Tri Rail: best way from MIA to FLL? Yes. And no.
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- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
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Trains are admittedly something I’m not very familiar with, but it’s nice to take a break from the airline stuff every now and then for a ride on the rails.
After landing at Miami International Airport (MIA), I needed to get up to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) for my connecting flight home to San Diego. The best way (or so it seemed) was via the Tri Rail train - offering direct service from MIA to FLL every 30 minutes(ish) for only $3.75.
It’s not completely perfect though.
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Scott, at $3.75, it would still be a good deal if they forced passengers to stand all the way to FLL. Verdict: absolute steal.
I completely agree! This was hands-down one of the best travel deals I’ve come across in the past few years. 👌🏻
They must have heard you talking so much about how cheap the trip is. They just went up in price effective in January 2020. The new price is $4.75. Still somewhat a deal but not as much of a deal as $3.75.
Brightline, while a nicer non-stop route, is certainly NOT an alternative to Tri-Rail for inter-airport travel. In Miami, instead of a tram from the terminal to the Tri-Rail station you would have to take, from that same station, the Metrorail to downtown Miami where the Brightline stop is. A needless addition of about 30-40 minutes to your trip. Almost the time of the Tri-Rail trip by itself.
In Fort Lauderdale the Brightline station takes you right past the airport into downtown, You would have to take the #1 Broward County bus to bring you back south into the airport. Another likely half hour added to the trip.
That's a lot of added time for a nicer train ride
Michael MacEachern Although, it sort of is. From my experience, you could drive from downtown Ft. Lauderdale to the airport, so alternatively you *could* take a form of transportation to the Brightline station, then go to Fort Lauderdale on it, and then take Uber or other to the airport.
Exactly. You will end up paying more for a longer ride.
Very needed info on the Brightline vs Tri Rail, TY
hmmm not really… first, Brightline’s purpose is to link DOWNTOWN areas that are not run-down urban deserts (i.e. 90% of Tri-Rail’s chain-link, open-air, unsafe, concrete pieces of crap), and already immediately interconnected to existing mass transit options and WALKABLE destinations. These are important considerations and why commuter trains work elsewhere but almost nowhere within US…
Second, you can connect within 2 mins to a Metro Orange line and be at MIA in about 15 mins max, and better connected to MIA Terminals on Metro than Tri-Rail which is [obviously] weirdly-located adjacent to the MIA Intermodal Hub.
I know cuz I live 2 blocks from Brightline & Govt Center, and also a MetroMover stop at my building. AA Arena (or whatever it’s stupid new name is) games & concerts, Cruise Port, Hotels, Downtown business, Dining, Shopping, Museums, Opera, Ballet, boat Marinas, Brickell, Wynwood, Miami Beach, Ultra, Art Basel, etc etc are WAY better served by Brightline, many of these by foot or quick&easy transfer to MetroMover/Metro/Trolley, and with far superior service & flexibility as an event partner. The idiots at Tri-Rail couldn’t even dream of ever evolving into the sort of cogent beings that are behind Brightline, which is actually a revolution for USA. They built several enormous apartment/condo towers on top of the beautiful Miami station, with pools and gyms and restaurants etc There have been 50-60 new condo-apt high rises built nearby - it’s an entire urban concept and way of life that cannot ever enter into the imaginations of the morons at Tri-Rail who literally are still sitting on their neanderthal asses unable to certify their crappy trains to run a few miles from MIA to Downtown Miami. Pathetic.
Tri-Rail’s service into & out of MIA is weird and spotty, and after decades of existence will **finally** piggy-back on Brightline’s initiative and gorgeous, world-class station in downtown Miami - if Tri-Rail ever gets its act together to accomplish this amazing feat of properly serving the largest city in Florida by completing this simple task of running a few miles further into downtown🙄🙄
also, Tri-Rail’s service at night and during weekends is pathetic to be considered a mass-transit service (stops like 9:30pm WTF??!! LOLOLOL)
I grew up riding public transportation in Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and also lived in VA/DC for a time & took metro into work at US Senate every day. As a teen in Buenos Aires I could walk north 3 blocks to the train, a few more to a major bus artery, or leave my house south 3 blocks to a diff major bus artery, all which were interconnected to other bus/train lines & subways to take me easily & cheaply anywhere within the massive metro area of 15 million people. I’ve also used extensive public transport across Europe (+ Japan & Korea). I’ve used lots of different NY-NJ-CT trains & subways, some Utah Trax light rail, Atlanta’s MARTA, Baltimore-BIA, etc other decent examples (for USA).
