Car Rental Dropoff @ Port of Miami

[Catz]

Hi All,

We are planning on renting a car and driving down to Miami for our cruise. Wondering if there are any drop off locations near the port or at the airport. Could we drop off our luggage first before dropping off the car? Will a shuttle drop us off at the port? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!!!
CATZ

[loanshark]

Most car rental companies will have you drop the car off at their Miami airport location. The only exception to this that I can think of is Hertz, which has a downtown location with free shuttle to the port. Alamo and Thrifty also have free shuttles, but these are from the Miami airport.

If you are going to do the rental car option, use one of these 3 companies to save the $25 cab fare from MIA to the port. I have also heard stories that representatives from Budget and National will advise over the phone that they have a shuttle to the port, but they do not. You safest bet is to stick with Hertz (to downtown), or Thrifty or Alamo (to MIA).

And to answer another question...yes you can drop luggage off at the ship, then return your car.

Fascination 9/2004
Triumph 11/2005

[marvholly]

Personally experienced this 3/04. Had made a car reserve w/ National via their 800 number and was told they did MIA-pier suttle. When I called the airport location direct to confirm the shuttle found out they DO NOT shuttle to the pier. Somehow they manage to do it from FLL though. Something about "security." Same happened with Budget. I ended up going with Alamo and they were great. It absolutly amazed me that huge national agencies like Budget and National did not offer this service while little guys like Alamo, Thrifty and Dollar do, in adition to Avis and Hertz ($$$).

[Catz]

Thank you all for the great info! Thanks again!

[Kuki]

While there are no rental companies right at the Miami pier anymore, there are several offices close by.

We used Enterprise last time, which has an office 5 minutes from the pier. They shuttled us to and from the pier.

I believe Budget also has an office at the Bayside Hyatt, which is close by.