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By Air

Miami International Airport, 6 mi west of downtown Miami, is the only airport in Greater Miami that provides scheduled service. More than 1,400 daily flights make MIA the ninth-busiest passenger airport in the world. Approximately 34 million people pass through annually, more than half of them international travelers. Altogether, more than 100 airlines serve nearly 150 cities and five continents with nonstop or one-stop service from here, making it the nation's top international gateway. Anticipating continued growth, the airport has begun a more than $5 billion expansion program that is expected to be completed by 2015. Passengers will mainly notice rebuilt and expanded gate and public areas, which should reduce congestion. A link to Metrorail is also planned. A greatly underused convenience for passengers who have to get from one concourse to another in this long, horseshoe-shape terminal is the amazingly convenient moving walkway on the skywalk level (third floor), with access points at every concourse. MIA, the first to offer duty-free shops, now has 12, carrying liquors, perfumes, electronics, and various designer goods. Heightened security at MIA has meant that it's suggested you check in two hours before departure for a domestic flight, three hours for an international flight. Services for international travelers include 24-hour multilingual information and paging phones as well as currency conversion booths throughout the terminal. There is an information booth with a multilingual staff across from the 24-hour currency exchange at the entrance of Concourse E on the upper level.

Airport Contacts

Miami International Airport (MIA. 305/876-7000. www.miami-airport.com). Miami International Airport Hotel (Concourse E, upper level. 305/871-4100).

Carriers

In addition to the multitude of airlines that fly into Miami International Airport (MIA), there's also Chalk's Ocean Airways -- starting over where the original Pan Am began -- with seaplane flights. Departing from Watson Island, the 30- to 60-minute rides to Bimini and Paradise Island in the Bahamas are exciting, anachronistic, and somewhat cramped. Still, if you've got an extra $200 to $300, a round-trip could be quite fun.

Contacts

Chalk's Ocean Airways (800/424-2557. www.flychalks.com).

Airport Transfers

The county's Metrobus still costs $1.50, although equipment has improved. From Concourse E on the ground level, take Bus 7 to downtown (weekdays 5:30 AM-9 PM every 40 minutes, weekends 6:30 AM-7:30 PM every 40 minutes); Bus 37 south to Coral Gables and South Miami (6 AM-10 PM every 30 minutes) or north to Hialeah (5:30 AM-11:30 PM every 30 minutes); Bus J south to Coral Gables (6 AM-12:30 AM every 30 minutes) or east to Miami Beach (4:30 AM-11:30 PM every 30 minutes); and Bus 42 to Coconut Grove (5:30 AM-7:20 PM hourly). Some routes change to 60-minute schedules after 7 PM and on weekends, so be prepared to wait or call the information line for exact times.

Miami has more than 100 limousine services, although they're frequently in and out of business. If you rely on the Yellow Pages, look for a company with a street address, not just a phone number. Offering 24-hour service, Club Limousine Service has shuttle vans, minibuses, and limos. One of the oldest companies in town is Vintage Rolls Royce Limousines of Coral Gables, which operates a 24-hour reservation service and provides chauffeurs for privately owned, collectible Rolls-Royces from the 1940s.

Except for the flat-fare trips described below, cabs cost $2.50 for the first [1//6] mi, 40¢ for each additional [1//6] mi, plus a toll for trips originating at MIA or the Port of Miami. Approximate fares from MIA include $19 to Coral Gables or downtown Miami, $41 to Key Biscayne. There are flat rates for five zones of the city, four of which are listed here: $32 to between 63rd Street and the foot of Miami Beach (including South Beach); $52 to Golden Beach and Sunny Isles, north of Haulover Beach Park; $43 to between Surfside and Haulover Beach Park; and $37 to go between 63rd and 87th streets. These fares are per trip, not per passenger, and include tolls and $1 airport surcharge but not tip. The fare between MIA and the Port of Miami is a flat fare of $24. For taxi service to destinations in the immediate vicinity, ask a uniformed county taxi dispatcher to call an ARTS (Airport Region Taxi Service) cab for you. These special blue cabs offer a short-haul flat fare in two zones. An inner-zone ride is $8; the outer-zone fare is $11. The area of service is north to 36th Street, west to the Palmetto Expressway (77th Avenue), south to Northwest 7th Street, and east to Douglas Road (37th Avenue). Maps are posted in cab windows.

SuperShuttle vans transport passengers between MIA and local hotels, the Port of Miami, and even individual residences on a 24-hour basis. At MIA the vans pick up at the ground level of each concourse (look for clerks with yellow shirts, who will flag one down). The company's service area extends from Palm Beach to Monroe County (including the Lower Keys). You can also ride between Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale International Airport for $23. Service from MIA is available around the clock on demand; for the return it's best to make reservations 24 hours in advance, although the firm will try to arrange pickups within Miami-Dade County on as little as four hours' notice. The cost from MIA to downtown hotels runs $10 to $13; to the beaches it can be $15 to $19 per passenger, depending on how far north you go. Additional members of a party pay a lower rate for many destinations, and children under three ride free with their parents. There's a pet transport fee of $5 for a cat, $8 for a dog under 50 pounds in kennels.

Taxis & Shuttles

Carey South Florida limousines (12050 N.E. 14th Ave., Miami, 33161. 305/892-5800; 800/325-9834 in Florida; 800/824-4820). Metrobus (305/770-3131). SuperShuttle (305/871-2000 from MIA; 954/764-1700 from Broward (Fort Lauderdale); 800/874-8885 from elsewhere). Vintage Rolls Royce Limousines (7242 S.W. 42nd Terr., South Miami, 33155. 305/444-7657 or 800/888-7657).