Fort Lauderdale airport to Miami Beach, downtown Miami or MIA: train, shuttle, taxi or ride app
From FLL to Miami Beach, downtown Miami or MIA by Brightline, Tri-Rail, taxi or app: what each costs where we could confirm it and where it drops you.
The short version
- To Miami Beach: No train goes there; a taxi or ride app is the direct option.
- Train to downtown: Brightline airport shuttle ($10, +$5 per extra rider) to Fort Lauderdale station, then train to MiamiCentral.
- To MIA: Free shuttle to Tri-Rail at Dania Beach, then Tri-Rail to the Miami Airport station.
- Taxi estimate: Metered; check the current estimate on FLL's ground transportation page.
- Train time: Fort Lauderdale to Miami on Brightline: about 33 minutes.
From FLL, take a taxi or ride app if you are going to Miami Beach with bags, Brightline if you are going to downtown Miami or Brickell, and Tri-Rail if you are connecting to a flight at MIA.
Editor's note
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) is often the cheaper airport for a Miami trip, and the honest catch is the last stretch. Both trains run to downtown Miami or MIA, not to Miami Beach, so with a suitcase and a South Beach hotel the car wins. With a light bag and a hotel in downtown Miami or Brickell, the train is the better deal. Fares change, so treat every number here as what the operators showed in October 2026.
Four ways from FLL to Miami
| Option | From the terminal | Where it drops you | Cost we could confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brightline | Brightline Airport Connector shuttle to Fort Lauderdale station, 101 NW 2nd Ave; daily 7 am to 8 pm | MiamiCentral, 600 NW 1st Ave, downtown Miami; or Aventura, 19796 W Dixie Hwy | Shuttle $10 for the first rider, $5 for each extra rider in the party, with a same-day train ticket; train fare varies by date |
| Tri-Rail | Free shuttle bus from the lower level to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport station at Dania Beach | Miami Airport station at MIA, or Metrorail Transfer for the Green Line | Zone fare, raised 10% on October 1, 2026; $5 weekend flat fare |
| Taxi | Taxi stands outside baggage claim | Door to door | Metered fare; see FLL's ground transportation page for the current estimate |
| Uber or Lyft | Follow the rideshare signs; the app shows the pickup spot | Door to door | The app's price at that moment |
Brightline's own pages list the shuttle stops as Ground Transportation Zone B for Terminals 1 and 4 and Zone F for Terminals 2 and 3; older pages differ, so follow the signs. Broward County says the GTA-2 curbside between Terminals 2 and 3 has been closed since March 2025.
Brightline airport shuttle pages and broward.org airport pages, both read via search because the sites refused fetching; tri-rail.com; checked October 2026
Pick by where you are staying
| South Beach or Mid Beach, with luggage | Taxi or ride app. The train way means Tri-Rail to MIA, then Metrobus 150 to Miami Beach: cheap, but two changes |
| Downtown Miami, Brickell or the cruise port | Brightline to MiamiCentral, then Metromover or a short ride |
| Aventura, Sunny Isles or Hard Rock Stadium | Brightline to Aventura station |
| A connecting flight at MIA | Tri-Rail to the Miami Airport station, then the free MIA Mover to the terminal |
| Arriving after 8 pm | The Brightline shuttle's last run is 8 pm, so plan on a taxi or app |
By train to downtown Miami: how it works
Brightline sells the airport shuttle and the train together. The shuttle runs every day from 7 am to 8 pm and costs $10 for the first rider and $5 for each extra rider in the same party, on a first come, first served walk-up basis, and only with a same-day Brightline train ticket. It takes you to Fort Lauderdale station at 101 NW 2nd Avenue. These details come from Brightline's shuttle pages as returned by search, because gobrightline.com refused direct fetching.
From Fort Lauderdale the train to MiamiCentral takes about 33 minutes, according to the Town of Davie's Brightline page; other guides say 30 to 35. MiamiCentral sits at 600 NW 1st Avenue, in downtown Miami, with Metromover and Metrorail next door.
Until October 31, 2026: Brightline's emails offer $15 one-way SMART fares between Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach on eligible Friday, Saturday and Sunday trains through November 1, 2026, bought by October 31 and at least two hours ahead. After that, check the fare on the app.
By train to MIA: Tri-Rail
Free shuttle buses leave the FLL terminals from the lower level for the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport station at Dania Beach, according to Broward County's airport page. Tri-Rail then runs south to Hialeah, Opa-locka and the Miami Airport station at 3861 NW 21st Street, where the free MIA Mover takes you up to the terminal.
Tri-Rail charges by zone. One-way and round-trip fares went up 10% on October 1, 2026, and the weekend flat fare stayed at $5. Check the exact price on the Tri-Rail site or at the platform machine, and the departure on the Train Tracker, because trains run to a timetable.
For Miami Beach on the cheap, stay on to the Miami Airport station and take Metrobus 150, the Miami Beach Airport Express, which costs $2.25 and runs every 30 minutes, from 6 am to 11:40 pm, according to MIA's public transportation page.
Before you leave baggage claim
- Taxi fares in Broward County are regulated, and FLL calls its numbers estimates; tolls and traffic change the final fare
- The Brightline shuttle is walk-up, first come, first served, so a full shuttle means waiting for the next one
- Buy the Brightline train ticket on the app before you reach the shuttle; the shuttle price applies only with a same-day train fare
- If your terminal's usual pickup curb is closed, follow the signs to the next ground transportation zone
- Tri-Rail ticket machines take cash, debit and credit cards; there is no need for a transit card
- At night, after the shuttles stop, compare the taxi line with the app price before you choose
Questions people ask
How do I get from Fort Lauderdale airport to Miami Beach?
The direct way is a taxi or ride app; taxis run on the meter, so check the current estimate on FLL's ground transportation page. By public transit, take Tri-Rail to the Miami Airport station, then Metrobus 150 to Miami Beach for $2.25.
Is there a train from FLL to Miami?
Yes, two. Brightline runs from Fort Lauderdale station, reached by a $10 airport shuttle, to MiamiCentral in downtown Miami. Tri-Rail runs from the Dania Beach airport station, reached by a free shuttle, to Miami International Airport.
How do I get from Fort Lauderdale airport to Miami International Airport?
Take the free shuttle bus from the FLL lower level to the Tri-Rail station at Dania Beach, ride Tri-Rail to the Miami Airport station, then take the free MIA Mover to the terminal. A taxi is metered; FLL's ground transportation page has the current estimate.
How long is the train from Fort Lauderdale to Miami?
On Brightline, about 33 minutes from Fort Lauderdale station to MiamiCentral, according to the Town of Davie; add the airport shuttle ride and the wait for it.
More guides
Miami airport to South Beach: the $2.25 bus, a taxi or Uber, and the train to BrickellSouth Beach · Airport · Transit · 4 min read
Tri-Rail in Miami: the airport station, the Miami-Dade stops, tickets and the October 2026 faresTri rail · Transit · 4 min read
Train from Miami to Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach: Brightline or Tri-RailDowntown · Brightline · Tri rail · 4 min readBrightline shuttle price, hours and zones, station addresses and the $15 weekend offer from gobrightline.com and Brightline emails as returned by search (direct fetch refused); FLL Tri-Rail shuttle, GTA-2 closure and taxi estimates from broward.org as returned by search (HTTP 403); Fort Lauderdale to Miami time from davie-fl.gov via search; Tri-Rail from tri-rail.com and the SFRTA June 2026 agenda; Metrobus 150 from miami-airport.com; checked October 2026.