Therefore I can assert categorically that Tri-Rail is half-assed and pathetic and shouldn’t consider itself safe from all the scorn it rightfully receives. Sure, at LEAST we have this third-tier option in South Florida that is actually of some use to some people, but puhleeeeezzz Tri-Rail should never be defended or given accolades of any kind
@@ericpallred Well said, public transit in SoFlo is putting it lightly, turboshit.
Brightline is of course great and its expansions especially into Boca and Aventura are great steps.
But, cumulatively public transit frequency in South Florida is horrible and the routes typically end in vacant strip malls or large mall areas. Hardly convenient. Poorly maintained.
No ocean view? You were really stretching to find something to complaint about.
You won't get any ocean views driving up I-95, either. And you'll risk your life given how insane drivers can be in FL. Just sayin'...
@@violetsabe2913 yes yes
Clearly this dude doesn’t use transit, he didn’t even recognize a ticket machine lol
😂😂😂😂😂😂 same thing I thought .
Definitely a great value and convenience. As a former airline employee flying standby, I couldn't always get back to FLL and would have to go into PBI, or MIA. Tri-Rail has saved my butt and my money many times!
It just amazes me that I’ve never heard about this train before considering how often I fly in and out of south Florida. We desperately need something like this in Southern California! Yeah, the Pacific Surfliner comes close, but it’s inconvenient for airport access. 🙁
Same
Great review Scott. I rode Tri-Rail several times when I was in Miami for a conference and not one of those trains was as empty as yours was and I also took the train to get to FLL from Miami (originally was supposed to fly both in and out of FLL but our plane from Orlando to FLL broke down so they put us on a plane to Miami). Brightline (now Virgin Trains) was not in operation yet.
Thanks John! Yeah, it thought it was pretty weird how empty it was - it’s probably much busier other times of the day, so I just got lucky I guess.
If traveling from MIA-FLL then tri-rail is the way to go. MIA-PBI or vice versa makes Brightline possibly viable due to the Brightline and Tri-Rail stations being well within walking distance of each other in West Palm Beach. Glad your experience was good on Tri-Rail!
"A grumpy six year old who gave up on life 3 hours ago" LOL. Yes. I shall be doing that. Thanks for the godspeed!! I use your videos to plan my trips so that I know exactly where to go and what to look out for!!! Thank you so much for getting confused as heck on our behalves!!
Love your video here, partner! It was useful for me even though I already live in FTL and have already taken the Tri-Rail ; )
You can tell when someone is a tourist. Brightline Miami station is downtown Miami. Nowhere near Miami international airport. Tri rail is the best train to use obviously.
Did you watch the entire thing? At the end of the video I did mention that the Brightline trains don’t offer airport to airport service. 👍🏻
Nice video there buddy! Keep it up, on late 2019 or early 2020 Tri-rail has a new project in Miami called the Coastal Link Project, which is that Tri-Rail will take the FEC (Florida East Coast RR) tracks which is the same tracks that brightline uses... and they will head off to the Brightline/Virgin Miami station. They just had to send few locomotives for a freshly rebuilt and repaint to start the service. Yes I am a railfan, my videos are all of South Florida trains.
Interesting - I had no idea! I really wish we had a better train/transit system here in Southern California. Florida seems to be leading the way!
$3.75 one way is way super cheap
I agree - I actually thought it was an error at first! 😮
Oooohh an NGR pic in an American Travel video. We can only dream of those prices from Wynnum to Cleveland lol
It is $17 round trip Mia- west palm beach
Pretty happy about this kind of content to be honest. That puts a nice fresh air and gives a few tips for the airport transfer/transportation as well...And always with your coolness and good mood, so please, keep it up!
