South Florida: Fort Lauderdale, Miami and South Beach
South Florida is a different kind of trip from a theme-park week: beaches, city neighborhoods, nightlife and food. It is far from Orlando, so most visitors treat it as an overnight or longer getaway rather than a quick day out.
Getting there from Orlando
By road, use a live map for the day you travel; we do not quote a drive time because it changes with traffic. By rail, the Brightline train runs between Orlando and Miami. Wikipedia, citing the operator, reports about 235 route miles and a trip of roughly 3 hours 25 minutes, with stops that include Fort Lauderdale. We have not confirmed current fares or schedules, so check the operator: Brightline (opens in a new tab).
Fort Lauderdale
A beach city in Broward County on the Atlantic, reached by Brightline or by road. Official visitor information: Greater Fort Lauderdale visitor bureau (opens in a new tab).
Miami
A large coastal city in Miami-Dade County, the end of the Brightline line at MiamiCentral. Official visitor information: Greater Miami and Miami Beach visitor bureau (opens in a new tab).
South Beach
South Beach is part of Miami Beach, a separate city on a barrier island across the bay from Miami. Plan how you will get between the mainland and the beach. Official visitor information: Greater Miami and Miami Beach visitor bureau (opens in a new tab).
College football in South Florida
The University of Miami Hurricanes play football at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. See the college towns page and the team's own schedule.
Before you go
- Check each destination's current hours, events and beach conditions on its official page.
- Check hurricane season and the weather by month.
- Prices and availability for hotels change; we link out and do not show rates.
Around Orlando · South Florida · Gulf Coast · College towns and football · All attractions
Names identify places and institutions only and do not imply affiliation with, or endorsement by, any university, team, operator or tourism bureau. We show no team or university logos. Check each official page for current dates, hours and rules.