MIAMI WITHOUT A CAR: IS IT ACTUALLY POSSIBLE? MY HONEST GUIDE

If you’re wondering if you can visit Miami without a car, the answer is absolutely yes! We’ve visited Miami quite a few times, sometimes with a car and sometimes without one, so I can give you a pretty objective answer!

Miami is a large and spread-out city, so visiting without a car does require a little more planning than in some other U.S. cities. However, there are only a few areas where you’ll probably spend most of your time, and between walking, public transportation, and Uber or Lyft, you can actually get around surprisingly easily.

In this guide, I’ll cover how to get around Miami without a car, the best neighbourhoods to stay in, how to get from Miami Airport, which attractions are easy to visit without driving, and whether renting a car actually makes sense for your trip!

QUICK ANSWER: DO YOU NEED A CAR IN MIAMI?

No, you don’t need a car if you’re mainly visiting Miami’s central tourist areas. If you’re staying in South Beach, Brickell, or Downtown Miami, you can walk to many restaurants, attractions, and shops and use public transportation or Uber/Lyft for everything else.

I’d especially recommend going car-free if you’re only staying in Miami for a few days, because everything you need to see will be within reach anyway. Parking is expensive (we paid around $25 per day on South Beach) and annoying to find, and there are plenty of situations where you’ll spend more time looking for a parking spot than you would have spent getting there another way.

However, if you’re staying far outside the main tourist areas or planning lots of day trips around South Florida, having a car can be much more convenient. The first time we visited, we had a lot of day trips planned, and honestly, we really couldn’t have done all of them without a car.

CAN YOU VISIT MIAMI WITHOUT A CAR?

Yes, and for many visitors, I actually think it’s a better option. You just need to understand that Miami isn’t one of those cities where you can walk absolutely everywhere. Trust me, we tried. It’s huge, and the different neighbourhoods are quite spread out.

If you stay somewhere like South Beach, you can walk to the beach, Ocean Drive, the Art Deco Historic District, Lincoln Road, Española Way, and countless restaurants and bars. For a 3–4 day trip, you don’t even have to leave South Beach, so pretty much everything you do can be done on foot or by bike.

If you stay in Brickell or Downtown Miami, you’ll have excellent access to Metrorail and Metromover, so you can easily explore the city without driving. To get to Miami Beach or Key Biscayne, you can simply use Uber or Lyft.

Just make sure you don’t choose a hotel in a remote area because it’s cheaper and then assume you’ll easily be able to get everywhere by public transportation. You might save money on accommodation, but you’ll spend considerably more time and money getting around, so you haven’t really saved anything.

IS MIAMI EASY TO GET AROUND WITHOUT A CAR?

It really depends on where you’re staying. South Beach is probably the easiest part of Miami for a car-free vacation, but Downtown and Brickell are also very convenient thanks to the city’s rail systems. Here’s how you can get around, and I’ll share what we actually used and what we didn’t!

WALKING

If you’re staying in South Beach, walking will probably be your main form of transportation. This is one of the reasons I recommend South Beach so highly for a first visit and why we always stay there. You can easily spend an entire day without needing any transportation at all.

You can walk from the beach to Ocean Drive, explore the Art Deco buildings, stop for lunch, walk along Española Way, do some shopping around Lincoln Road, and then head back to the beach. If we really don’t feel like walking to somewhere like South Pointe Pier or North Beach, we just rent Citi Bikes and cycle around Miami Beach.

It’s also very easy to walk around much of Brickell and Downtown Miami, but these neighbourhoods are very modern. You get more of a New York or London feeling than that cute, beachy neighbourhood atmosphere you get in South Beach. Depending on when you’re visiting, it can get really hot and humid, so you won’t always feel like walking everywhere. But on days when the weather is comfortable, I definitely recommend it!

METRORAIL

Miami-Dade’s Metrorail is the main elevated rail system connecting parts of Miami and Miami-Dade County. Honestly, it doesn’t cover that much ground, but if you’re staying in or around Downtown or Brickell and want to travel further into the city, it can be very useful. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take you to Miami Beach.

For example, you can use Metrorail to get from Miami Airport to Brickell or Downtown, or travel from the city to places like Vizcaya Museum & Gardens or Coconut Grove. Metrorail rides are quite cheap, starting at $2.25, while the daily fare cap is $5.65. That’s obviously much cheaper than renting a car, but since Metrorail doesn’t cover that much ground, you’ll probably need to combine it with other public transportation or Uber/Lyft.

