Public transportation is one of the easiest ways to get around while visiting a city. Instead of figuring out how to rent a car, where you will be able to park it, and how to navigate the city on your own, you can just let someone else drive for you. As long as you understand the different types of public transportation and roughly where they go your trip will go off smoothly.
Orlando, Florida has a variety of public transportation options available. The city provides buses and trolleys like many other cities. They also provide shuttles connecting hotels, airports, and resorts. Orlando is also planning on putting in trains, providing easy access to neighboring cities.
While it is good to know that you have options for getting around Orlando, you still want to know where you should go to get to your destination. After some research, here are some things that may help you navigate Orlando quickly.
Locations to Know About When Using Public Transportation in Orlando
The first area that you may need to know about in Orlando, Florida when using public transportation is the area around the Orlando International Airport. The airport is separated from the rest of the city of Orlando and is in the southeast corner of the area. Part of this is likely due to people not wanting to live in an area where they will constantly be hearing airplanes take off and land.
Since it is separated from the city, you will have to find some sort of transportation in order to get to the resort area and the downtown area of Orlando. In order to do this, you will need to take a taxi or shuttle.
The second area of Orlando is the downtown area. This area serves as a kind of bridge between the two areas. The city of Orlando is shaped kind of like a crescent moon, with the airport and the resort areas being the ends of a bridge and the downtown area to the north of both of them serving as the highest point on the bridge.
While the downtown area isn’t as popular with tourists, there are still some attractions and hotels in this area. It also is where you may need to transfer if you are using multiple forms of transportation.
The final area that you should be familiar with is the resort area. This area sits in the southwest corner of the city and is packed to the gills with tourist attractions. This is where you will find the majority of the resorts in Orlando. There are also a large number of hotels that service most of the tourists passing through this area.
There are a couple of public transportation options that are dedicated to helping you explore this area. The I-Ride Trolley in particular focuses on helping tourists up and down the roads in this area. With that in mind, here are some of the ways that you can get around Orlando during your next visit.
LYNX Bus
The LYNX bus system
controls the buses that run throughout the city of Orlando, Florida. If you are new to the city, this may be the best way to get around the city. By taking a bus, you can get just about anywhere in the city. Many of the buses help to connect the downtown area to some of the farther out areas of the city, but they can also be used for shorter trips.
You can even use a LYNX bus to get to and from the airport, though it may be a little difficult to ride a bus with your luggage. There are two main types of LYNX buses; those restricted to the downtown area and those with a wider range. Let’s look at the downtown buses first.
Downtown (LYMMO)
There are three different downtown buses in Orlando. They are called respectively the Orange, Grapefruit, and Lime lines. Each of the bus lines runs in a loop, connecting several city blocks together in one route.
The Grapefruit Line is the southernmost line. The main attractions here are the Orlando City Hall and the Wells’ Built museum. The Orange Line runs between the areas covered by the grapefruit and lime lines. It starts down by the Church Street Train Station running north past the city library and post office before making a turn to the west around the Central Business District. It heads west before looping around and heading back south.
The Lime Line starts at LYNX Central Station before making two loops around the area, one to the north and the other to the south. To the north, it passes through the North Quarter, and to the south bus goes through the Central Business District. Businessmen often take the south bus when commuting to work via public transportation.
Each of these buses runs in a dedicated lane just for buses. This means that even during times of high traffic, which in Orlando can make some streets unpassable, the buses will continue to run regularly. Each of these bus lines runs consistently with a bus stopping by each stop around every 10 minutes.
The best part of this public transportation system is that any of these three buses are completely free to ride. If you need a quick way to get around the downtown area, look out for the LYMMO buses.
Other Buses to Know About
Buses are an excellent way to cover quite a bit of ground quickly. Here are some other important buses that you should know about while traveling in Orlando. The 38, 300, and 350 bus lines are all express bus lines connecting the resort area to downtown Orlando.
The 42 line connects the airport to the resort area, so if you want to head to one of the parks straight from the airport, this may the line for you. The 51 line connects the airport to the LYNX central station. From this central bus station, you can find a bus that will take you anywhere you want in the city.
It is easy to pay for a ride on a LYNX bus as well. If you would like to make a single ride it will cost you $2. However, if you plan on making multiple bus rides in a day look into getting an unlimited pass. An unlimited pass lets you ride as much as you want that day on any of the city buses. It cost $4.50 and must be purchased from the bus driver when boarding a bus. Make sure that you have exact change when buying a bus ticket since the drivers will not be able to offer you change.
I-Ride Trolley
When you are in the resort area, it may be difficult to find your way around. Although the resorts only make up a small portion of the city, there are a large number of buildings and attractions crammed into this area. In order to navigate this area, you will need a little bit more than just your feet.
That is where the I-Ride Trolleys come in. These trolleys are dedicated to the resort area and move people quickly between different destinations. There are two different trolleys: the Green Line and the Red Line. Each serves similar areas, but there are some key differences as well.
Red Line
The Red Line runs along International Drive in the resort area. International Drive contains many popular tourist areas, as well as some hotels at either end.
The big difference between the Red and Green lines is their routes. While the Green Line has a more varied route, the Red Line almost always stays on the International Drive. In fact, the only major departure the Red Line makes from this route is a couple of stops around Seaworld.
Green Line
The Green Line is similar to the Red line. It also runs along the International Drive for portions but also separates into other areas. It breaks off the Red Line to head deeper into the resort area before reconnecting with the International Drive just past Seaworld. It soon breaks off onto Universal Drive, which it follows to the end. The end of the Green Line also is much further north than the red line.
If you would like to ride the Trolley you can get a single ticket for $2. You can also get a day pass for $5. Tickets can be used for the Red or Green trolley lines. The Red Line stops every 15 to 20 minutes, while the Green Line is less regular, only stopping by every half hour or so.
Shuttles
If you are looking for an easy way to get around Orlando, Florida, check out the shuttles. Many hotels offer complimentary shuttles from the airport or to many of the parks and resorts. Check and see if your hotel offers one of these. If not, you can always buy a ticket for one. Shuttles are typically cheapest if you are traveling by yourself or with one or two other people.
