Getting Around South Beach - Local Bus, Walking, Bike Hire, Driving and Parking

South Beach Local Bus

South Beach is a compact area, easy to get around walking, but there's also a very cheap local bus, or you could hire a bike.

What isn't easy is parking, so driving isn't recommended if you can avoid it.

Leave Your car at the Hotel
If you're staying outside the South Beach area, perhaps in another area of Miami Beach, leave your car at the hotel and take one of the frequent buses which run up and down Collins Avenue, or sometimes the parallel avenues when going south.

Once you've found are parking spot at the hotel, don't risk losing it, because when you get to South Beach you'll find parking difficult or expensive – sometimes both.

Walking Distances
It's about a 45-minute walk from the northern part of South Beach, by 23rd Street, to South Pointe Park at the southernmost extreme, or maybe an hour if you take the path by the ocean.

Crossing the island at the widest point will take about half an hour, for example from the ocean at the eastern end of Lincoln Road to Maurice Gibb Park, named after the Bee Gees singer because of his Miami Beach connections.

Where to Get Maps and Information
Free maps are available at hotels or tourist information offices, but not all of them include the route of the South Beach Local bus. Many hotels have maps and leaflets on display, so you can just walk in and pick one up, even if you're not staying at the hotel.

You'll see “tourist information” signs all over the place in South Beach, but most of them are commercial agencies which will try to sell you tours.

The best places for information are:

• Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Drive (by 10th Street)
• Latin Chamber of Commerce, 510 Lincoln Road (behind Miami Beach Community Church, a block from Washington Avenue)
• Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center, Hall C, 1901 Convention Center Drive (in the Convention Center – closes at 4pm)

Online Maps of Bus Routes
For a map of the South Beach Local bus route, search online for Miami-Dade Transit route 123. It might be a good idea to do this at home and print a copy for each member of your party.

Don't download the map on the City of Miami Beach website, as it's out of date and doesn't show the extended route via 23rd Street. Some of the maps in tourist information offices are also out of date.

If you want route map or schedule for other buses, search online for Miami-Dade Metrobus and scroll down for the number or letter that you want (these are given below).

Online Numbers Which Don't Appear on Buses
Lettered routes are preceded in the online list by a number which doesn't appear on the bus, and most people don't know exists. These numbers also appear in addition to the letter when doing a Google Transit search for directions.

South Beach Local Bus
This bus is a real bargain, costing only 25 cents (exact money, no one-cent coins). Buses run every 12 minutes during the day and every 20 minutes in the evening, in the South Beach area only, in both a clockwise and an anticlockwise direction.

Don't expect hotel or restaurant staff to know anything about the local buses. Most of them drive to work and only know the route home by car.

Local Bus Route Circular with Twists and Turns
It's best to have a map available to follow this description of the route, which is basically circular, but with a few twists and turns at the northern end, and a break where you have to change buses, again at the northern end.

Neither of these points is likely to bother you if you're on holiday, as you're most likely to be using the bus on or near the Washington Avenue stretch.

A Few Stops Where Buses Go in Two Directions
One point to bear in mind is that there are stops where the buses can be either on the clockwise or the anticlockwise route. These are in the northern part of the route, around 23rd Street. Tell the driver where you're going before getting on.

Break in Route at Publix Supermarket
The terminus is at the northwest of the route, by a Publix supermarket on West Avenue (not the Publix on 6th Street or the one on Dade Boulevard). This is where the buses start on both the clockwise route and the anticlockwise one, and if you want to continue in the same direction at this point you need to change buses and pay again.

Other Buses in Miami Beach
There is a flat-rate fare of $2 for most other buses passing through South Beach (exact money only, no change given) while the airport bus costs $2.35.

Here are the other buses you're likely to use – all of which stop at Lincoln Road – arranged by the main avenues and areas within South Beach served (and showing main destinations outside South Beach):

• Most of Washington Avenue south of Lincoln Road – C bus and 120 limited stop bus (C Mount Sinai Hospital and 41st Street to Downtown Miami; 120 Aventura Mall or Haulover Beach and northern Miami Beach to Downtown Miami)
• Most of of Alton Road south of Lincoln Road – S and M buses (S Aventura Mall and northern Miami Beach to Downtown Miami; M Mount Sinai Hospital and 41st Street to Omni Bus Terminal and Metromover Station)
• South Pointe – the M bus also passes through South Pointe, going to and from the Omni Bus Terminal
• Collins Avenue north of Lincoln Road – C, L, M, S, 120 limited stop and 150 buses (L starts at Lincoln Road; L, S and 120 pass through northern Miami Beach; C and M go to Mount Sinai Hospital via 41st Street; 150 is the Airport Flyer to Miami International Airport, from 16th Street, with three stops on 41st Street)
• Venetian Causeway – the A bus (to Omni Bus Terminal and Metromover Station, starts at Lincoln Road)

Bike Hire
DecoBike is a bike-rental system will allows you to hire at one place and leave the bike at another. There are 60 stations, in operation 24 hours. Instructions are available at each station and you can pay with a debit or credit card.

For full-day bike hire, other companies could work out cheaper, for example:

• Miami Beach Bicycle Center – 601 5th Street (off Washington Avenue)
• Bike and Roll – 210 l0th Street (off Collins Avenue)
• Rolling Bees Bike Rental – 1655 James Avenue (off Lincoln Road)

Check whether locks and helmets are provided and expect to pay a deposit in case of loss or damage.

Fines for Cycling on Wooden Boardwalk
The wooden boardwalk is strictly off-limits for cyclists, with a $500 fine for breaking this local ordnance and security guards patrolling to enforce it. Even pushing a bike is prohibited.

Parking in South Beach
If you really have to drive to South Beach, there are three parking possibilities:

• Parking Meters – But if you don't return to feed the meter you'll probably get a ticket.
• Off-street Parking – This can be horribly expensive, depending on the day, time and if there's a special event or holiday.
• Valet Parking – The car is driven to the car park. Usually expensive, but sometimes there's no alternative.

Residents-only Parking Zones
Be careful you don't park in one of the residents-only parking zones, which are marked by signs, but sometimes only at either end of the parking zone. If you park in one of these areas you stand a very good chance of being towed.

The Best Transport Combination
South Beach is a good area for walking, which is the best option, combined with the South Beach Local bus for short distances plus maybe DecoBike for 30-minute bike rides.

South Beach Directions in Google Transit
For directions in South Beach and elsewhere in Miami Beach and Miami click in the Google Transit link in the right-hand sidebar of this blog.

If you need help using Google Transit see the following post: Directions in Miami - Walking, Driving, Bike, Buses & Trains.