7 Different Modes of Transportation in Orlando
1. Reaching Orlando
Before talking about the different modes of local transportation in Orlando, let us talk about how you can get to the city. The primary gateway that opens all the doors to the city is the Orlando International Airport, which connects Orlando to around 150 international and domestic places. Around 18 miles from Orlando is the Orlando Sanford International Airport, which is also another gateway to the city.
If you prefer taking the railways, you won’t be disappointed as SunRail has been providing its service for years and connecting Orlando to its nearby different cities. Amtrak is one of the four SunRail stations in Orlando and was built in 1926. These are just some of the ways in which you can enter the city which then opens a wide array of options to you to choose from.
The transportation in Orlando will provide you with a wide variety to choose from like rental cars, taxis, ride-share services, buses, hotel shuttle services, etc. Let us take a close look at these!
2. Book a car!
This mode of transportation is the best for people who are in a hurry or are not up for changing multiple modes of transport to reach a place and this makes the city the single largest rental market in the world. If you are one of them, you can go for booking a car, which is also considered to be one of the most convenient ways of going around the city. You can choose to drive the car yourself or hire a driver to drive you around, in both the cases, try to keep some cash handy as you will be required to pay for petrol and also the expensive tolls might make you short on cash.
Planning to book a car for a week or a month? The city has several companies that allow you to rent a car for the long-term. Do not forget to carry SunPass, EZ-Pass, I-Pass, or similar passes if you have access to it. Also, do not forget the GPS or the map of the city at home if you are unaware of the streets. Some of the cheapest car rental companies in the city are Value Car Rental, Thrifty, Hertz, etc. There are different kinds of cars that you can hire in Orlando.
Electric car- Want to go all eco-friendly this holiday? Do not miss out on renting an electric car. Drive Electric Orlando is a partnership between the rental agencies, the hotels, and the other attractions of the city to make the city more environment-friendly and give its visitors a world-class experience.
Silvercar- If you are looking for a premium experience, you can also book Silvercar by Audi which has its own mobile app and makes car rentals way easier. Being the largest premium mobility company, it helps to avoid all the traditional car rental procedures that include lines, counters, paperwork, and all the other hassles.
The cost of renting a car in Orlando: $32-$85.
Location for Silvercar: 5601 Butler National Drive Orlando, FL 32812.
Electric rental cars will provide you with free valet parking at your hotels and all the parking spots.
3. I- Ride Trolley Service
Are you staying around the International Drive Area? If yes, then you can surely avail the I- Ride Trolley Service that takes you to different places of attractions like SeaWorld, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, etc. It is one of the most convenient and affordable most of the transportation in the International Drive area in the city of Orlando.
It serves 2 routes- The Red Line, covering International Drive, and The Green Line, covering Universal Boulevard. The trolley makes a stop at almost all the places in the area which include more than 6 theme parks, more than 200 restaurants, more than 485 shops, and several hotels. You can also get unlimited passes which include a day pass as well as a fourteen-day pass. It is one of the fun ways of going about a particular area in the city.
Timings: It remains active from 8 am to 10:30 pm at night.
Cost: The ride is $2 per person per ride for adults and $1 for kids and $0.25 for senior citizens.
Location: I-Ride Trolley Service- 7081 Grand National Drive, Suite 105Orlando, FL 32819.Wheelchairs are accessible.
4. Take the bus!
Buses are one of the most common modes of transportation that most of the cities in the world will have.
Lynx, the local bus service provider, covers around 90,000 passenger trips per day and makes transportation for thousands of people easy by covering around 60 routes. Covering an area of around 2,500 square miles, it provides transportation services in and around Orlando like Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake Counties, etc. The Lynx buses provide other services like ACCESS LYNX for those who cannot use fixed route service every day, NeighborLink, which helps people in the comparatively less populated area to schedule their ride beforehand.
If it is a weekday morning or afternoon and you are late for work, do not worry, Lynx has got you covered. You can avail of their FastLink service which reduced the commuting time by reducing the number of stops. It also provides Vanpool which is an extremely affordable mode of transportation.
Location: 455 North Garland Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801.There is another option available for buses, Lynx provides a fare-free circular route, Lymmo, which serves the downtown Orlando area and connects people to the restaurants, offices, entertainment, etc.
Cost: You need to pay $12 for a 7 day pass and $38 for a 30 day pass.
Timings: Lynx services remain active for a quarter of the day and stop around midnight. You will get a bus every 15, 30 or 60 minutes.Wheelchairs are accessible.
Location: 455 North Garland Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801
Timings: Lymma buses are available every 5 minutes from 9 am to 5 pm and every 10 minutes in the evening.
5. Taxis and Shuttles
Are you going out for a dinner plan after an entire day at the office and are not willing to drive? You can definitely choose to take a taxi that is easily available near all the tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants and on the street. You can hail a cab on the streets from companies like Ace Metro, Mears Transportation, and many more. If you do not want to wait for a cab, you can also choose to download the application of companies like Uber or Lyft and book a cab to come and get you from your current location. Uber is one of the most popular and cheaper options in Orlando. There are also shuttle services that are available and that can accommodate around 11 passengers and helps people to commute from one part of the city to the other, these are connected to Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, Orange County Convention Center and many other places. Some of these shuttle services are free, however, there is some that charge.
Timings: These modes of public transportations are available for the entire day and at night.
Cost: The starting cost of taxis is from $2.23 and for shuttles, it is somewhat around $13 per person.
6. Bike/ Scooter Share
In search of an eco-friendly substitute mode of transportation, the people of Orlando came up with the dockless bike or scooter sharing. The most interesting part of this mode is that you do not have to return them to their specific locations; you can download the applications on your phone, find a device, pay for it and use it without any hassle. These are a pretty convenient option mainly for those who are comfortable with the advancing technology. These bikes or scooters should always be parked up straight and should be taken into the prohibited areas. It is also advisable to carry a helmet. Take a foot forward and help the new initiative taken by the city.
These bikes or scooters should be parked in designated areas.That is not all, not only on land, but you can also avail the waterways to travel in Orlando.
Cost: $0.25 per ride.
7. Walt Disney World Waterways
The Disney World has its own water taxis which helps to sail to and from Magic Kingdom Park from Disney Fort Wilderness and Campground, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows, and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Ferries like Richard F. Irvine and Admiral Joe Fowler, General Joe Potter, etc commute people between the Transportation and Ticket Centre (TTC) and Magic Kingdom. The water taxis that take you to the Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios leave from Disney’s BoardWalk Villas, Disney’s Beach Club Villas, Disney’s Yacht Club Villas, Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, and Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel. These water taxis and ferries take you around the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake where you can enjoy the sea breeze touching your face gently and making you forget all the tiredness that you might feel after travelling around the city.
- These water taxis are available at 15 minutes or 30 minutes interval.
- These rides are free for the guests staying at the hotel.
- Depending on the water and weather conditions, the timings of these boats vary. However, they generally start 30 minutes prior to the park opening.