DIRECTIONS
Area Airports
Palm Beach - PBI
- Hotel Direction: 45 mi N
- Driving Directions: From I-95 Exit 101 Stuart, 76 East (Kanner Hwy) Right on Monterey. Right on East Ocean Blvd (A1A North) to Hutchinson Island. Hotel is appx 5 miles north on the right.
- Estimated taxi fare: 75 USD (one way)
Other Transportation
Bus Station
Arriving & Departing
By Air
(Congress Ave. and Belvedere Rd., West Palm Beach, 561/471-7400). Flying time to Palm Beach is 2¾ hours from New York and 2¾ hours from Chicago.
By Bus
(800/231-2222) buses arrive at the station in West Palm Beach (100 Banyan Blvd., 561/833-8534).
By Car
I-95 runs north-south, linking West Palm Beach with Miami and Fort Lauderdale to the south, and with Daytona, Jacksonville, and the rest of the Atlantic coast to the north. To get to central Palm Beach, exit at Southern Boulevard or Okeechobee Boulevard. Florida's Turnpike runs from Miami through the far western part of West Palm Beach before angling northwest to Orlando.
By Train
(tel. 800/872-7245) connects West Palm Beach (201 S. Tamarind Ave., 561/832-6169) with cities along Florida's southeast coast, Orlando, Tampa, and the Northeastern U.S. daily via the Silver Meteor, Silver Palm, and Silver Star. From Orlando, Amtrak's travels to and from New Orleans and Los Angeles three times weekly.
Getting Around
Overview
A car isn't necessary if you're limiting your visit to Palm Beach proper. But if you want to go to West Palm Beach or beyond, you'll need a car. There is public transportation, but the area is sprawling.
The (Banyan Blvd. and Clearlake Dr., West Palm Beach), off Australian Avenue at the west entrance to downtown, links the downtown shuttle, Amtrak, Tri-Rail (the commuter line of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties), CoTran (the county bus system), Greyhound, and taxis.
By Bus
(561/233-4287) buses require exact change. The cost is $1 or 50¢ for students, senior citizens, and people with disabilities (with reduced-fare ID). Service operates from 5:25 AM to 8:55 PM. Call for schedules, routes, and rates for multiple-ride punch cards.
By Car
U.S. 1 threads north-south along the coast, connecting most coastal communities, while the more scenic Route A1A ventures out onto the barrier islands. The interstate, I-95, runs parallel to U.S. 1 but a bit farther inland.
A nonstop four-lane route, Okeechobee Boulevard carries traffic from west of downtown West Palm Beach, near the Amtrak station in the airport district, directly to the Flagler Memorial Bridge and into Palm Beach. Plans are in the works to turn Flagler Drive over to pedestrian use sometime in the next several years.
The best way to get to Lake Okeechobee from West Palm is to drive west on Southern Boulevard from I-95 past the cutoff road to Lion Country Safari. From there the boulevard is designated U.S. 98/441.
Rates are very competitive in Florida. In West Palm Beach rentals begin as low as $16 a day and $80 a week. This does not include tax and airport access fee on car rentals, which totals 14%.
By Taxi
(561/689-4222) has a single number serving several cab companies. Meters start at $1.25, and the charge is $1.25 per mile within West Palm Beach city limits; if the trip at any point leaves the city limits, the fare is $1.50 per mile. Some cabs may charge more. Waiting time is 25¢ per 75 seconds.
