edit Miami Travel Guide

• Get your tan on the shores of South Beach: A  trip to to Miamiwould not be complete without going to its beautiful beach. You will be able to find food and drink concession stands; rent beach chairs and umbrellas; find restrooms and shower facilities; walking trails; volleyball; rent watersports; and feel protected with lifeguards and beach patrol.
• Pamper yourself at one of the many Spas: Nothing beats relaxation and what better way to do it then to visit a spa while staying at Miam.
• Party all night.  The city is known to to have some of the hottest nightlife in the entire world.  Whether its enjoying a Mojito at a lounge or getting your dance on in one of the many clubs, theres pleanty to do when the sun goes down.

Culture

The local Latin population is mostly Cuban exiles (which have now become second and third generation locals) with South Americans from various countries gaining ground. There is also a large Haitian community as well, and many signs and public announcements are in English, Spanish and Creole. There are many other Caribbean groups in the community; most of them are originally from the Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, or the Virgin Islands.

Language

Miami has the largest Latin American population outside of Latin America itself, with nearly 65% of its populace either Latin American or of Latin American ancestry. Spanish is a language often used for day-to-day discourse in many places, although English is the language of preference, especially when dealing with businesses and government and one will find that almost all locals speak English to a comfortable if not fluent level. Despite this, it is not at all uncommon to encounter a local who does not speak English at all, though this is usually centered amongst shops and restaurants in residential communities and not generally the case in large tourist areas or the downtown district. Even when encountering a local who does not speak English, one could easily find another local to help with translation if needed without much effort, since most of the population is fluently bilingual. In certain neighborhoods, such as Little Havana and Hialeah, most locals will address a person first in Spanish, then in English, rather than the other way around. Many times, although someone may speak English, their preference will be to speak Spanish and will resist speaking to one in English. The simplest way to get treated in English is to use the "approach rule", where most locals will only respond in the language they were summoned in, unless they are not able to speak it, this rule can be used on anyone whether or not they were originally speaking Spanish, English, or any other language. "Spanglish", a mixture of English and Spanish, is a somewhat common occurrence (but less so than in the American southwest), with bilingual locals switching between English and Spanish mid-sentence, and occasionally replacing a common English word for its Spanish equivalent.

Haitian Creole is another language where the above applies, and it is not uncommon for a person to hear a conversation in Creole when riding public transportation or sitting at a restaurant. Unlike Spanish, Haitian Creole is generally centered amongst the Haitian neighborhoods in the North of the city and most Haitians are more adapted to English than their Hispanic neighbors. Portuguese and French are other languages that many be encountered, though they tend to be spoken mainly around tourist areas and most speakers of these languages have adapted to English as well.  

By plane

Miami International Airport (IATA: MIA) is located just west of the city in an unincorporated, suburban area. It is an important hub for traffic between North America and Latin America: Spanish is just as likely to be understood as English. The international traffic makes MIA a large and congested place. Be sure to allow extra time when departing MIA, particularly if flying internationally, as you may face an hour-long line just to check your bags. Curbside check-in is an excellent idea.

The predominant carrier at MIA is American Airlines, which has direct flights to most major cities in the Americas and several European cities as well. European and Latin carriers are well-represented at MIA, although the airport has no direct service to Asia, Africa or Oceania.

Fort Lauderdale International Airport (IATA: FLL) is 25-40 minutes north of Miami proper, depending on traffic, and does not have nearly as many international routes. However, it is smaller and less trafficked than MIA, making customs, immigration and security much easier. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and other low-cost carriers generally use FLL instead of MIA, making FLL a cheaper alternative in many cases as well.

While public transport is available to MIA and FLL, it is not a realistic option for someone arriving with luggage and no knowledge of the area. Your best option is to take a taxi from the airport, or rent a car. MIA's car rental facilities are scattered around the airport and connected to the terminal by shuttle buses: FLL's facilities are more conveniently located in the parking garage adjacent to the terminals. 

By train

Amtrak's Silver Service operates two trains daily to Miami from New York, Washington DC and other eastern seaboard cities. The ride from New York is about 24 hours but is often subject to delays, as Amtrak uses poorer-quality freight lines south of Washington and must cope with slow freight trains along the way.

