3D3N in Miami

[yehosaphat]

Hi guys,

I will be travelling to Orlando for a company business trip for 3 days and thereafter planning to extend another 3 days in Miami with some colleagues. Any suggestions on the must go places or must do stuffs?

Below are the high level plans. Any comments? Thanks in advance!!

1) Wed
a. Leave after lunch and arrive Miami around late afternoon (~3hrs drive)
b. Check into hotel and have good dinner, explore beach, surroundings

2) Thurs
a. After breakfast leave for Florida keys (~2hrs drive to seven mile bridge)
b. Stop along the way wherever is interesting
c. Arrive Marathon (seven mile bridge) and lunch there
d. Drive back from Florida keys to Miami and explore Art Deco District
e. Miami for dinner

3) Fri
a. After breakfast leave for Everglades till lunch (~1.5hr drive)
b. Lunch can stop by Little Havana for some Cuban cuisine
c. After lunch drive to Sawmills/Factory Outlet for shopping
d. Dinner in Miami

4) Sat
a. Bye bye

 

[Shiny Things]

OK, your idea's pretty good, but we can make it even better.

First, you'll want to base yourself in Miami Beach generally, and South Beach in particular; Miami proper is a bit meh. Pay up a bit for a room at one of the gorgeous old Art-Deco hotels on Ocean Drive below 15th, or Collins Avenue above 15th (don't go any higher than about 25th, or you're out of South Beach).

On Thursday morning, get up early and have breakfast at the News Cafe (8th and Ocean or thereabouts), then go on the Miami Design Preservation League's Art Deco walk - it's so much better than doing it yourself.

Save yourself from driving all the way out to the outlet malls (which aren't such a bargain anyway - here's a tip, the companies stock the outlet malls with cheaper, crappier versions of their normal products, so you're actually getting ripped off if you go there), and shop on Lincoln Road on Thursday afternoon instead. You can walk there from Ocean Drive; and when you're done on Lincoln Road, head over to the Delano for an evening drink. You've earned it.

If you want Cuban food for dinner, there's no need to drive to Little Havana: Puerto Sagua restaurant is a short walk away, and Yelp loves it.

On Friday, hop in your car and head out along the Keys - but don't stop when you get to Marathon, because the best bit is even further down. Keep going; no, further; further; then, when you reach Key West, stop. Relax. Hang out with the kitty-cats at Ernest Hemingway's house. Climb the lighthouse and feel the cool Caribbean breeze. Take a photo at the southernmost point, just ninety miles from Cuba. Then, when you're done, wander down to Duval Street for dinner and watch the sun set over the waves.

On Saturday morning, there's no need to drive back to Miami: dump the car at Key West International Airport and catch your flight to anywhere. You've had an awesome holiday.

 

[yehosaphat]

Wow thanks for the detailed recommendations bro! Will take a good look at it!

Side question, this is the first time we will be driving in the US. Couple of questions:
1) Do we need an international driving license to drive in US?

2) How is it like driving at the other side of the road? Easy to adjust to the roads and the car as well as now gotta shift gears using right hand Foot pedals should be the same right

3) Last one which is a BIG headache... there are 4 of us so can expect 4 big luggages but we are hoping to rent the Ford Mustangs and Camaros. So we were thinking of renting a SUV to drive from Orlando to Miami, return the SUV there, dump our luggages in hotel, then change to the Mustang. Make sense? Is there a better way to do this?

Thanks again!

 

[Shiny Things]

1) Do we need an international driving license to drive in US?

Nope. Your Singapore license will be fine.

2) How is it like driving at the other side of the road? Easy to adjust to the roads and the car as well as now gotta shift gears using right hand Foot pedals should be the same right

You'll be renting an automatic anyway (it's pretty much impossible to rent a manual here, even if you wanted one), so don't worry about that. Pedals are the same, and once you're on the highways it's an absolute piece of cake to drive. You just need to be a bit careful when you're in town.

Get yourself a GPS, as well.

3) Last one which is a BIG headache... there are 4 of us so can expect 4 big luggages but we are hoping to rent the Ford Mustangs and Camaros. So we were thinking of renting a SUV to drive from Orlando to Miami, return the SUV there, dump our luggages in hotel, then change to the Mustang. Make sense? Is there a better way to do this?

