on public transportation run by Metro-Dade Transit (tel 305/770-3131 or for route information). Metrorail trains (5am-midnight) run, slowly, along a single line between the northern suburbs and South Miami; useful stops are Government Center (for downtown), Coconut Grove, and Douglas Road or University (for Coral Gables). Single-journey fares are $1.25. Downtown Miami is also ringed by the Metromover (5.30am-midnight; flat fare 25¢), a monorail that doesn't cover much ground but gives a great bird's-eye view. Metrobuses cover the entire city, but services dwindle at night; the flat-rate single-journey fare is $1.25, with a 25¢ surcharge for transfers. Route maps and timetables for all Metro-Dade Transit services can be had at Government Center Station, and at the Metrorail station at NW First Avenue & First Street.

Taxis are abundant; try Central Cab (tel 305/532-5555) or Metro Taxi (tel 305/888-8888). Otherwise, get the free Miami on Two Wheels leaflet from the CVB and rent a bike from one of the many outlets, such as the Miami Beach Cycle Center, 601 5th St (Mon-Sat 10am-7pm, Sat & Sun 10am-5pm; tel 305/531-4161). For an informed stroll, take one of Dr Paul George's Walking Tours from the Historical Museum of South Florida (no tours July & Aug; $37; tel 305/375-1621, ). Or, try the various excellent Art Deco walking tours of South Beach (Thurs at 6.30pm & Sat at 10.30am; $10), which begin at the Miami Design Preservation League Welcome Center on Ocean Drive. The latter also offers a self-guided audio walking tour of the district (daily 10am-4pm; 1hr-1hr 15min; $5).