I found a car useful for exploring the two cities.
Miami sprawls and Miami Beach stretches, and aside
from rush hours, the traffic never chokes. Bring
plenty of quarters for the meters, however. Or, in
Miami Beach, purchase a debit card (widely
available). It fits neatly into a meter slot and
gives up its value in 25-cent increments until you
pull it out.
Bus routes (Metrobus) and elevated trains (Metrorail)
cover much of Metropolitan Dade County. Both types
of conveyance charge $1.25, plus 25 cents for a
transfer. Around downtown, the driverless and
completely automated Metromover elevated (two bits)
stops handily at several locations and connects with
buses and trains.
Flat rate taxi fares from the airport to downtown
and beach locations range from $18 to $41, depending
upon the destination. In town, it's $1.50 for the
first quarter-mile and 25 cents for each additional
1/8 mile, or $3 for the first mile and $2 for each
mile thereafter.
Bicycles and in-line skaters sometimes dominate
the South Beach routes, but pedestrians still find
places to stroll. Some visitors prefer to glide up
and down Ocean Drive in exotic cars. On busy
evenings, however, yellow traffic lights will flash.
That means, "No cruising allowed."
