From FLL, the ship is a cab ride, not a drive
Port Everglades puts Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport 1.8 miles from its terminals, and gives the average taxi fare as $18–$21 for the car, not per seat.
Rent for that same hop and our estimate comes to about $55 — the airport charges, Florida’s surcharge and Broward’s 7% tax all land on a one-day rental, however short the drive.
That’s more than twice the cab, for a car you’d hand back about ten minutes after you collected it.
So at this port the real question isn’t whether to rent — it’s which airport you booked, and the answer flips as soon as you look past FLL.
1.8, 27 or 50 miles from the pier
| Flying into | One-way rental, all in | The ride it would replace | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLL, 1.8 miles | $55 | A taxi at $18–$21 for the car, the port’s average; or a private car from $69 for up to five | Taxi |
| Miami (MIA), 27 miles | $59 | A taxi at $80–$159 by the port’s estimate, or $160 for a private car seating up to four | Rent |
| Palm Beach (DJT), 50 miles | $68 | $385 for a private car seating up to four | Rent, and it isn’t close |
Each rental is our arithmetic for two people and one day, on an assumed $45 base rate: 10% for airport fees (also our assumption), Florida’s $2 surcharge, that county’s sales tax and fuel. Private-car prices are from Port Everglades Shuttle Service’s and Florida Sunshine Shuttle’s own sites, and the taxi figures are the port’s. Illustrative
Miami is where it turns over: the port’s taxi estimate starts at $80, and a one-way rental comes in around $59 — cheaper for two, not only for a family.
Palm Beach is the widest gap on the page. A private car for four runs $385, and a one-way rental over the same 50 miles saves about $300 of it, whether two of you ride or four.
What if Orlando comes first, or a road trip comes after?
| The plan | Car? | The reason |
|---|---|---|
| Landing at FLL on sail morning, any group size | No | A cab is $18–$21 for the car and about ten minutes. Every ride from FLL. |
| Landing at Miami | Yes | A one-way usually costs less than the cheapest cab. Miami to the port. |
| Landing at Palm Beach | Yes | About $300 under a $385 private car for four. Palm Beach to the port. |
| Disney or Universal before the ship | For six, yes; at four it’s about even with the bus; for two, the bus or the train | A car is one price however many ride, while seats are priced one by one. Orlando to the port. |
| A night or two on the beach | No | Beach hotels charge $59–$67 a night to park it. Fort Lauderdale before your cruise. |
| A night near the airport | No | Twelve of the twenty hotels on our list run a free FLL shuttle. The night before. |
| A road trip once you’re off | Yes, collected at the pier | One office sends its shuttle to meet you at the ship. After the cruise. |
| Driving down in your own car | Skip the rental | The port caps parking at $20 a day. Parking, compared. |
Start with the airport on your ticket
Where you fly into carries most of the weight here; the group, the night before and the days after tip the close ones.
Car seats, minivans and a $50 return rule
Florida’s car-seat law doesn’t care who owns the car. Children up to 5 need a crash-tested seat — under 4 it has to be a carrier or integrated seat, while 4- and 5-year-olds may use a booster.
Renting one at the counter isn’t cheap: Avis says a seat “usually” runs $14 a day and stops charging at $84 a rental, while Budget lists $14.50 and $87 for the same thing.
Avis also charges $50 when a seat isn’t returned where it was rented — easy to trip over when the car ends at a different office from the one it started at.
Pack your own instead: American, Delta, Southwest and JetBlue each list a checked car seat at no charge.
| Your group | What to book | Enterprise lists |
|---|---|---|
| Two | Midsize car | 5 people, 3 bags |
| Up to four | Standard SUV | 5 people, 5 bags |
| Five | Standard SUV, snugly | 5 people, 5 bags |
| Six or seven | 7-passenger minivan | 7 people, 5 bags (the full-size SUV also seats 7, with 3 bags) |
| Eight | 8-passenger minivan | 8 people, 5 bags |
Sizes from Enterprise’s US pages. The full-size SUV’s 3-bag figure appears to count the third row as in use. Checked Sept 27, 2026
Before you book a car in Fort Lauderdale
Do I need a car for a Port Everglades cruise?
Not if your flight lands at Fort Lauderdale. The port puts FLL 1.8 miles away with an average taxi fare of $18 to $21. A car starts to make sense when your flight is into Miami or Palm Beach, when Orlando comes before the ship, or when a road trip comes after it.
FLL to Port Everglades: is a taxi or a rental cheaper?
The taxi, comfortably. The port’s average fare is $18 to $21 for the car, while a one-way rental over the same two miles runs roughly $55 at an assumed $45 a day, once airport charges, Florida’s surcharge and Broward’s 7% tax are in.
Should I rent a car if I fly into Miami for a Fort Lauderdale cruise?
Usually, yes. The port’s taxi estimate from MIA is $80 to $159, and a one-way rental that stays in I-95’s toll-free general lanes often comes in under the low end, even for one or two people.
Can I leave a rental car at Port Everglades while I cruise?
The port’s garages would take it at up to $20 a day. You’d also owe the rental for every day you’re at sea, and some toll programs bill by the rental day, so returning it before you board and renting again afterward usually costs far less.
More on renting around a Fort Lauderdale cruise
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