Travel: Flights to Miami from Birmingham (bhx)

Miami International Airport (IATA: MIA) is located just west of the city in an unincorporated, suburban area. It is an important hub for traffic between North America and Latin America: Spanish is just as likely to be understood as English. The international traffic makes MIA a large and congested place. Be sure to allow extra time when departing MIA, particularly if flying internationally, as you may face an hour-long line just to check your bags. Curbside check-in is an excellent idea.

The predominant carrier at MIA is American Airlines, which has direct flights to most major cities in the Americas and several European cities as well. European and Latin carriers are well-represented at MIA, although the airport has no direct service to Asia, Africa or Oceania.

Fort Lauderdale International Airport (IATA: FLL) is 25-40 minutes north of Miami proper, depending on traffic, and does not have nearly as many international routes. However, it is smaller and less trafficked than MIA, making customs, immigration and security much easier. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue and other low-cost carriers generally use FLL instead of MIA, making FLL a cheaper alternative in many cases as well.

While public transport is available to MIA and FLL, it is not a realistic option for someone arriving with luggage and no knowledge of the area. Your best option is to take a taxi from the airport, or rent a car. MIA's car rental facilities are scattered around the airport and connected to the terminal by shuttle buses: FLL's facilities are more conveniently located in the parking garage adjacent to the terminals.