METROMOVER

If you’re staying around Downtown Miami or Brickell, you can use the Metromover. However, I don’t find it that useful because there aren’t that many attractions you can reach with it. It is completely free, which is a huge plus, and you can use it to get to places like Bayside Marketplace, Bayfront Park, and the museums around Omni from Brickell, for example. If you’re staying in Brickell, it’s convenient to have, but otherwise there honestly isn’t that much use for it.

METROBUS

The Metrobus network covers a lot of Miami, and while it’s not the most exciting way to get around, it’s actually one of the most useful ones. There are so many different lines that you can get pretty much anywhere in Miami by bus.

We used Metrobus to get from Miami Airport to Miami Beach after returning our rental car, but you can also use it to get from Miami Beach to Downtown Miami and vice versa, as well as to Key Biscayne, Dolphin Mall, Little Havana, and many other places.

The standard Metrobus fare is currently $2.25, so it’s very affordable. It can take a bit longer than Uber or driving, but if you’re not renting a car and don’t want to spend a lot on taxis, buses will definitely get the job done!

MIAMI BEACH TROLLEY

If you’re staying in Miami Beach, you can take advantage of the free trolley. Miami Beach has several free trolley routes, including the South Beach Loop, Middle Beach Loop, Collins Express, and North Beach Loop. The trolley operates seven days a week, generally from 8 AM to 11 PM, with service every 20 minutes or so on each route.

This is really useful if you want to get around Miami Beach without walking everywhere. We didn’t use it since we mostly walked or biked, but if it’s really hot and you don’t want to do either of those, the trolley can definitely save you!

UBER & LYFT

Finally, my favorite solution when public transportation just doesn’t make sense is definitely Uber or Lyft. Sometimes a $10–$20 rideshare is simply worth it! For example, if you’re tired after spending several hours sightseeing, travelling with luggage, or trying to get somewhere that would require two different buses, I’d just take an Uber.

We actually had a situation where we decided to bike and walk from Miami Beach to Little Havana. Honestly, terrible idea because it’s really far, and I’d never do that again. Paying $20 to get back from Little Havana to South Beach felt like paying $2 just so I didn’t have to walk or bike anymore!

I think walking + public transportation + the occasional Uber/Lyft is the easiest way to visit Miami without a car, and it’s still nowhere near as expensive as renting a car and paying for parking everywhere.

WHERE TO STAY IN MIAMI WITHOUT A CAR

This is probably the most important part of planning a car-free trip to Miami. You need to stay somewhere where you can walk and/or use public transportation, and I’d say there are four main areas worth considering: South Beach, Mid-Beach, Brickell, and Downtown Miami.

South Beach is best for first-time visitors and travellers who want the classic Miami experience. You have the beach, Ocean Drive, the Art Deco Historic District, Lincoln Road, Española Way, restaurants, bars, and nightlife all within a relatively small area. You can spend days here without needing a car. South Beach is definitely the most expensive option, but it’s also the easiest and most fun if you don’t want to spend money on transportation.

Brickell is completely different from South Beach. It’s modern, urban, and full of high-rise buildings, restaurants, bars, and shopping. This is a great place to stay if you like the modern side of Miami and don’t want to rent a car because you have access to Metrorail and Metromover. The biggest disadvantage is obvious, though – you’re not staying on the beach!

Downtown Miami is best for sightseeing and access to public transportation. You also have the Metromover here, so getting around the Downtown area is very easy, and you’re close to places like Bayfront Park and Bayside Marketplace. For me, Downtown makes more sense for someone who wants to explore Miami as a city rather than spend most of their vacation at the beach, so decide what your priority is.

Finally, if you’re looking for a quieter beach vacation, you might want to skip busy South Beach and stay in Mid-Beach. You’ll have the beach right there, and Miami Beach’s trolley system will help you move around and easily get to South Beach if you don’t want to walk.

BEST AREAS TO STAY IN MIAMI WITHOUT A CAR

Area + Hotel rec	Walkability	Public Transportation	Beach Access	Best For
South Beach Esme Hotel	Excellent	Very good	Excellent	First-time visitors
Brickell Hyatt Centric	Excellent	Excellent	Limited	City + restaurants
Downtown The Elser	Very good	Excellent	Limited	Sightseeing + transit
Mid-Beach Riu Plaza	Very good	Good	Excellent	Quieter beach vacation

My personal pick would obviously be South Beach, and my second option would be Mid-Beach. I personally find Brickell and Downtown a bit boring, and you can always grab an Uber for a day and go explore that part of the city.

