The right ground transport from MIA depends on three things: your destination, the size of your group, and how price-sensitive your trip is. For solo or duo travel to Downtown or Brickell, Metrorail is unbeatable on price and avoids any traffic — a flat $2.25 ride that gets you to Brickell in 22 minutes. The catch is the walk from your terminal to MIA Central Station via the MIA Mover, which adds 10 to 15 minutes.

For groups of three or more, or for destinations on Miami Beach, taxi or rideshare is usually faster and cheaper per person. MIA taxis use flat-rate zones — $27 to Downtown, $35 to South Beach — so there's no surprise meter. Rideshare uses a designated pickup at the upper level of the Dolphin or Flamingo garages.

For cruise passengers heading to PortMiami, your cruise line typically arranges a shuttle (often free for embarkation day) from the lower-level shuttle area. For hotel guests, most adjacent and lagoon hotels run free shuttles every 20 to 45 minutes from the same lower-level area.

If you're renting a car, the Rental Car Center is a free four-minute MIA Mover ride from any of the central terminals, with all major brands consolidated under one roof. See our Car Rentals guide for the full list.