Thanks for the encouragement! I’m definitely interested in creating other types of travel content (other than just airline stuff), so it’s good to know that there is some interest for that sort of thing. 👍🏻
Myself and my teen daughter took the Tri Rail from Ft. Lauderdale airport to Deerfield then to Miami and it was super convient. Made our Lyft trips much cheaper using the Tri-rail.
Glad it was a good experience! I can’t believe I had never heard of this train before this trip - everyone who rides it says really good things. 👍🏻👍🏻
More of this train stuff love it 🚂😍
Thanks! I’m not much of a train guy but I know there are a lot of people out there who are into this kind of stuff. 😎👍🏻
I love trains I'm from Massachusetts and we have the mbta
Brightline doesn't go to either FLL or MIA. Also Tri-Rail doesn't run to the beach, so I don't why you would expect that
Thank you. I soooo needed this video. Going to do this trip in a few hours. I needed this intel
NGL that intro was FIRE!
Amazing information ☺️
Hi! Thanks for video! Until what time train goes to FL? Every 30 min, day and night?
Thx 4 sharing , i think this will be useful to me in the near future. Cheers.
Thanks for the compliment Scott..much appreciated!
You’re very welcome! I was actually watching a few of your videos before I edited this just to see what I needed to include in a proper train review. 😅 Thanks for the inspiration! 👍🏻
Avid plane reviewer to trains. Awesome work!
Thanks! I have no idea what I’m doing when it comes to train videos, but it’s fun to try. 😆
@@sanspotter Haha you should review the UP Express train here in Toronto next time you're in town haha.
Av Geek and Railfanner here, so yes I am satisfied! Awesome video as always!
Thanks! It’s amazing to realize how many people subscribed to my channel love trains just as much as airplanes. Much more than I thought!
Same, look at my channel's name.
I use to take this route all the time. Was a major steal of a deal plus avoiding Miami traffic
How long did it take you? I bought a ticket out of Miami but live in ornado. I would like to fly straight into MIA but the spirit ticket, the cheapest, will only give me an hour and 10 minute connection time. I am too afraid to lose my connecting flight. I can fly with American but that’s like $130 more, student budget is hard. The best I see if to fly into FLL, arrive nearly 4 hours before my departure time and take the tri rail to MIA. You think 4 hours is enough time? Thank you
I paid $60.00 for taxi from FLL airport to Miami Cruise port. You paid $3.75 from MIA airport to FFL airport, somebody told me that from MIA airport I can take metro, less than $2, and the free metro and free bus to the cruise port. Or you just take taxi from MIA to FLL airport then you will appreciate your $3.75 Tri-Rail.
Did not know about this service. Thanks
You’re welcome! I didn’t know either before this trip. The Tri Rail is highly underrated IMHO!
$3.75 is not a bad deal at all in fact that's still from one airport to the next this definitely was informative and my first time seeing you on the train my friend this review was definitely a great one for me I enjoyed it
Thanks so much! Yeah, I feel completely out of my element on trains but somehow I managed. 😆 Glad you enjoyed this unusual video from me!
Great stuff and yes it seems to be a very "cheap" train ride given the distance between the 2 airports!! On train rides like this its doubtful you will see anything but the industrial heartland of any city....don't expect the Hanging Gardens of Babylon...Wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plains or the Sydney Opera house ( refer Fawlty Towers BBC Show..."Mrs Richards") I assume the bus transfer was included in the ticket price ? Well done and love the humour you put into your reviews!! Great review mate!!
Haha! “Wildebeest sweeping majestically across the plains” was definitely NOT included as part of this train ride. I sure as heck wish it was though. 😂👍🏻 Oh, and yes - the bus transfer to the FLL terminals was included. 👍🏻
I live in palm beach county and would take the Tri-Rail to Miami. I cracked up about the views from the train. LOL.
I live in Broward county, right next to FLL. I due agree with some aspects of your review however, the part about Brightline is completely wrong. Brightline is an express train that brings you up the coast of FL. Tri-Rail is a commuter train that was meant to give low income people transit. If you were to look at the stops on the way, all of the stations are in the hood, except for Hollywood and Sheridan station. Tri-Rail is cheap, fast, and simply easier for anyone who wants to get around South West Florida. I am a local so I know pretty much everything about Tai-Rail, Brightline, MIA, FLL, etc. 😃
Yeah, I should have been more clear about these two trains not being direct competitors of one another. Technically they both connect these cities very well, but not in the same way. I can’t wait to try the Brightline train someday!