HOW TO GET FROM MIAMI AIRPORT WITHOUT A CAR

One of the best things about visiting Miami without a car is that you don’t have to rent one as soon as you land, because Miami International Airport is connected to the city’s public transportation network. You can reach Downtown or Brickell with the Orange Line Metrorail, and Miami Beach with the Miami Beach Airport Express Bus 150 or Uber/Lyft.

We used the bus and it was an easy and cheap option, it just takes longer than the other options. We also took a regular taxi, which was around $40–50, so that was much more comfortable but also much more expensive. I think Uber or Lyft can be more affordable, but when we tried it, the wait time was too long for us.

CAN YOU VISIT MIAMI’S MAIN ATTRACTIONS WITHOUT A CAR?

Yes, but some are much easier than others, so it really depends what you’d like to see. 

South Beach

Very easy without a car, and this is probably the easiest major Miami attraction to explore without any transportation at all. You can either stay in Miami Beach or grab a bus/Uber to South Beach and then easily spend your time walking or biking around. No need for a car at all!

Little Havana

Easy enough without a car. I already said we biked and walked from Miami Beach to Calle Ocho, and I definitely wouldn’t recommend that, especially in the heat. Just take the bus or an Uber instead. You don’t need a car once you arrive either. The main area around Calle Ocho is relatively compact, so you can easily walk between the restaurants, Cuban bakeries, cigar shops, and other attractions.

Downtown Miami

Very easy without a car. If you’re staying in Downtown Miami or Brickell, you can either walk or use the Metromover to get where you need to go for free, and Metrorail provides additional connections. That means you can explore places like Bayfront Park, Bayside Marketplace, and the streets around Downtown Miami without worrying about parking. If you’re coming from Miami Beach, just take a bus or an Uber. Even cycling is quite nice, but walking around afterwards might get a bit tiring.

Brickell

Very easy without a car because it’s highly walkable and well connected to the rest of Downtown Miami. You can walk around Brickell City Centre, explore restaurants and bars, and use Metromover or Metrorail when you want to go farther. If you’re staying in Brickell, this is one of the easiest parts of Miami to experience without renting a car. If you’re coming from Miami Beach, just grab a bus or an Uber.

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

Vizcaya is south of Downtown Miami, so you can easily reach it if you’re staying in Brickell or Downtown Miami. However, if you’re staying in Miami Beach, Uber is definitely your best option, because everything else is either too complicated or just takes way too long.

BEST DAY TRIPS FROM MIAMI WITHOUT A CAR

You can also do quite a few day trips from Miami without renting a car, but you’ll have to spend some money on organized tours for certain locations because public transportation isn’t the best. Honestly, if you’re planning on doing day trips, I’d spend 2–3 days in Miami without a car and then rent one for a day or two for your day trips. That way you get the best of both worlds. You don’t have to deal with parking in Miami, but you’ll still have the flexibility and independence to explore South Florida.

Key West

Key West is my favourite day trip from Miami if you can’t stay longer. If you can, I’d say stay 2–3 days, but even though it’s a tiring day trip because it’s quite far, it’s absolutely worth it. And yes, you can visit Key West without a car.

You can either book a bus ticket to Key West and back or book an organized day tour from Miami that includes transportation. I think this can be a fun day trip, but be aware that you’ll spend a lot of time driving there and back.

If you do have a car, you can at least decide where to stop along the way and make more of a road trip out of it. We did a day trip by car and a weekend trip also by car, and the weekend one was definitely less exhausting. So while you can visit Key West without a car, I still vote for having a car in this case.

Everglades

Everglades is an incredibly fun experience, and you can absolutely do it without a car by booking an organized tour that takes you from Miami to the Everglades. These tours often include the entrance tickets and airboat ride as well. We personally did it with a car, and that’s what I prefer, but if you’re only planning to visit the Everglades, it’s cheaper and easier to book a tour than to rent a car just for this.

Fort Lauderdale

This is one of the easiest car-free day trips from Miami, and I’d definitely recommend it because Fort Lauderdale is lovely! South Florida actually has intercity rail connections, and Brightline currently connects Miami with Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando.

Any of those places can be a great day trip, but I found Fort Lauderdale really fun and charming, so that’s the one I’d recommend the most. Once you get there, you can do pretty much everything on foot, so the only transportation you really need is getting to the Miami train station where Brightline runs from!

