TAMPA and ST. PETERSBURG TRANSPORTATION
Tampa International Airport (TPA) is a midsize airport with lots of doestic, Caribbean and Latin American flight connections. Car Rentals: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National serve both TPA airport. Taxis: United Cab (813-253-2424) and Yellow Cab (800-852-6222) run just a few miles from downtown Tampa. Shuttle service from TIA to downtown cost about $20. Many hotels offer shuttle service to the airport and major attractions, so check when you make a reservation.
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is a regional airport with convenient parking and plenty of flights to the Southeast. Car Rentals: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National serve PIE airport. Taxis: United Cab (813-253-2424) and Yellow Cab (800-852-6222) is only a few miles from downtown St. Petersburg. Shuttle: Many hotels offer shuttle service to the airport and major attractions, so check when you make a reservation.
TRAINS
Amtrak motorcoach runs from Tampa station at 601 Nebraska Ave to Orlando. From Orlando Amtrak Station, there are two daily Amtrak trains running in the Miami-Orlando-Jacksonville-Raleigh-Richmond-Washington corridor.
Miami-Ft. Lauderdale-Orlando-Tampa is a designated U.S. High Speed Rail Corridor by the U.S. Department of Transportation. For context about this important development, see this article about Interstate High Speed Rail.
TRANSIT
TECO Streetcar cruising along Channelside Drive
TECO Line Streecar, a 2.4 mile historic replica system that connects many favorite attractions in Tampa: Ybor City, Florida Aquarium, Garrison Cruise Terminals, Channelside dining & entertainment complex, St. Pete Times Forum, and Tampa Convention Center and downtown Tampa, where it connects to In-Town Trolley buses that circulate downtown. One-way TECO fare is $2.50, but we recommend a $5 day pass since its fun-to-ride between attractions and hotels. TECO Line runs from 11a-10p, longer on Friday & Saturday nights.
HART (Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority) is planning a Northeast Light Rail Transit line from downtown to and New Tampa, and a West Light Rail Transit line from downtown Tampa to TPA Airport. Both Light Rail Transit lines would link the coming Florida High-Speed Rail station through Ybor City to University of South Florida. HART is also launching a large Bus Rapid Transit network in the region soon.
The metro area has an large number of tollways, so keep plenty of change handy if you plan to drive a long distance. The tollways are reasonably priced, based on miles traveled. Freeways and tollways are:
Tampa Bay Freeway & Tollway Network has grown up with the metro area in the last 50 years. It recently developed a hub in downtown Tampa and is developing a similar hub in St. Petersburg. Now more of the freeway system gets you quickly to downtown Tampa, but St Petersburg has only one freeway (I-275) and you have to take one of its numerous boulevards to get to a Gulf of Mexico beach.
4 Interstate freeway from/to Orlando
75 Interstate freeway from/to Northern Florida & Miami
275 Interstate freeway connects Tampa, St Petersburg & I-75
589 Veterans Tollway connects I-275 with northern suburbs
618 Lee Roy Selmon Tollway connects I-75 with MacDill AFB
BLACK CULTURAL TRAVEL MADE EASY