Misc - Miami Hotels .com

As horrible as Miami traffic is, the best way to get around, especially if you are looking to explore the whole area, is by renting a car. If you are staying in Miami Beach, Downtown Miami or Brickell, the public transportation and taxi services are good enough that renting a car isn't necessarily needed if you don't plan to travel outside the confines of that area.

If you do rent a car, ask for a map. Unlike other major cities that were built over several centuries, Miami is a fairly young city therefore its streets are laid out rather logically. The mainland is divided into four quadrants with Miami Avenue serving as the Y axis and Flagler Street serving as the X. Roads in quadrant I are labeled NE, II are NW, III are SW and IV are SE. The only area's that break away from these rules are the cities of Coral Gables and Hialeah. In Coral Gables, all streets are named therefore can cause some confusion, but the major arteries remain the same. In Hialeah, numbers shift and switch to its own grid. Cities like Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, Surfside and Bal Harbour do not follow the mainland's grid pattern because they are barrier islands, independent from the mainland.

Like most major cities, Miami has areas tourists should avoid. If you get lost, take a moment to position yourself. If you are within the grid, you should be able to find yourself to a major roadway pretty quickly, if not, stop and ask for directions at a place you feel comfortable. In other words, use common sense.

In addition to car rental, areas like Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and Miami Beach have free or cheap trolleys or local bus services that can get you around the area effectively without the need of a car or taxi.