Getting around Miami during big event weeks

A few weeks a year, Miami becomes a different city. The boat show in February, Ultra in March, the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend in spring and Art Basel in early December bring huge crowds, road closures and hotels full of visitors. Getting around still works. It just rewards planning.

Book as early as you can

ETM is one chauffeur and one Suburban, so on the busiest nights of the year a date fills and stays full. If you know you will be in town for an event week, book the car when you book the hotel. Event-week pricing applies during those dates, and hourly rides carry a longer minimum; the calculator on the rates page accounts for both, so there are no surprises when Fernando confirms your quote.

Expect closures and pickup zones

Big events close streets, move valet lanes and set up designated drop-off and pickup areas. Around a stadium or a waterfront festival, the car often cannot wait at the gate. Look at the event’s own transportation page before you go and send us what it says. Fernando plans the route around the closures and agrees a pickup point with you before you walk in, so you are not searching for each other in a crowd.

Hourly or point to point

Point to point works well for one clear trip: from the hotel to the fair, or from dinner to home. When your day has several stops, such as a few gallery openings, a dinner and a late party, booking by the hour keeps the car with you. Moving on to the next stop takes a text, not a new booking and a new wait.

• Choose point to point for one drop-off and one pickup at set times.
• Choose hourly for several stops, uncertain timing, or a night that might change shape.
• Either way, plan the ride home when you book. It is the ride that gets hardest to find at the end of the night.

Event-week habits that help

• Keep your phone charged; the Suburban has chargers in the back.
• Agree on a pickup point, and a backup point, before you go in.
• Leave a few minutes before the crowd does, or wait a little after it clears.
• Allow extra time for anything that crosses the causeways to Miami Beach.
• Send your hotel and your event schedule together, so the plan fits the whole day.

Not just the famous weeks

The same advice holds for a big game, a sold-out concert or a holiday weekend. Whenever the whole city is heading to the same place at the same time, a booked car with a plan beats trying to find a ride at the curb.