@@sanspotter Brightline can get pretty pricey, recommend looking for some deals... ;).
All stations are not in the 'hood'. There is only one 'hood' station and that is Opa-Locka. But Hialeah station is in a commercial area and the Golden Glades station is in an industrial area at a park and ride lot.
Consider yourself lucky, that looked like a nice and fast train from airport to airport.
Took it years ago and I love it 👍and jumped rush trafic between MIA-FLL-MIA 👍
What level is the platform for the trail -rail ?
Please.
You are so underrated
Thanks so much! 😎👍🏻
scott is unique….difficult to find another personality like his on the web......
It also goes to Palm Beach International. (via shuttle bus from West Palm Beach station.)
I wish I would have known about this train earlier - I definitely could have taken advantage of the ride between PBI and MIA several times in the past!
No the closest station is either lake worth or west palm amtrak
Thanks for the correction. I think there is a shuttle that connects West Palm Beach and PBI though.
@@sb06phl59 yes correct
It looks like they use the same TVMs that they use in San Diego (both NCTD and MTS) as well, with a few minor differences.
Dude, your hilarious. Love your style
Thanks David! 😄👍🏻
Great Video. BTW did you see the new Speed rail?
Thanks! Unfortunately, nope - but I do want to give it a try next time I’m in south Florida.
@@sanspotter Thanks Scott. I would like to ride the speed train however, I haven't seen the pros and cons of it on youtube yet and Thank you.
Last time we went to South Florida we flew into FLL on WN and took the Tri-Rail down to MIA to catch the Marlins game. Quick Uber to the stadium. Easy Peasy.
That’s the way to do it. 👍🏻 I’ll be riding the Tri Rail in the future as much as I can as well.
Suitcases allowed in tri rail, How much is ticket price from Miami Airport to West palm beach.
Kool dude! You look like my friend Ryan. Everybody has a twin! ATC, your a pilot on final. Or in a center?
Clicked as soon as I saw the notification .
So that was you who liked it just seconds after I uploaded it? 🧐😄👍🏻
It was so easy to catch this train from FLL to Mia for our cruise.... I will ride every time
For as much time as I’ve spent in south Florida over the years, I can’t believe I hadn’t heard of the Tri Rail before this trip. I’m gonna ride it every time as well! Well, whenever I need to transfer between MIA and FLL that is. 😆
@@sanspotter My sister and I have used Tri-Rail for cruises, too, and we LOVE it, especially the price. The cruise lines will charge a hefty premium to go the same distance on one of their shuttle buses, and even Uber and Lyft can't compete with the price! I do have one question though: are the shuttle bus rides between the FLL airport station and the FLL airport complementary, or is there a toll?
The bus is free for Tri Rail customers (I assume they may ask to see your Tri Rail ticket).
If you ever go to San Francisco, could you try Bart or Caltrain preferably Caltrain because it’s a lot nicer and Bart is dirty. But from SFO you’ll need to take a bart to Milbrae then transfer to Caltrain from there. It might be Yellow Line
Does the train go from west pam beach to stuart. Fl?
No, it does not. The northern terminus of Tri-Rail is Mangonia Park, just north of West Palm Beach.
i had no idea about this lolll! i kept paying for an uber 🥵
Wow! Uber must be insanely expensive between MIA and FLL!
SANspotter If $42 is expensive to you, then yes. but i would much rather pay $3.75.
@@erickdelko9523 Where you unaware that Miami/South Florida has public transportation?
@@xoxxobob61 At least I am, but the buses to me are hot garbage
LOL at 0:58 to your “extra”. BTW Coaster trains from San Diego to Oceanside use the same train cars. And Brightline has been “taken over” by Virgin
They're called Bombardier BiLevel Coaches. They are also used on Caltrain, Metrolink, and Frontrunner among others.