Nnnoooo, that's going to be a huge waste of time - you'd have to dump the luggage, drive to the Hertz, swap the car over, etc etc etc, and you're still running up one-way drop fees. Rent two Mustangs instead.

If you go with the itinerary I suggested, you've only got one pickup (at Orlando) and one drop (at Key West).

Even if you don't, it's going to be a lot easier to rent two Mustangs. They're really not that expensive.

 

[patryn33]

fyi
a mustang cost usd$150 a day (of course after tax and fees a mustang will be ~usd$175 a day) vs a SUV usd$100 if U returning same place.
1 way rental for SUV is usd$160+ a day.

TS U are above 25 right?
note the adrenaline only avail at big location ie airport.

get a Penske GT its like usd$180+ a day or a Merc C63 AMG for usd$262 (mustang is a faster car)!

Fast & Furious down in FL?

 

[Shiny Things]

get a Penske GT its like usd$180+ a day or a Merc C63 AMG for usd$262 (mustang is a faster car)!

Fast & Furious down in FL?

Yeah, the only reason I didn't recommend this is that I don't think you can one-way the Adrenaline collection (or even if you can, the drop fee is going to be ginormous). They rent Porsches and Cadillac CTS-Vs and Corvettes as well.

 

[koxinga]

Fyi parking is a bitch in Miami, especially near the Ocean Drive. My rental actually got towed after a night of hard partying and we parked in the wrong spot. This is the biggest pitfall of getting a rental there. Lack of parking. Even the multi storey carpark not safe. This was what the police told me when i enquired on the location of my car!

My rental was a cheap mazda 3 from the airport. I stayed at Wyndham Gardens along Washington Ave; the further away, cheaper and it is only 2 blocks down from ocean drive. Alternatively, Collins Ave is another good option.

 

[yehosaphat]

Thanks for all your replies. What is adrenaline collection? Is there any recommended car rentals? Or just stick to the hertz and Avis...

Are these sports cars comfortable? Esp mustang?

 

[koxinga]

Personally, it's a case of how much u want to spend for the experience. U wont got far sticking with Avis or Hertz although there are many at the airport. I have only ever tried a old 05 mustang before many yrs ago in LA. I wasn't impressive with the interiors. Engine, cannot remember. Ocean Drive at night is just jammed up precisely because many people just wanna drivr slowly to show off themselves and the cars.

Enjoy Miami, avoid the Bulldogs if u can, but if u want，share with your colleagues. They are one for one. There are also some nice clubs there but queue very long. Strip clubs go full monty and wait for package deals to be announce if lap dances is your thing. If salsa is your thing, many places there too and you experience the real deal there. Oh, no drinking at the beaches!

 

[Shiny Things]

Thanks for all your replies. What is adrenaline collection? Is there any recommended car rentals? Or just stick to the hertz and Avis...

Are these sports cars comfortable? Esp mustang?

Adrenaline Collection is Hertz's brand name for its sports car range.

As for comfort - well, I liked the Corvette so much I bought one. The Mustangs I've had have been pretty good too. The Camaro isn't so great; it's got weirdly high doors, and you sit very low down in it, so it's kind of hard to see out if you're any shorter than about 6'1" (I'm 5'11" and I had trouble looking over my shoulder to change lanes).

There's also going to be Mercs and Porsches and Cadillacs (pro tip: the CTS-V is basically a Cadillac-branded Corvette, and it's apparently absolutely brilliant), but I don't think they'll let you rent those one way.

Oh, and, yeah, when you pick a hotel, make sure it's got parking.

 

[patryn33]

Thanks for all your replies. What is adrenaline collection? Is there any recommended car rentals? Or just stick to the hertz and Avis...

Are these sports cars comfortable? Esp mustang?

Adrenaline collection are those sports car ie mustang etc

Comfortable is really subjective. I don't like lexus IS350 F sport (got to drive it 2-3 mths) seats too hard, then sports car most has hard seat.
Bmx 3 series I find the seat too hard for my liking.

Where I am now to buy sports car means I need 2 veh, 1 for the winter or at least get snow tires. Anyway that's not my style.