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ORLANDO_GETTING_AROUND
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| Getting Around Orlando |
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By J. Joshua Placa
Every major commercial airline and many charter aircraft fly into burgeoning Orlando International Airport or the much smaller Sanford International Airport. Amtrak trains connect the city with cities along the U.S. east coast with stops in Kissimmee, Winter Park and Orlando, while Amtrak's Auto Train boards both passengers and their cars for the trip between Lorton, Virginia, near Washington D.C. to Sanford, a small town just north of Orlando.
Greyhound buses bring people here from every corner of the nation.
An automobile is the best way to get around this sprawling area. You will also need to allow more travel time than the distance would suggest. Even central Florida's main interstate artery, I-4, is slow at peak traffic hours from 7-9 a.m. and from 4-6 p.m. and pretty busy most other times.
Just about every national rental car chain operates here, along with some smaller ones. Local rental agencies are accustomed to tourists renting a car in one Florida city and dropping it off here or vice versa, although they charge an additional fee to do so.
Get as current of a map as you can find. Roads are being built even as you read this, and highway signs often assume you know much more than you do. Because Central Florida was once sparsely populated and there are vast amounts of acreage up this way, there was plenty of room to build roads, so even the most remote routes are four- or six-lane highways.
By Air:
Orlando International Airport is well equipped to handle the more than 40-million guests who visit the area each year. Five terminals accommodate more than 80 airlines servicing 69 domestic destinations and 27 international cities. To help serve the more than 80,000 passengers who visit each day, the airport features 44 shops, 20 restaurants, 6 bars, a microbrewery and a hotel. Parking is available on both sides and atop the Main terminal. Long-term satellite lots are located on Bear Rd. and off the South access road.
The Main Terminal contains baggage areas (Level 2 ) and ticket counters ( Level 3 ). It is also where the majority of shops reside, along with a expansive food court. Shuttle vans, buses and taxis operate from both sides. Monorails maneuver travelers from the Main Terminal to Airside Terminals to baggage claim.
By Train:
Amtrak provides daily service to Orlando's train station just south of downtown. The Silver Service Palmetto ferries passengers north and south (New York, Savannah, Miami) while the Sunset Limited operates with a western line (New Orleans, Los Angeles).
By Bus:
Greyhound arrives from all points of the compass to the main terminal at 555 North John Young Parkway.
By Car:
Interstate 4 ( I-4 ), central Florida's main car chute, zooms through Orlando in a northeast/southwest direction. The 408 Expressway, a toll road, intersects I-4 at Orlando's southern end. Downtown's grid is easy to negotiate once you become familiar with its network of one-way thoroughfares. Because of Orlando's dramatic population surge, however, traffic, especially during morning and afternoon rush hours, borders on horrific.
Around Town:
Because of Orlando's grim traffic situation (no rail systems exist although various projects are in the works including a 20 mile Light Rail line that would connect Altamonte Springs with Orlando Sea World ), Orlando's bus system, Lynx serves as a best bet alternative. Its optically bright painted busses serve Orange, Seminole and Oseola counties and operate daily from 4:15 a.m.-12:15 a.m. During peak hours, busses on the busiest routes pass every 15 minutes.
All busses can offer wheel chair access and contain bike racks. Rates: Standard one-way ticket $1.25; single day pass $3; seven day pass $10.
Lymmo is the transportation of choice for downtown travelers. This free bus service covers a three-mile circuit (19 stops ) through the downtown area. During office hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) busses pass every five minutes.
The I-Trolley runs year round transport in the International Drive (I-Drive) Resort Area. Two lines cover the area (Main Line and Green Line ) stopping at a combined 93 points every. Trolleys arrive/depart every 20-30 minutes from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
Walt Disney World has an all inclusive transit system that utilizes ferrys, monorails, and buses to cart tourists from point to point around the massive resort.
Taxis are a relatively easy way to maneuver about the city if you are without a car or in a group. But due to distances involved from point to point fares can get expensive. Local cab companies include Yellow Cab, City Cab, Checker Cab and Safety Cab.
For a unique mode of transportation hop into an Orlando Pedicab. These bike taxis are free and service the downtown area Tuesday through Saturday. Each pedicab holds up to four passengers.
In 1990, Bicycling Magazine dubiously coined Orlando as the second worst city for bicycling in the United States. Local government responded to this charge by adding 148 miles of bike paths now making it, according to the League of American Cyclists, a "Bicycle Friendly Community." Most paths provide convenient access downtown. |
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Road trips around Orlando
CHOOSE KISSIMMEE! WHAT’S NEW
Kissimmee is just outside of Orlando. Give it a whirl!
A MOTHER/DAUGHTER GIRLFRIEND GETAWAY
Shopping, a spa, and a fun night out doing girl stuff!
Sponsored by
For details see article on: 
KISSIMMEE - FAMILY FUN, LEARNING,and MORE FUN
Sponsored by
For details see article on:
ORLANDO - FAMILY TRIP
Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, Universal Studios - Everyone in the family will have a blast!
For details see article on:
ORLANDO - EDUCATIONAL
Make a Theme Park Trip, a visit to Kennedy Space Center and a look at Sea World educational and fun!
ORLANDO - RELAXATION
Three days of great Orlando golf will send you home recharged!
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