By car

There are three main highways coming into Miami. I-95 runs along the Atlantic coast of the United States and terminates in Miami. I-75 comes in from the midwestern US and runs through Atlanta and Tampa before terminating in Miami. Florida's Turnpike is a toll road mainly useful for those driving in from Orlando. The only southbound route from Miami is US 1, which runs through the Florida Keys all the way to Key West.

By bus

By boat

By Car

Unless you plan to stay downtown or in a single location elsewhere, you will find that a car is a major convenience in Miami, and car rentals are cheap in comparison to other major US cities.

Surface roads in Miami are usually easy to navigate. The area's roads are designed around a grid system, where most roads are numbered based on their distance from the city center. Addresses also conform to the numbering of the roads around them. For instance, "9500 NW 30th Street" would be by the intersection of 30th Street and 95th Road, about 95 blocks west and 30 blocks north of the city center.

Note that if you cross into Broward County, the roads will be numbered based on their distance from the Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood city center, which is generally the same going east-west but will be very different going north-south. Some street names also change at the county line. The coastline highway, A1A, is known as "Collins Avenue" in Miami but becomes "Ocean Drive" in Broward. Likewise, "Red Road" in Miami becomes "University Drive" in Broward.

Miami has four primary expressways. I-95 runs north from downtown Miami to Fort Lauderdale and points beyond. 836 (also known as the Dolphin) runs west from downtown Miami, along the edge of Miami International Airport. 826 (known as the Palmetto Expressway to locals) and Florida's Turnpike form "F"-shaped loops around the city. The Turnpike continues north, roughly parallel to I-95, and will take you to Orlando if you keep driving.

I-95, the Palmetto and the Turnpike intersect at a junction in north Miami called the Golden Glades. This is one of the most nightmarishly-designed interchanges in Florida, and is best avoided by newbies unless you have very good lane-changing reflexes.

South of Miami, the main road is US 1, which is not an expressway but rather a very busy multi-lane surface road. US 1 runs through South Miami to Homestead, and if you keep driving south you enter the Florida Keys.

By Mass Transit

Miami has a large and elaborate public bus system which covers the entire county and connects, at northern points, to the bus system in Greater Fort Lauderdale. The bus system was, for a long time, notorious for being unreliable, though recent developments have changed this. Despite these changes, and due to high local traffic, buses tend to have a harder time remaining on schedule, though buses run often enough through each route so as not to be a nuisance

Metrorail is a single-line elevated rail system serving Miami and surrounding areas. Due to low funding, Metrorail has not been greatly expanded since its opening in 1984, and only serves two areas of tourist interest: downtown Miami and the area around Dadeland Mall. Coconut Grove and downtown Coral Gables can be reached via short shuttle bus from various stations. Metrorail operates between roughly 5AM and midnight, with a bus serving all Metrorail stations operating in the overnight hours, effectively providing 24-hour service.

Downtown Miami is served by an elevated people mover system known as Metromover, which connects to Metrorail at two stations. Metromover is free of charge and is the most efficient way to move around Downtown Miami.

Currently, a funding boost has set forth an expansion for the Metrorail system, including a connection to Miami International Airport to be operating by 2010. Further expansion to the north toward Dolphins Stadium is expected to be operating by 2012. A light rail line to Miami Beach is also under development.

By Taxi

Taxis are generally expensive with a surcharge of $2.50 for the pick-up and an aditional $0.40 for each sixth of a mile travelled. Almost all cab companies in the area have pre-determined rates for travel into the barrier islands of Miami Beach and other beach and nightclub communities popular with tourists which can range from $30-$60 (depending on arrival location, for example South Beach may be the most expensive, while a residential neighborhood in Miami Beach the cheapest); the charge is the same regardless of pick-up location on the mainland. All taxis are fitted with maps of the barrier islands which state the cost per location, the same applies for passengers leaving the islands onto the mainland, though normal rates apply for person travelling by taxi within the islands or within the mainland.

Service is available throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Monroe counties regardless of pick-up location. The normal service charges apply for these four counties, but it is wise to ask for a pre-determined price beforehand if leaving the county as this will in most cases turn out to be cheaper and most drivers are willing to negotiate when leaving the county. If you wish to be taxied to a location outside of those four counties, you must negotiate a price and advise the cab company first. Drivers may refuse to drive outside of the metropolitan area if they are not advised to do so beforehand.

Usually, you will have to call a cab company and request a pick-up. Taxis operated by the major companies are not normally allowed to pick up passengers at random locations for safety and legal reasons except at the airport, cruise port, and train stations. Some individual taxi drivers will not follow this rule, however, so you may try hailing a taxi in the street.

