By Daniel Reyes, airport editor · Updated July 2026
Quick answer: South Beach sits about 11 miles from Miami International Airport, and there are three realistic ways to cover it. The cheapest is the Route 150 Miami Beach Airport Express bus: $2.25, daily from 5 am to 11 pm, 45-60 minutes door to sand. The usual choice is a taxi or Uber/Lyft: 20-30 minutes and roughly $40-50 on the taxi meter, or about $30-45 in a standard rideshare outside surge hours. There is no direct train: Metrorail does not cross the bay to Miami Beach. And forget the famous $35 taxi flat rate: Miami-Dade retired it back in 2022, so taxi rides run on the meter.
At a glance: MIA to South Beach in 2026
| Option | Time | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 150 (Airport Express) | 45-60 min | $2.25 | Budget, light luggage |
| Taxi (metered) | 20-30 min | ~$40-50 | No app, straight off the curb |
| Uber / Lyft | 20-30 min | ~$30-45 (surge more) | Most trips, late nights |
| Private transfer / shuttle | 20-30 min | ~$60-90 | Groups, fixed price, meet & greet |
Is there a train from Miami Airport to South Beach?
No. Metrorail serves the mainland only and does not cross Biscayne Bay, so there is no rail link to Miami Beach. The only public transport that goes all the way is the Route 150 bus. Every other option is on the road: taxi, rideshare or a pre-booked car.
Route 150: the $2.25 Miami Beach Airport Express
The Route 150 is a limited-stop Miami-Dade Transit bus built for exactly this trip. From the terminal, take the free MIA Mover (Level 3, between the Dolphin and Flamingo garages) to Miami Central Station, follow the signs down to the bus bays, and board the 150. It runs every day from 5 am to 11 pm, every 30 minutes (per the official Miami-Dade frequency sheet; exact trip times can shift with traffic).
The bus crosses the Julia Tuttle Causeway without stops, then works its way down Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue through Mid Beach into South Beach, ending near South Pointe Drive. Budget 45-60 minutes depending on where along the beach you get off. The fare is $2.25, paid with an EASY Card or the GO Miami-Dade Transit app (buy or top up at the machines in Central Station); the coaches have luggage racks. It is the best dollar-for-mile deal in Miami transport, and the catch is simply time and the schedule: after about 11 pm you are back to taxis and rideshares.
Taxi: metered now, no more $35 flat rate
Taxis wait at the arrivals (ground) level curb outside baggage claim, no booking needed. For years the ride to South Beach was a fixed $35, but Miami-Dade retired that flat rate back in 2022: the official MIA taxi page now lists metered fares only, with $2.95 for the first 1/6 mile, a $15 minimum and a $2.00 airport origination fee. In practice a South Beach run lands around $40-50 before tip, a little more in heavy traffic; SUVs and vans carry a 30% surcharge. The drive itself is 20-30 minutes outside rush hour.
Uber and Lyft: usually the best value on wheels
Rideshare pickup at MIA works from marked zones on both the arrivals and departures levels: the app tells you which door and pillar to stand at. A standard UberX or Lyft to South Beach typically prices at $30-45; late-night surge after events or around holiday weekends can push a basic car toward taxi money and beyond, so it is worth comparing the meter cab at the curb against the app quote before committing. For a deeper cost breakdown, see our Miami airport taxi vs Uber comparison.
Which should you choose? Four scenarios
- On a budget, one bag: Route 150. Nothing else comes close to $2.25.
- Family, luggage, or straight to a hotel: taxi from the curb or a pre-booked transfer; door-to-door with no transfers.
- Landing after 11 pm: Uber/Lyft or taxi only; the 150 has stopped. Compare the two prices, surge sometimes makes the cab cheaper.
- Big group (5+): a pre-booked van transfer usually beats two separate rideshares, and the price is fixed in advance.
What changed in 2026
Two things worth knowing if you last flew into Miami a few years ago. The $35 taxi flat rate to South Beach is long gone (retired in 2022), and metered pricing in 2026 puts the typical fare at $40-50. And the Route 150 keeps its full daily schedule with the standard $2.25 transit fare, still the cheapest ride to the beach. Prices re-checked in July 2026 against Miami-Dade and MIA official pages.
Getting back to the airport from South Beach
The same options run in reverse. The 150 picks up along Washington Avenue and Collins Avenue heading north; give yourself the full hour on the bus plus check-in time. Rideshare pickups from South Beach hotels are quick at most hours, but pad your schedule during Miami's event weekends, when causeway traffic can double the drive. If your trip starts or ends with a cruise, our airport-to-PortMiami guide covers that leg, and for arrivals from the other airport there is the FLL to Miami guide. Killing time before a flight instead? See the Miami airport layover guide.
Sources: Miami International Airport official taxi and ground transportation pages (miami-airport.com), Miami-Dade Transit Route 150 schedule (miamidade.gov). Fares and schedules change; figures re-checked July 2026. Image: South Beach lifeguard tower, Pexels (free license).
Related: Taxi vs Uber at MIA · FLL to Miami · Miami Airport Layover Guide
