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Most travelers who fly into the area arrive at Tampa
International Airport (TPA), which is 4 mi/6
km west of downtown and is served by major domestic
and international carriers. St.
Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE)
mainly serves charter flights. Taxis, limos and
buses provide ground transportation. Rental
cars are readily available at both airports.
Car rentals are available at AAA
Rental Cars. Reserve in advance for best
selection.
Cruise ships call at terminals in
and near the Garison Seaport Center. As we went to
press, Amtrak served Tampa along the
line that runs between Miami and New York City.
While some trains stop in Tampa, connections to
others can be made via the Amtrak bus service that
runs from St. Petersburg through Tampa and meets the
trains in Orlando. Greyhound maintains
depots in both Tampa and St. Petersburg and provides
bus service to other cities in Florida and to points
outside the state.
Three major highways pass through
the Tampa Bay area: I-75, which begins
in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Canada-U.S.
border, and continues to just outside Miami; I-4,
which runs northeast from Tampa through Orlando and
ends near Daytona Beach; and U.S. 19,
which begins in Pennsylvania and ends just south of
Tampa Bay after passing through St. Petersburg.
St. Petersburg is served by public buses
run by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, and a
trolley known as the Looper runs a circular
route around the downtown area. HartLine oversees
the bus service in Tampa. There’s also a People
Mover that runs between downtown Tampa and
Harbour Island and the Tampa-Ybor Trolley
that covers downtown, Ybor City, Harbour Island and
the Florida Aquarium. |