All taxi drivers must have a valid license to operate. If you enter a cab and do not see a valid license placed in front of the passenger's seat, you should not enter the taxi and instead call another cab company, regardless of what the driver says. If you willingly enter a taxi with an expired license, or an unlicensed cab, and there is an incident or accident, it is possible that you may not be able to hold the driver accountable by law; it may also be dangerous to enter an unlincesed taxi, though it is uncommon to hear of crimes involving unlicensed taxis anywhere in the metropolitan area since the county government keeps track of all taxis in the area, and cooperates with other counties. When entering a cab, you should make note of the driver's name, license number, and cab number which should be easily available through the cab, if any problems arise during the trip. This information may be able to help you identify the cab driver to the police or cab compan

By Foot

Because of its proximity to the equator, as opposed to other parts of the United States, Miami's weather is often, but not always, warm. Although winter weather averages around 60 to 70º Fahrenheit, temperatures can fall to around 50º during the day and 40º at night. Summer weather can go over 90º Fahrenheit (36.6º Celsius), but very rarely. It usually averages around 80ºF. During June to November, rain and thunderstorms can also be expected to occur.

Police

The emergency telephone number for fire, police and rescue emergencies is 911. If one requires non-emergency assistance, do not call 911 as that number is reserved for emergencies only. To contact police in a non-emergency situation one may call +1 305 4POLICE. This number will only contact police services, for fire and medical one should dial 911, though if a non-emergency medical or fire situation were to arise, the number for police will be able to contact these services.

Fire Department

Hospitals

Crime

Miami, despite being heralded in the news as a center of crime and drug smuggling, is relatively safe for the passing tourist. One should use the same precautions as when traveling anywhere - try not to travel alone, avoid deserted areas at night, etc.

Traveling by day is almost completely innocuous, though the infrequent purse-snatching does occur in downtown. It is important to note that downtown Miami is quickly becoming increasingly gentrified with the construction of trendy, expensive high-rises and an influx in high-class European and South American buyers.

Some parts of Little Havana, Central Hialeah, and portions of Northern Dade-County, especially around Liberty City and Allpattah can be especially dangerous due to high crime rates, though it is unlikely that tourists would visit these areas since they are mostly residential suburbs and not part of the general attraction of the metropolis.

Public transport, which operates 24 hours in most tourist destinations is generally safe at all hours. Waiting for a bus in an isolated area however, should best be avoided. It is also probably wise to avoid the using the Metrorail north of Downtown Miami after 10PM. Traveling alone anywhere late at night, except for the strip on South Beach, Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne, and most western and southern suburbs, is not prudent. Though it is unlikely that much will actually occur, it is better to be safe, especially for a tourist unfamiliar with the geography of Miami.

Most of South Beach (Ocean Drive, Collins, etc.) are frequented by tourists at all hours, even until dawn, and are safe to peruse, as are the 'hot spot' areas of Coconut Grove. However, much of the rest of the Beach is not recommended to traverse after hours, and the beach itself is closed from midnight-5AM. It is not reccomended to walk down empty areas of the beach at night, as purse snatching and muggings are known to occur on the beach itself by persons who hide in a nearby area, or walk down the beach behind tourists seemigly acting like another innocent person, slowly approaching the person or couple before attacking randomly. This occurs to locals and tourists, and usually occurs right as tourists decide to talk a nighttime walk down the beach.

Brickell Avenue in downtown is mainly safe to frequent at most hours of the night, but downtown is host to a large homeless population and mugging is a possibility especially for a woman.

Also a threat is Grand Avenue, directly adjacent to Coconut Grove. The late Coconut Grove party-goer should never travel Grand Avenue at night by foot, or risk being mugged.

Smoking

There are many things to do in Miami, if not in Miami itself the travel to Fort Lauderdale and the Keys is not far off. The Miami area is home to many beautiful beaches, such as world-famous South Beach in nearby Miami Beach, and a fun and lively night life. There are numerous dining places and night clubs as well as a drive in theatre for those who want privacy when watching a newly released film. There are lively, outgoing, smiling faces at every corner. For the daytime there are malls, flea markets, and museums to visit.

