How to get around Miami during Art Week
Miami Art Week is a jam-packed, globally known event taking place from December 6th –10th. Though the main exhibition takes place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, other related events are scattered throughout downtown Miami and Miami Beach. To get around Miami during Art Week, you’ll want to be aware of your transportation options.
Depending on where you stay and which exhibits you want to explore, you may take a trolley, ride share, taxi or bike. If you are a Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardmember, you can take advantage of your annual $300 travel credit for reimbursements when purchasing taxi rides, car rentals and more.
Below are some helpful tips for getting around Miami during this busy event.
Using the Miami Beach free trolley
One of the perks to downtown Miami is access to the trolley, which is free. They are designed to look like the Miami trolleys from the 20th century, but have modern accommodations such as handicap accessibility and air conditioning. The routes for the trolley include:
- South Beach Loop
- Middle Beach Loop
- Collins Express
- North Beach Loop
To access some of the main exhibitions of Miami Art Week, you should use the South Beach Loop. This loop will take you to the city's major tourist locations, groceries, dining spots and of course, the Miami Convention Center. The trolleys run about every 30 minutes, but during Miami Art Week, there will probably be more shuttles, which run every 10 minutes.
For real-time updates, use the trolley tracker app to locate the most convenient trolley option in your location.
Ride sharing and taxis
Depending on where you decide to stay, you may want to consider using a ride share app or taxi. Also note that the trolley follows a set hourly schedule, so if you’re looking to stay out late or go to your locations on your own time, ride sharing and taxis may be your best option. You may want to schedule your rides ahead of time for guaranteed rides or use the “wait and save” features to lock in a lower price.
If you're a Sapphire Reserve cardmember, you can use your two-year complimentary Lyft Pink All Access membership when activated.
Some hotels also provide transportation to the events. These include, but are not limited to:
- Hyatt Centric
- Royal Palm
- Ritz-Carlton
- Lowes Miami Beach
Note that some of the exhibitions are walkable from hotels, such as the Residence Inn by Marriott in Miami Beach.
Parking at Miami Beach Convention Center
If you’re driving to Miami Art Week, you may want to park in the garage for the Convention Center, located at 2016 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139. To ensure you have a spot, use a parking reservation app to reserve and pay for a spot ahead of time.
Miami Beach public lots and parking garages
In addition to the Convention Center garage, there are other options for you to park nearby. These include:
- Omni Garage adjacent to the pavilion at 1645 Biscayne Blvd, NE 15th St.
- 1732 James Ave. — Valet
- 1667 Washington Ave. — Lot
- 237 20th St. — Garage
- 1710 Lenox Ave. — Lot
Taking Metromover, Metrorail and Metrobus
The Metromover is a free, elevated shuttle that will take you to Downtown Miami, Brickell and Omni with stations at almost every other block. For Miami Art Week, the Adrienne Arsht Metromover station will be your best bet for connections from Brickell to Downtown Miami, just a block away from the central location of the event.
For quick transportation from South Miami to the Civic Center Area, you can use the Metrorail, which also connects to Brickell. At the time of this writing, the hours run from 5 a.m. – midnight and the rides cost about $2.25 in each direction.
Finally, for 24/7 transportation, the Metrobus is available, another affordable option which connects Miami International Airport to main spots like Collins Avenue and the beaches.
Bike share
If you want to stay active and get to your desired location on your own time, bike sharing is another excellent option to get to where you want to go. You can rent a bike by the hour or purchase a membership pass for frequent use. You can dock your bike at any station located on the station map. There are apps available to check your transactions, updates and more. Of course, be sure to check the weather prior to your ride!
In summary
Whether you’re taking the trolley, taxi, Metromover, bike or other form of transportation, you will have plenty of accessible options to ensure you get to your favorite events on time during Miami Art Week. Take advantage of the various forms of transportation to not only get to and from the exhibits, but to explore this vibrant, eclectic city and its many tourist attractions.
Remember, as you’re exploring Miami, you can use your Chase Sapphire Reserve card to make the most of your dining purchases and hotel stays, including the ability to enjoy perks when booking through the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection.
