I once found a round trip flight on American Airlines from San Francisco, California to Miami, Florida that cost me less than US$ 300 (with a stopover at Dallas, Texas). Since I arrived in the United States in June 2016, I have only stepped on the states of California, Nevada, and New York. That's not counting airport connections in Dallas, Texas and Denver, Colorado, and the home stay in New Jersey for my New York trip. I thought it was a pretty good deal so I bought the ticket for Thanksgiving Week 2019. Florida , the Sunshine State, was going to be the fourth state I would visit in the United States of America.
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| Thadz visits Miami, Florida |
I'm not super rich and I earn just enough to get by. Planning for a trip is some sort of a luxury. That is why prior to my trip, I did my research on how I can maximize my time in Miami, Florida without breaking the bank.
How to Visit Miami on a Budget
Based on my experience, here are 8 tips on how you too can visit Miami on a budget. It is not a comprehensive list but a practical one. Hopefully you will find this helpful.
Visit Miami on a Budget Tip #1: Visit the Magic City in Late November
Miami is known for it's year-round sunshine. After all, the Magic City is one of the major cities of the Sunshine State. The peak tourist months are from December to June, outside of the Atlantic hurricane season. It is also the time people gravitate toward warmer temperatures to escape the cold of winter. I suggest that if you want to visit Miami on a budget to go in late November, right around Thanksgiving week. By this time, it is already the tail-end of hurricane season, students are still in school, and the weather is neither too hot or cold. Hotel prices at this time are not at peak prices, the beaches are not very crowded, and there are no long tourist queues to deal with.
Visit Miami on a Budget Tip #2: Stay at a Hostel, Dormitory Room, or AirBnB Rental
Finding a place to stay is one of the biggest expense items on every traveler's list. While Miami and Miami Beach is home to one of the most expensive real estate markets in the United States, one can still find bargain hotel prices around.
Through my American Express membership, I booked a bunk bed at a mixed dormitory room at Generator Miami. Generator Miami is a quaint hotel along Collins Avenue in the Mid-Beach district of Miami Beach. The beach is literally across the street and beach towels are complimentary. The price? Around US$25 per night plus tax and a very minimal resort fee (less than US$20 for my 3 nights). Pretty good deal huh? The 6-bed dorm can even be cheaper starting at just US$20 per night.
Of course there are trade-offs. You must be comfortable sharing a room with strangers you met the first time. Aside from sleeping space, you also share a single shower stall and a single toilet. The perks? There is the possibility of meeting new friends and being able to interact with peoples of different cultures. My roommates were all from different countries. One was an Egyptian living in New York. Another was an Italian enrolled in an English as a Second Language class. And the third was a Russian tourist.
There are other hostels to choose from too, so your choice isn't really limited to just my recommendation. I did have reasons why I chose to stay at the Generator Miami and they are: The points I earn for Amex Rewards and relatively high guest ratings.
After my stay, I felt it was a great decision to stay there. Service was excellent, staff were always looking our for your needs, and it was at a very convenient location.
To book a room at the Generator Miami, visit their website.
Another affordable option you may also want to consider is AirBnB. I am pretty sure, you can find great deals there too.
If you haven't used AirBnB yet, CLICK HERE to unlock a discount on your first AirBnB rental.
Of course there are trade-offs. You must be comfortable sharing a room with strangers you met the first time. Aside from sleeping space, you also share a single shower stall and a single toilet. The perks? There is the possibility of meeting new friends and being able to interact with peoples of different cultures. My roommates were all from different countries. One was an Egyptian living in New York. Another was an Italian enrolled in an English as a Second Language class. And the third was a Russian tourist.
There are other hostels to choose from too, so your choice isn't really limited to just my recommendation. I did have reasons why I chose to stay at the Generator Miami and they are: The points I earn for Amex Rewards and relatively high guest ratings.
After my stay, I felt it was a great decision to stay there. Service was excellent, staff were always looking our for your needs, and it was at a very convenient location.
To book a room at the Generator Miami, visit their website.
Another affordable option you may also want to consider is AirBnB. I am pretty sure, you can find great deals there too.
If you haven't used AirBnB yet, CLICK HERE to unlock a discount on your first AirBnB rental.
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| Generator Miami along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach |
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| 4-bed mixed dormitory |
Visit Miami on a Budget Tip #3: Take a Walk Along Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive
I love walking! Any new place I go, I'm sure to be walking around exploring. It was no different when I visited Miami. Collins Avenue is Miami Beach's main thoroughfare. Walking along Collins Avenue allows you to appreciate the 4 distinct architectural styles that define Miami Beach: Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival, Streamline Moderne, and Miami Modern or MiMo.
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| Mediterranean Revival architecture along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida |
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| Art Deco Architecture along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida |
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| Streamline Moderne Architecture along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida |
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| Miami Modern or MiMo architecture along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, Florida |
There's an area that encompasses Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue that hosts the world's largest collection of Art Deco buildings. The area is aptly designated as the Arts Deco district. I learned that as a part of preserving Miami's heritage, there is a law that prohibits revising the exteriors of art deco buildings in Miami-Dade county.
Shopping and dining are 2 other activities one can enjoy while strolling along Collins Avenue. For nightlife, head to Ocean Drive deep into the night as that is where the party is at. I ate several times at the Tropical Beach Cafe and once at Big Pink. My shopping was mostly done at Alvin's Island.