• Vizcaya Museum and Gardens European-inspired estate. Includes a main house filled with art and furnishings and ten acres of gardens on Biscayne Bay.
• Oleta River State Park
• County Fair & Exposition 
• Tropical Park Equestrian Center
• Miami Beach Golf Club (2301 Alton St.): Home to some of the best golf courses with the best weather around. Rates are based on seasons and the peak season(Dec. 23, 2006 to April 30, 2007) costs $200 and the summer season (May 1, 2007 to October 31, 2007) costs $95. Club rentals costs $55 and shoe rentals costs $15 (prices are subject to a 7% sales tax).
• Eco-Adventure Tours
• Canoe Trips
• Kayaking and Snorkeling
• Bike Tours
• Miami Duck Tours(1665 Washington Avenue): A unique way to sight-see by riding on a boat equipped with wheels via water and street and it lasts for 90 minutes. Have to buy tickets before boarding boat. Tickets Info: Different price range based on individual or group rate, but generally rates are $32 for adults; senior (65+)/military are $26; children (4-12) are $18 and children under 3 are free
• Casa Casuarina (aka Versace House) (1116 ocean Drive): Built by Gianni Versace in 1993 and the site of his tragic death is the most photographed landmark and was sold to Peter Loftin and it is not open to the public.
• Art Deco District (1001 Ocean Drive): World's largest collection of modern Art Deco architecture. There is A tour that explores the famous buildings of this district and has a limited schedule of operations. Operates Wednesday at 10:30 am; Thursday at 6:30 pm; Saturday at 10:30 am and Sunday at 10:30 am (reservations only)and the cost is based on a guided tour or a self guided audio tour (which is cheaper). The guided tour costs adults: $20; seniors/students (with I.D.): $15; kids/members: free and the audio tour costs adults: $15 and seniors/students/children under 12: $10
• Espanola Way (Collins West to Pennsylvania): Modeled after Mediterranean villages found in France and Spain.

Parks

• Miami Beach Cultural Campus (The Beach to Park Avenue, between 20th and 22nd St.): Known as the museum district which includes the Miami City ballet building, the Bass Museum, Miami Beach Regional Library and Collins Park.
• Miami Beach Botanical Garden (2000 Convention Center Drive): A collection of subtropical palms and plants and includes a Japanese Garden, orchid collection, exotic plants and varieties of subtropical palms.
• Jewish Holocaust Memorial (1933-1945 Meridian Avenue): An idea conceived by Holocaust survivors in Miami and was funded by a private, non-profit organization that was dedicated on Feb. 4, 1990 and includes 11 different areas.
• Maurice Gibb Memorial Park (18th St. and Purdy Ave.)
• Flamingo Park (11th St. and Jefferson Ave.)
• Lummus Park (Ocean Dr. from 5th to 15th St.)
• South Pointe Park (1 Washington Ave.)

Some visitors, particularly from South America, come to Miami exclusively to shop. Sometimes it is said that the main two things to do in Miami are to go shopping and going to the beach.

Some popular malls include:

• Dadeland Mall in South Miami, accessible via MetroRail
• Merrick Park in Coral Gables (exclusive and trendy stores), accessible via Metrorail and also by trolley (free in Coral Gables).
• Bal Harbor Shops has more exclusive and trendy stores, but is much smaller than Merrick Park
• Aventura Mall in Aventura.
• Dolphin Mall - Largest Mall in Miami.
• Sawgrass Mills Mall - Outlet mall located in Broward County, north of Miami. Very convenient if driving in or out of Miami on I-75.
• Bayside Marketplace
• Lincoln Road Mall (runs east-west from Collins Ave. to Bay Road between 16th and 17th St.): One of the hottest shopping streets you can find in the country. Home to a 7 block pedestrian mall with 400 businesses and it is located outside. You can also find the Lincoln Road Market as well which is a farmer's market that is open from 9 am to 6 pm on Sunday year round.
• Collins Avenue Fashion District (Collins Avenue from 5th to 9th St.):Here you will find plenty of hip designers from Versace, Nicole Miller, Armani, etc.
• Ocean Drive (Along the entire street of Ocean Drive): You will find a collection of funky, youthful boutiques and unique accessories.

• Biscayne National Park--the largest marine park in the National Park System
• Everglades National Park--third largest national park in the United States, home to several animals native to Florida
• Boca Raton--wealthy South Floridian neighborhood
• Delray Beach--in addition to the beach, there's nightlife