Florida - Breakers resort hotel: PBI, FLL or MIA, and transport?

We're planning a trip to the Breakers resort in Florida and are trying to minimize travel costs.

It seems much more expensive to fly to PBI (with many fewer flight options from LGA/JFK/EWR and no AA nonstops) than to fly into FLL or MIA. I'm talking $350-370 per person rather than $450 or even $600 or $700.

(One passenger is PLT and the other is GLD so buying the cheaper fare and then standing by to a co-terminal, if PBI/FLL/MIA are co-terminals, might just be an option, although I'd be loth to rely on it around Christmas.)

However, I'm not sure whether the cost of getting from the relevant arrival airport to the hotel will wipe out the savings, since travel options from airport-hotel and back are unclear.

The Breakers seem to offer a shuttle to/from PBI but it costs $80 for what Google maps suggests is a 15 minute drive, which seems exorbitant.

Google Maps seems to suggest TriRail is an option coming from MIA or FLL to the Breakers, but I'm not sure if it would be running (or running reliably) on December 22nd or 26th when we'd be traveling.

What would you recommend? Hiring a car is not the best solution (unless it could be hired at MIA or FLL, say, for one day and then dropped off at PBI without penalty) because it will sit unused for the whole vacation other than the trips to/from the airport(s). But is it unavoidable?

Can one take TriRail from MIA or FLL to West Palm Beach and then pick up a taxi on the street to the hotel? How much would that cost? And is it even doable -- I know that in most places in the USA, cabs must be prebooked (and may not even arrive for pickup when expected) rather than hailed on the street as in NYC?

One last thought: is it worth giving up on flying AA and just taking JetBlue nonstop from LGA/JFK to PBI, if the AA options to MIA/FLL won't work, given the transport issues?

Unless the price of flying to FLL + renting a car is substantially cheaper than just taking the more expensive flight to PBI, I would go with the PBI flight.

You can get a cab at PBI and be at your hotel in less time than it would take just to get out of the rental car centers at FLL or MIA. Tri-rail and other options are too much of a hassle in my opinion.

If you take the Tri-Rail to West Palm the station is downtown and there will be taxis waiting in the parking lot when the train arrives. From there it's about five to ten minutes to the Breakers. Easy to do from either MIA or FLL when the trains are running on time which seems like about 1% of the time.

On Weekends, the trains run every two hours or so. What time do you get in?

At MIA, you take a bus from the MIA Airport Bus station, two islands out around the E terminal area, ground level to the Tri-Rail Station. Ride is about a 5 minutes.

At FLL you take the Tri-Rail shuttle bus to the station, ground level, stops at each terminal. Takes about 10 minute

Weekend Fare is $5.00 from MIA/FLL and Weekday from MIA is $6.90 and FLL is $6.25

Schedule at http://www.tri-rail.com/rider_info/train_schedules.htm

Have you asked the hotel if they can pick you up at the West Palm Station and if so, how much they charge?

TW

(...... and then standing by to a co-terminal, if PBI/FLL/MIA are co-terminals, might just be an option, although I'd be loth to rely on it around Christmas.)

PBI is not a co-terminal with FLL/MIA. MIA and FLL used to be considered co-terminals. The last time i tried to standby for a FLL flight when ticketed to MIA I was told they dont consider them such anymore and I couldn't stand by. I am PLAT. I am not sure if that is correct of if it was just an agent at DFW making things up as they do sometimes! :)

I have been able to standby for FLL/MIA/PBI when there are weather issues or irregular ops.

TW

What would you recommend? Hiring a car is not the best solution (unless it could be hired at MIA or FLL, say, for one day and then dropped off at PBI without penalty) because it will sit unused for the whole vacation other than the trips to/from the airport(s). But is it unavoidable?

Well, actually a one-way car rental is an option. Try Thrifty http://www.thrifty.com and pick up the car at FLL and drop off at PBI. Use corporate discount # 004M001010. This is the Orlando Magicard rate (available to all), but it works very nicely in other cities (and states).

Breakers is a very nice resort.. We stayed over a weekend for conference.. they have a great kids program and babysitting program. We stayed in Orlando and drove out.. but we were there for Disney World, Universal, Cape Canaveral, etc. as well as conference.

The Breakers seem to offer a shuttle to/from PBI but it costs $80 for what Google maps suggests is a 15 minute drive, which seems exorbitant.


Pretty much everything associated with the Breakers is exorbitant. Sunday brunch is awesome. Best $79 brunch I have ever had.

Pretty much everything associated with the Breakers is exorbitant. Sunday brunch is awesome. Best $79 brunch I have ever had.

Our family had the Sunday Brunch at the Breakers as well.. Worked out not bad, because we had prepaid breakfast with the conference, so just paid the difference.. and our 2 year old back then was free.^ Its' a very nice brunch.. I think there was one brunch where unlimited lobster tails were served at a Mother's Day Brunch at the Banff Springs Hotel.. don't know if that counts as a Sunday Brunch.. but we frequent the Sunday Brunch at BSH Bow Valley Grille.. very nice as well. Mauna Kea on the Big Island has an excellent Sunday Brunch as well.

I have a somewhat related question. I will be flying into and out of FLL and staying on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale initially, which is no problem. Here's the rub: halfway through my trip, I'm switching hotels from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami Beach.

Other than the obvious cab/car-related options, is there a relatively cheap and reliable way to get (1) from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami Beach, and (2) from Miami Beach to FLL for an early morning departure?

If it matters, I'll be traveling with young children, but they're city kids and are used to all types of public transportation.

1st choice : fly to PBI and take a taxi (and get your trip off to a good start)

2nd choice : FLL and use one of these options:

http://www.broward.org/AIRPORT/TRANSPORTATION/Pages/Default.aspx

3rd choice : MIA....I would avoid this choice for many valid reasons. (traffic, cost, distance) Flying into miami to get to west palm is like flying into ewr to get to islip.

I have a somewhat related question. I will be flying into and out of FLL and staying on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale initially, which is no problem. Here's the rub: halfway through my trip, I'm switching hotels from Ft. Lauderdale to Miami Beach.


http://www.broward.org/AIRPORT/TRANSPORTATION/Pages/Default.aspx

This link may also help you. Look at the Transportation Choices Chart.

Take B6 into PBI and enjoy your vacation. It is a vacation, right? You can make it into a hassle if you really want to do so by using the wrong airport.

Unless the price of flying to FLL + renting a car is substantially cheaper than just taking the more expensive flight to PBI, I would go with the PBI flight.

You can get a cab at PBI and be at your hotel in less time than it would take just to get out of the rental car centers at FLL or MIA. Tri-rail and other options are too much of a hassle in my opinion.

I second this advice. In general, it's pretty straightforward math. If the cost of flying into FLL + ground transportation (RT car service or rental car & parking & gas) is less than the cost of a flight into PBI plus ground transportation (RT car/cab service or rental car & parking & gas), then I'd go with FLL. BUT, I will say that the savings would need to be more than $50 or $100, given that you'll have to trek up & down I-95 to get to/from Palm Beach. Miami is a non-starter for me. I'm not a fan of the airport and have no desire to make the drive up & down I-95 between MIA and Palm Beach. My time and happiness is worth more than any potential savings.