Every chauffeur in Miami has an opinion about the causeway, and ours are the same as yours most of the time. There are three ways between South Beach and Brickell, they cost very different amounts of time, and the right one depends on the hour rather than the map.
The three ways across
The short route runs east along 5th Street and up the Alhambra Bridge. It is the fastest option in daylight, and the slowest at the wrong time, because the bridge queues back into the streets around it.
| Route | Usual time | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| 5th Street & the Alhambra | 15–20 min | Mid-morning and mid-afternoon |
| US-1 over the Anderson bridge | 20–30 min | Late afternoon and event nights |
| The long way, via Collins | 25–35 min | Gridlock, or a very slow Sunday |
When to take the long way
The bridge is the wrong choice between four and seven on a weekday, and any time a major event is on downtown. When the causeway stops moving, Collins Avenue and 26th Street get through almost as fast, and they are far more predictable.
Chauffeur tip — If you are going to a meeting in Brickell and need to be on time, tell us the time you have to arrive rather than the time you want to leave. We will build in the margin.
Local knowledge, in practice
We drive between the two districts most days of the week, so the routes are muscle memory. Morning, we take the bridge and get in early. Late, we come back down 26th Street and around the airport, because the queues have already formed.
A route that is ten minutes slower on paper is often twenty minutes faster on the ground.
Getting the timing right
A flat rate removes the fare argument and the surge pricing argument with it. Tell us the address, the hour and how many people are travelling, and we will quote the journey in writing before you book.
