MIA or FLL for a Fly-In RV Trip, and Why the Cheaper Flight Often Loses

If you are flying in and picking up an RV, the airport choice is not really about the flight. It is about what happens in the four hours after you land.

Miami International is about 14 miles from the gate at the Miami Seaquarium. Fort Lauderdale is about 30. There is no event shuttle from either.

Why 16 extra miles matters more than it should

You are not driving your car. You are driving a rig you have never handled, on unfamiliar highways, probably jet lagged, probably with people who want lunch.

Thirty miles of South Florida highway in a 30 foot vehicle is not a half hour. Between traffic, a wrong exit, and the fact that you will drive conservatively because everything is new, budget significantly more than the map says.

Then remember that general entry opens Thursday February 11 at 10:00 AM, and you still have to fill water, dump tanks, fuel, and buy ice before you cross the causeway.

When FLL is still the right call

Take the Fort Lauderdale flight when the rig you actually want is up there. Pickup location beats airport proximity, because driving 30 miles once is better than settling for a rental that does not fit your pass bracket or your party.

Also take it when the price gap is large and you are arriving a day early. If you have a buffer day, the distance stops mattering.

The airline rule that catches people

The survival guide notes that airlines refuse lithium scooters.

That extends further than most people expect. Large lithium batteries, including some portable power stations, run into airline restrictions. If your power plan involves flying in with a battery, check the airline's watt-hour limit before you buy the ticket, not after.

This is a real argument for renting power locally or having it shipped to your pickup address rather than carrying it.

What to have arranged before you board

• The RV pass application submitted, since it opens to ticket holders and approval is not instant.
• Ground transport from the terminal to the RV pickup point. Rideshare in a group with luggage is not always simple.
• A service stop planned between pickup and the causeway.
• Water and ice budgeted, with cash for ice.

Related

Read the MIA fly-in logistics or the FLL version. If you are landing at MIA, Doral is the nearest staging neighborhood. Coming into FLL, start from Fort Lauderdale.

Sources: the Love Burn survival guide and ticket questions.