SHOULD YOU RENT A CAR IN MIAMI?

If you’re planning on taking several day trips and exploring the surrounding area of South Florida, then yes, I’d rent a car. But don’t rent it for your entire stay in Miami, just rent one on the days you actually need it for day trips. You really don’t need a car in the city. If you’re not planning on doing day trips from Miami, you don’t need a car at all!

IS MIAMI WITHOUT A CAR CHEAPER?

It can be, and this is another reason I wouldn’t rent a car just because you think you should. When you rent a car, you’re not only paying the daily rental rate. You also need to consider rental insurance, gas, tolls, parking, hotel parking fees, potential airport rental fees, and even the time you’ll spend dealing with traffic.

If you don’t rent a car, you’ll need to budget for Metrorail, buses, Uber/Lyft, and tours. Of course, if you’re taking Uber everywhere, you can quickly erase those savings. However, if you combine walking, public transportation, and the occasional Uber, you’ll likely save quite a bit of money.

FAQS ABOUT VISITING MIAMI WITHOUT A CAR

Can you visit Miami without renting a car?

Yes. Miami is absolutely possible without a rental car, especially if you stay in South Beach, Brickell or Downtown Miami. Walking, Metrorail, Metromover, buses, the Miami Beach Trolley and Uber/Lyft give you plenty of options.

What is the best area to stay in Miami without a car?

South Beach is in my opinion the best choice for most first-time visitors because many attractions, restaurants and the beach are within walking distance. Brickell is another excellent option if public transportation and exploring the city are more important to you, but I find it a bit boring.

Is Miami a walkable city?

Parts of Miami are very walkable, but Miami as a whole is not a completely walkable city. South Beach, Brickell and parts of Downtown are much easier to explore on foot than the wider Miami metropolitan area.

Is South Beach walkable?

Yes. South Beach is one of the easiest areas of Miami to explore without a car. You can walk between the beach, Ocean Drive, the Art Deco Historic District, Lincoln Road and Española Way.If you don’t want to walk, I recommend grabbing a Citi Bike and cycling.

How do I get from Miami Airport to South Beach without a car?

You can use public transportation, including the Miami Beach Airport Express 150, or take an Uber, Lyft or taxi. The best option depends on where your hotel is and how much luggage you have.

Is Uber expensive in Miami?

It can be, especially during busy periods. However, using Uber occasionally instead of renting a car can still make financial sense once you consider rental costs, gas and parking.

Can you visit the Everglades without a car?

Yes. For most visitors, I would recommend booking an organized tour from Miami rather than trying to piece together public transportation yourself. I do have to say that we really enjoyed going there ourselves with a car, so if you really like being flexible you can rent a car for a day or two!

Can you visit Key West without a car?

Yes. An organized day trip from Miami is one of the easiest options if you don’t have a car. Once you arrive in Key West, many of the main attractions can be explored without driving. However, you’ll spend a long time on the bus there and back, so I’d recommend staying for a night there. You don’t need a car in Key West. You can rent a bike if you want to, which we absolutely loved, and you can simply book bus tickets to get there and back!

Is Brickell a good place to stay without a car?

Yes. Brickell is one of the best areas in Miami for a car-free trip because it’s walkable and you have access to Metrorail and Metromover. However, I find it quite boring, so I’d definitely suggest South Beach over Brickell.

Do you need a car in Miami for a 3-day trip?

No. For a three-day trip, I would generally skip the rental car if you’re staying in South Beach, Brickell, or Downtown. You’ll probably find that walking, public transportation, and a few Uber rides are all you need. If you plan on doing several day trips, then maybe consider it!

CONCLUSION: MY RECOMMENDATION FOR VISITING MIAMI WITHOUT A CAR

If you’re asking me whether I would rent a car for a typical first trip to Miami, my answer is probably no. I’d choose my hotel carefully (I’d stay on South Beach!) and then use a combination of walking, public transportation, and Uber.

If you really want to do day trips like the Everglades or Key West, I’d book a tour rather than renting a car just for those trips. If you plan on exploring more, like Key Largo or Fort Lauderdale, try to calculate how much public transportation and tours would cost, and then figure out if you’d be better off with a rental car for those few days.

Ultimately, Miami without a car is absolutely possible. You just need to choose the right neighbourhood and accept that you’ll occasionally use a rideshare. For a 3- or 4-day Miami trip, I think going car-free can actually make your vacation easier, cheaper, and more relaxing!