In all my years of making videos, he was the first guy who put his hands up to cover his face as I was filming. Guess he’s probably seen my videos and wanted no part in that nonsense. 😅
Follow the signs 😂😂😂
i see these trains all the time in person, but i never been inside
I think it’s 6 stops from Miami airport to Sheridan street then ft lauderdale airport
Sunrail is cheaper, may not go as far well DEFINETELY not as far but you should try it one day.!
Looks like the same cars used for the commuter train system in the Toronto area (GO Transit)
Yea those bombardier coaster cars are common in NA. The trains that go by my house use an interesting but outdated 50s bi level design with old engines (but rebuilt).
IT IS $22.00 ON RUSH HOUR AND $15.00 EARLY AM AND LATE PM.
I wonder how far the tri rail goes than the amtrak
Hear me out…
SANspotter+Noel Phillips
Try brightline please!
Next time I will!
hi Trail Blazer thanks for this "flight " experience. For that fare it looked like this is a very acceptable way to travel between those to cities….you simply can not Always have a glass of dom perignon,,or am I wrong????
You’re exactly right Claus! Sometimes cheap beer is better than champagne I guess. 😆 BTW - just booked a night at the TWA hotel at JFK, and I’ll be doing a full video of the experience. It won’t be until late September or October though, but...I know you might be interested in that. 😎👍🏻
You know I have been there...It was just like coming home!!!!@@sanspotter
The gp 40 , 60 year old NJT livery?
5 years ago I stayed at the hotel next to the station
It’s a commuter train, not an Amtrak sightseeing tour, so the lack of scenery is appropriate.
Good point - and for the price I paid, I didn’t mind the lack of scenery all that much.
SANspotter How long did the bus transfer between the FLL station and your terminal take?
It was about 10 minutes - a lot longer than I thought it would be (but still not bad). The train station is kind of far from the airport!
I also like the video and saved it
I’m watching this in domestic First Class on A United Airlines 777-200 and let me just say this was the best entertainment!
Train videos? On an airplane? Now that’s how to do it. 🤟🏻😎
Where are you flying?
jr132 SFO-ORD
I. Like. It. Im. In. The. Train. Now
Me. Encanta
im sure you were the only person on that train who realized the bird poops are different in fort lauderdale!
I guess it’s a good thing that nobody was sitting next to me, because I wouldn’t have been able to resist tapping them on the shoulder and telling them my thoughts on Florida bird poop. 🦅💩😂
@@sanspotter LOL..ur crazyyy
What about your luggage, is there room on the train for that?
Hi. I had some luggage with me, and there are signs saying you can't take it up to the upper levels. There are racks on the lower deck. I rode there to keep an eye on it, and when it was quiet I just kept it by my seat.
this could be a regular feature for you. haneda-narita; heathrow-gatwick; inchon-kimpo......
I definitely need to do more train reviews - it’s a nice break from doing airline stuff all the time. 👍🏻
The metrorail and Mia mover are like the same
To get from MIA to Brightline you'll have to take metro rail
Metrorail from MIA Airport to Government station (and that can be a tad sketchy more than tri rail itself)
scenery? that's your problem? for 3.75? seriously, anyway, i like your video. i'll be there in dec.thanks, i'll be safe
Tri-Rail runs on a freight line so the "Scenery" isn't the best.
you sound very boujee, the brightline terminals are located in the downtown areas and would take another hour just to get from each terminal to the airport, you save time and money with the ugly looking trirail lol
Haha, I actually had to look up “boujee” because I had no idea what it means. 👨🏼💻😂 But you’re absolutely right - the Tri Rail is the better option for airport to airport transfers! I gotta try those Brightline/Virgin trains though... 🧐
Hahaha the guy at 0:57
Thankfully he didn’t start picking his nose until just before stepping out of frame. 😅
SANspotter lolol no way
Que mala onda hermano
I live in South Palm Beach county and take this train to school every day. It was fun at first but now it’s just kind of boring
That’s pretty cool actually - I’m sure it’s a lot less stressful than sitting in traffic on the freeway. 👍🏻
what school do u go to ?
