Airport Travel Planning

Anna Maria Island and Planning Your Airport Transportation

Airport travel planning your transportation to and from Anna Maria Island involves a few considerations based on your arrival time at the airport and your travel preferences.
**Here are some steps to help you plan:**
There are three airports that normally serve the AMI area.
Tampa (TPA), Sarasota (SRQ), Saint Petersburg (PIE)

Tampa International Airport (TPA)

Distance to Anna Maria Island: Approximately 45 miles (about 1-1.5 hours by car, depending on traffic). Tampa can have heavy traffic, especially during peak business times.
Advantages: More flight options, larger and well-organized airport.
Disadvantages: More traffic, longer travel time to AMI.
Timing: Plan your arrival and departure times considering traffic and lodging check-in/ check out times. Allow 3 hours for return transportation to TPA flights.

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ)

Distance to Anna Maria Island: Approximately 35 miles (about 30-40 minutes by car, depending on traffic).
Advantages: Closest airport to AMI, less traffic and less costly compared to Tampa.
Disadvantages: Limited direct flights compared to Tampa.
Timing: Plan your arrival and departure times considering traffic and lodging check-in/ check out times. Allow 1 1/2 hours for return transportation to SRQ flights.

Saint Petersburg – Clearwater Airport (PIE)

Distance to Anna Maria Island: Approximately 40 miles (about 1-1.5 hours by car, depending on traffic). Interstate 275 can have heavy traffic, especially during peak business times.
Disadvantages: More traffic, longer travel time to AMI.
Disadvantages: There is only 2 airlines servicing PIE, Allegiant and Sun Country.
Timing: Plan your arrival and departure times considering traffic and lodging check-in/ check out times. Allow 3 hours for return transportation to PIE flights.

Private Shuttle, Transfer Services and Limousine companies: Many local area transportation companies offer direct shuttle services from TPA, SRQ and PIE to Anna Maria Island.

**Booking Transportation 2 weeks in advance is recommended**

Car rentals, Uber, Lyft and taxis are available at all the airports.

Transportation Planning – Additional Tips

Group Size: Consider the number of travelers to choose the most suitable transportation option. The age of children less that 5 years old must have child seats in Florida.
Luggage: Ensure selected transportation can accommodate your luggage comfortably. Transportation companies need to know the number of large (checked) suitcase, carry-on suitcases and items such as Stollers and portable wheelchairs.
Distance and Travel Time: Factor in travel distance from the airport to Anna Maria Island for realistic planning.
Booking in Advance: Especially during peak seasons, booking transportation services ahead ensures availability.

Additional Airports serving AMI

These airports are a greater distance to AMI, but at times they are used by vacationers.
Orlando (MCO), Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), Punta Gorda (PDG).
For additional information on these airports, please see – AIRPORTS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

Transportation on Anna Maria Island

A free trolleys services travels the length of AMI and also the northern part of the island including Pine Avenue.
A Monkey Bus service also provides transportation on AMI.
There are many Golf Cart rental services on AMI.
Bicycles are often supplied by the location you may be staying at. Bicycles rentals are also found on the internet.
For any additional information on these services please contact Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce

Here are some ways to choose ground transportation you can trust

Search for reviews on the internet
For many travelers the search for quality services begins with questioning friends who have traveled to the same area
Reviews are crucial to finding out what kind of service a company has provided for their customers in the past; ground transportation is no exception
Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce

Ask About Insurance
A legitimate car service company will go above and beyond to ensure that their customers are taken care of in the event of an accident or mishap. It’s important to ask pointed questions about insurance when interviewing potential transportation companies for your trips.

How much insurance do you carry on each of your vehicles
When was the last time you updated your insurance coverage to reflect changes in policy
What are your procedures in the event of an accident

These questions will help you get a broad perspective on your potential company’s insurance and how they might deal with issues should anything happen during your trip with them.

Ask About Chauffeur and Driver Hiring Procedures
One complaint that many travelers have about ride-sharing companies and cabs is that they don’t feel safe with their drivers.

Ride-sharing companies, in particular, have come under fire for having loose guidelines for hiring chauffeurs, leading to numerous complaints of assault or harassment by drivers on unsuspecting customers.

Your safety is the last thing you should have to worry about as your travel for pleasure. A legitimate transportation or limousine service company is the easiest way to ensure that you have a safe and reliable transportation and a trustworthy chauffeur behind the wheel.

These are some important questions to ask a potential transportation company about their chauffeur hiring practices

Do you require a background check for your chauffeurs
Do you require a driver’s history report on your chauffeurs
Do you drug test your chauffeurs before they are hired
Do you depend on contracted drivers or invest in hiring professional full-time employees

There’s a big difference between a contracted driver who is hired to handle one trip and a full-time professional chauffeur who has experience with customer transportation services. You shouldn’t pay top-dollar for a car service trip that doesn’t include the services of a true professional chauffeur.

You deserve to have ground transportation that you can depend on during your vacation trip, especially during the time crunch between your plane landing and your destination(s). Finding a transportation company you can trust and depend on is the first step in alleviating ground transportation stresses the next time you fly.

Book Cartier Limousine Services for Your Next Florida Getaway!