MIA vs. FLL

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Thanks, all!
We'll be flying in and driving down to Key Largo to stay.
Anyone know what time the cruise ships typically dock in the morning, or know their schedule?

It depends on the port and the ship, but the ones I’ve been on dock really early in the morning and debark passengers and start turning rooms around by 9 am so that they can start boarding passengers by 11 am, even though rooms might not all be ready by 2 pm, for a sailing time of 4 pm. I don’t remember what the latest boarding time is, but there is a significant amount of time spent in the terminal with checking in bags, going through security, and checking in with tickets, passports, and room keys.
 
MIA is huge, but the only problem I’ve had there is distance between gates if connecting. For drive to the Keys, tho’ I’d prefer MIA. Much closer. Traffic in the FLLL-MIA area can be PITA. For some reason, I’ve always had problems renting cars at FLL. Lost reservations, dirty cars, charges for insurance I declined....
 
If you were making this choice based on where you need to make a connection, then FLL is the better option. You are not making that choice, however, and MIA to Key Largo is super close, so use MIA if the airfares are close. FLL is better, but the extra driving in Florida traffic and distance evens things out IMHO.

Before you go, get a Florida toll transponder for your rental car. Otherwise, you will pay a ridiculous amount of money to the rental car company for tolls. You can pick up transponders up in local stores too, but you will need to do so before you get on the Florida Turnpike.

Also, be sure to get a Cubano Sandwich in the airport. They are yummy.
 
Thanks, all!
We'll be flying in and driving down to Key Largo to stay.
Anyone know what time the cruise ships typically dock in the morning, or know their schedule?

Ships usually start arriving around 3am and continue to arrive until around 5am. First passengers typically start self departure around 6am. Were you trying to watch the ships come into port?
 
Just going to Keys I would always go with MIA. The drive from FLL sucks worse than flying into MIA. :)
 
I've done both and generally pick based on airfare cost and arrival/departure times. Of the 2, I find FLL easier to pick up and drop of the rental car, but MIA is like 45 mins less driving.
 
I have multiple direct flights into FLL both going and returning at various times in the day and only one to MIA so I prefer FLL for trip planning.
 
I like the FLL airport a bit better in a general sense, but I like MIA's rental car situation a lot better.

I fly Delta and in FLL you have to catch a shuttle bus to the rental car facility. The bus might be at the curb when you exit the terminal or you may have to wait 20+ minutes in blazing, concrete reflecting heat, for the bus to arrive. Its worse returning, I've nearly missed my flight home several times after dropping off the rental car and then waiting for a long delayed shuttle bus.

In MIA, you take air conditioned moving walkways followed by an air conditioned train that runs every couple of minutes. Its way more convenient if you're flying on Delta.

If your going to the Keys, either works fine. If your going to WPB or Jupiter, I'd fly into FLL or better yet, PBI.
 
I like the FLL airport a bit better in a general sense, but I like MIA's rental car situation a lot better.

I fly Delta and in FLL you have to catch a shuttle bus to the rental car facility. The bus might be at the curb when you exit the terminal or you may have to wait 20+ minutes in blazing, concrete reflecting heat, for the bus to arrive. Its worse returning, I've nearly missed my flight home several times after dropping off the rental car and then waiting for a long delayed shuttle bus.

In MIA, you take air conditioned moving walkways followed by an air conditioned train that runs every couple of minutes. Its way more convenient if you're flying on Delta.

If your going to the Keys, either works fine. If your going to WPB or Jupiter, I'd fly into FLL or better yet, PBI.

Have you not flown out of fll recently? I live in ft Lauderdale and fly out often. I just returned last week and I’ll be leaving again a week and a half from now. The rental car terminal is directly across from the terminals connected by walking paths. You do not need to take a shuttle anywhere. Unless your using one of the major off brands in which case yes you’d have to leave. If your with any of the top tier rental companies they are located directly at the airport. The car return is also located in the parking garage directly across from all three terminals since they are in a U shape building wise surrounding the parking garage which houses the rental cars.

Secondly if your driving to the keys or key largo for that matter in no instance is it ever shorter or more convenient to drive from FLL. I see your in palm beach so maybe you don’t make it down here that often but I fly out of both fll and Mia on a consistent basis and drive from ft Lauderdale to Miami and the keys regularly.
 
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For reference here is a map of FLL terminals. You can clearly see the walking paths connecting all arrivals terminals to the rental car facility.
 
https://xf2.scubaboard.com/community/forums/cave-diving.45/

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