Visit Miami on a Budget Tip #4: Get Around the Billionaire's Sandbar on the Citywide Free Trolley
If you are too lazy to walk while exploring Miami Beach, worry not. Just use the citywide free trolley service. With 4 loops, all areas of Miami Beach is accessible with the citywide free trolley service. The 4 serviced loops are South Beach, Mid-Beach, Collins Express, and North Beach. Trolley service operates from 6 a.m. to midnight from Mondays to Saturdays. On Sundays, the hours of operation for the citywide free trolley are from 8 a.m. to midnight. Schedule frequency is between 15 to 20 minutes.
For more information about this citywide free trolley service, you may visit their website.
For more information about this citywide free trolley service, you may visit their website.
Visit Miami on a Budget Tip #5: Do Not Forget to Enjoy the Beach
One of the regrets I had with my visit to Miami was not taking a dip on the waters of Miami Beach. If you ever find yourself in Miami, I suggest to designate the first day or two as beach days. The spots to be at are the beaches of Key Biscayne and Miami Beach. Should you happen to be staying at a hotel along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, the beach is more likely be less than a 100 feet from your hotel so enjoy it! Furthermore, the beaches can be enjoyed free of charge! Be cautious though. Riptides and shark attacks are real.
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| Enjoy the beach in Miami, Florida |
Visit Miami on a Budget Tip #6: Join a Bus and Boat Tour
One of the smartest decisions I made during my Miami trip was to purchase a bus and boat tour ticket. I suggest purchasing the package at a local sales location as it provides you an opportunity to haggle for a better deal. I haggled twice and got my bus tour + boat tour package at a bargain price of only US$ 39. I purchased my tour package at a sales booth inside Alvin's Island at the intersection of Collins Avenue and Lincoln Road.
I was picked up at my hotel at 9 a.m. They then brought me to their office for check-in then I hopped on a bus at 9:30 a.m. We had an awesome tour guide who was very knowledgeable about Miami. The tour guide spoke in English then Spanish. This is pretty standard in Miami, which is sometimes jokingly referred to as the "Capital of Latin America".
The bus tour took us around to the following places:
The Millionaire's Row boat tour was through Bayride Cruises. It starts with a pictorial right after boarding the boat. They then sell you the photo for US$20 towards the end of the boat tour. The boat tour passes by Biscayne Bay, the downtown skyline, Star Island, Fisher Island, Miami Beach, and Port Miami. Much of the tour focuses on showcasing the mansions of the rich and famous. Among the most prominent are real estate owned by Shaquille O'neal, Matt Damon, Shakira, Dr. Robert Frost, Gloria and Emilio Stefan, Frank Sinatra, Al Capone, Rihanna among others.
To book a Millionaire's Row boat tour, you may visit their website.
I was picked up at my hotel at 9 a.m. They then brought me to their office for check-in then I hopped on a bus at 9:30 a.m. We had an awesome tour guide who was very knowledgeable about Miami. The tour guide spoke in English then Spanish. This is pretty standard in Miami, which is sometimes jokingly referred to as the "Capital of Latin America".
The bus tour took us around to the following places:
- The Arts Deco District
- Ocean Drive
- South Beach
- Key Biscayne
- Coconut Grove
- Downtown Miami
- Little Havana
- Bayside Marketplace
We had a half an hour stop in Little Havana. While in Little Havana, they gave us free samples of Cuban coffee, we watched how handmade Cuban cigars are rolled, and shopped a little at the Little Havana Visitor Center. We had lunch at Largo's Grill in Bayside Marketplace before we boarded the boat for the Millionaire's Row boat tour. Do note that lunch was a personal expense.
To book the bus tour, you may visit their website.
The Millionaire's Row boat tour was through Bayride Cruises. It starts with a pictorial right after boarding the boat. They then sell you the photo for US$20 towards the end of the boat tour. The boat tour passes by Biscayne Bay, the downtown skyline, Star Island, Fisher Island, Miami Beach, and Port Miami. Much of the tour focuses on showcasing the mansions of the rich and famous. Among the most prominent are real estate owned by Shaquille O'neal, Matt Damon, Shakira, Dr. Robert Frost, Gloria and Emilio Stefan, Frank Sinatra, Al Capone, Rihanna among others.
To book a Millionaire's Row boat tour, you may visit their website.
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| The Freedom Tower in Downtown Miami |
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| The American Airlines Arena: Home of the Miami Heat |
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| Port Miami |
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| Thadz in Little Havana |
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| Thadz joins a boat tour in Miami, Florida |
Visit Miami on a Budget Tip #7: Get Around Downtown on the Metromover for Free
Another thing that I wish I could have done during my visit to Miami was to explore Downtown Miami. After all, it was free to move around downtown and the Brickell Financial District using the Metromover. The service also extends to the Arts and Entertainment district as well as the Park West neighborhood. It has 3 loops and 21 stations spaced out at an average of 2 city blocks.
To learn more about the Metromover, visit their website.
So there you go folks, 8 practical tips to visit Miami, Florida on a budget. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
To learn more about the Metromover, visit their website.
Visit Miami on a Budget Tip #8: Share Your Rideshare Rides
In my travels, I use rideshare apps to get me from the airport to my hotel and vice versa. Two of the more popular rideshare apps are Lyft and Uber. In some cities, you have the ability to share the costs through Lyft Shared or Uber Pool. I used this feature in Las Vegas, Nevada when I visited Sin City in November 2018. And just recently, I used it again in Miami. Where the feature is available, utilize it to unlock savings on your end.
If you haven't used Lyft yet, CLICK HERE to unlock a sign-in bonus toward your first ride.
If you haven't used Lyft yet, CLICK HERE to unlock a sign-in bonus toward your first ride.
So there you go folks, 8 practical tips to visit Miami, Florida on a budget. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
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