While Miami Airport is huge and has countless domestic & international airlines with direct and connecting flights to all parts of the world, Fort Lauderdale to the north of Miami offers a more sedate environment, but with fewer flight choices. Palm Beach International Airport, farther north and also a medium-sized airport is another choice.

1. Miami International Airport MIA, 9 miles NW of Miami, south-east Florida, is the third-busiest airport in the U.S. It hosts all major airlines, has direct flights from most major cities and is within a short drive to Miami hotels. However, it is crowded with intermittent gridlocks, harder to get around, and hosts fewer discount carriers. That said, passport and customs control for International Arrivals has improved considerably in recent years, with a more efficient procedure to move passengers through quickly. Whether you head for the Everglades or for the Florida Keys, or merely for Miami Beach or South Beach, transportation is just a few steps away. Have an umbrella ready, as a sudden downpour can drench you in minutes.

2. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport FLL, 27 miles north of Miami, a 40-minute drive, is a smaller and less crowded airport with more available discount operators. However, it has fewer choices of airlines and direct flights. Beware of check-in crowds on Friday and Saturday evenings! For a good part of the year the Port of Fort Lauderdale unloads its cruise ship passengers who will flock to the airport for their way home. And, as Fort Lauderdale is also a favored for students on Spring Break, those weeks can be quite hectic at the Airport.

3. Palm Beach International Airport PBI --located 65.3 miles from Miami Metro--is a medium-sized airport in southeastern Florida. Located 2.5 miles west of downtown West Palm Beach and 3.5 miles west of Palm Beach, along Interstate 95, it offers easy access to beaches and other area attractions. PBI Airport is situated adjacent to Interstate Hwy I-95 and is 20 miles south of Boca Raton and 15 miles north of Jupiter. It serves the Counties of Palm Beach and its surrounding four counties. Palm Beach International Airport is a hassle-free and pleasant beginning to a South Florida vacation! The passenger terminal has separate levels for arriving and departing passengers, three concourses and a large concession mall that runs the length of the building. The terminal's Customs and Immigration facility is able to handle 300 passengers an hour. The Airport's runway can accommodate aircraft up to the size of a B747-400. A host of major airlines and several regional jet services operate out of Palm Beach airport, offering direct and connecting flights to all points of the globe. Palm Beach Airport offers 1,100 short term parking and 2,300 long-term spaces. Short-term parking is available on the passenger terminal's roof. Other parking is available at the parking garage, at West- and East Lots next to the garage, and in the Park & Ride Lot (with free shuttles). To pick up an arriving passenger, use the Cell Phone Lot--stay with your vehicle until your party calls to be picked up at the curb. To get to the Airport you have several options besides taking a taxi/limo: (a) The SuperShuttle, a shared-ride van, is available 24/7; (b) the Airport is also accessible by Tri-Rail from the West Palm Beach Tri-Rail station, located at 203 South Tamarind Avenue, while a Palm Tran shuttle carries passengers to/from the Tri-Rail station to the Airport (Tri-Rail also runs between West Palm Beach and Miami, making many stops in between); (c) the Palm Tran public bus serves the airport - its stop is on the outer curb, level one (route maps are on level 1 of the Terminal).

4. Connections by small airplanes to Florida's Gulf Cost: Bear in mind that these shuttles can be delayed for hours during frequently occurring heavy downpours and severe thunderstorms.