@@holasoyalejandro9822 Dreyfoos School of the Arts/DSOA
Also I saw the airport on Roblox
5:16 #SHOUTOUT2HOLLYWOODFL
You can't go wrong for 3.75$
Agreed. One of the best travel bargains out there IMHO! 😎
Do they check you're ticket?
Actually no! Nobody ever checked, and I was wondering if I just got “lucky” or something.
Adam Diaz yes they do. I used to take it on a daily basis. Some days they wouldn’t check. But other days they would. It’s a 50/50 chance they’ll check.
Thank you!!
It's a crapshoot... depends on how long you are on the train but they are checked occasionally. There have been many trips where I've travelled from West Palm Beach to north Fort Lauderdale and there hasn't been a check. But it's better to be honest and just pay the fare and help keep it inexpensive for everyone.
They mainly check during the rush hour times. If you don't have a ticket everyone in that car would know because the security isn't quiet about it. It is quite embarrassing. They ask for your id and then write you either a warning or a citation depending on how they feel. In rare instances they remove you from the train as well depending on if you are a repeat violator. The citation is $50 and you have to pay it to the court. If you do not pay it, it turns into a criminal offense called 'fare evasion' (misdemeanor) which carries a penalty of a fine of up to $500 and a maximum of 60 days in jail.
The Brightline is awesome but expensive. I commute from FTL to MIA daily and it's $30.00 round trip ($15 each way). I would recommend the tri-rail for a daily commute. That being said, the Brightline is worth every penny, it's clean and quiet with wifi and very comfortable seating, similar to first class on an airplane. They even have a drink cart that comes around. The Brightline stations are like mini-airports with decent restaurants and amenities.
The Bright Line trains are brand new. As far as Tri-rail is concerned it is pretty clean and the sits are comfortable but they don't have a drink cart coming around. But to pay almost 4 times more on Bright Line so as to have access to a beverage cart ain't worth it to me.
My middle name is Scott
Cheapest way, yes. Best way ,no !!
Senior Citizens reduced fare tickets!
Heck, now that I think of it...am I really sure I didn’t purchase a senior citizen ticket? 🤔 It was crazy cheap!
Senior ticket 62 and over was $2.50 for that same trip. Now it is $3.50.
The most disgusting train in all of North America hahaha
What the he’ll you were in Florida and riding Tri rail?!?!? Wish next time I would Tri bright Line. Or Virgin Trains America.
I couldn’t resist. 😆 I will be trying the Brightline/Virgin train next time though!
SANspotter ok I like em too but you got the older style cars which I think are better
Tri-Rail is cheaper, have more stations, clean, and eventually is going to have a station at Downtown Miami Brightline Station; Vs. Brightline, is too expensive, only 2 stations, and is way too fancy compare to the high speed train in Europe (like AVE from Spain) Sorry folks, but USA is light years behind of train and metro systems compare to the rest of the world
it has 3 stations...and if you even take a peak at the brightline offers page you get tons of discounts. for example, code BLFRIEND gives you a free ticket with the purchase of a ticket. Also, when booking proper times, you can get a brightline ticker for about 10 to 15 dollars, even between miami and westpalm
Bright Line is not a commuter a train. It is a long distance train that just happens to be between only 3 counties right now.Furthermore Bright Line is privately own and has to pay its bills from the fares it receives. Tri-rail is subsidized by us taxpayers.
yes (40000000000002929282862528453838353825272528262742266393839282367382839383646435738392937362627822993837364645343535353367372222293736473739373647483839393883939 times)
it’s too long sorry
brightl ine as good as it is doesn't run on the same track route. brightline is further east...
And about 10 times the price, and Uber transfer
My friend, if you’re in Florida odds are you’re not the most disgusting of anything. And also that is most likely iguana poop.
Haha! 😂 iguana poop is the real deal lol
Channel great for a plane spotter and railfan like me.
Learn how to travel light next time
FFS. You went on a train. Not exactly climbing Everest. Yeyt you made about as much fuss as if you'd climbed Everest
Right. 8 second version for those that don't want to wait 8 minutes through all the quirks: It's cheap ($3.75), air conditioned, and you'll have to get on a bus at FLL airport to the terminals. They may or may not check your ticket. Voila!