Getting Around
Clearwater Beach is a beautiful place located on the Gulf Coast, but to make the most of your trip to this beach city, you might want to go beyond just the North and South Clearwater Beach.
Clearwater Beach is a favorite among national and international travelers. The beauty and excitement of this beach city also make the local Floridians proud, and you will find many residents of the Sunshine State spending some of their greatest vacations here. Locals drive in their private vehicles to this city and many travelers opt to fly in, as Clearwater Beach is fairly close to the main airports - PIE and Tampa International. Just as getting to Clearwater Beach is painless, so is getting around this popular destination.
A car isn't "really" needed to take away the best of Clearwater Beach. Nevertheless, if you like to explore places in your own style and at your own pace, Clearwater Beach has many rental options available to its visitors. Whatever your preference, from economy through luxury, from compact through minivan, rental providers have everything available at their parking lots. There are several websites available online to help you plan ahead and make reservations for your choice of car. These rental companies also provide the option of adding navigation to your vehicle if you are wary of the unfamiliar streets. You can rent a compact, a full size 4WD/AWD, a mid-size, an intermediate 4WD/AWS, luxury, minivan or premium from any of the following companies:
- Avis
- Budget
- Dollar
- Enterprise
- Hertz
- National/Avis
- Thrifty
For less than national average daily rates, you can rent a car, add a GPS navigator and depart on a fun-filled spree.
For those who feel rentals might ruin their personal budget, there is no need to be without hope. You can still go miles away from your hotel with the help of Clearwater Beach's very own trolley service. A red, open-air trolley will take you as far as the other end of the beach and the neighboring towns, like Dunedin. What's even better about this? You can stay on the trolley for as long as you want for just a dollar. Trolleys run from North Clearwater Beach to past the hotels on Sand Key. The other route for Jolley Trolley is from North Beach to downtown Clearwater. You can drop off at various resorts, restaurants and shopping malls on these routes.
Whether you are alone, with family or a large group, the trolley can help create wonderful tours for you and your crowd. There is an option to charter the trolley for large or small groups; you can arrange for a pickup from your hotel, motel or inn to the marina, far-away restaurants and entertainment options. You can also arrange with them for a two-hour narrated tour to some beautiful and historic sights other than the beaches. The trolley operator will make sure you enjoy the tour and will safely land you back at your lodging.
Although Jolley Trolley serves major purposes of many Clearwater Beach travelers, the city has another arrangement for people looking to move about in an economical way. Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) is a good option to get you between the places in Clearwater Beach, Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Tampa. Check out the bus routes and schedules from their official website to plan a day of distant explorations.
Regular fare on a PSTA bus is $1.75. Senior fare is $0.85 and student/youth fare is $1.25. If you are planning to explore several destinations by hopping on and off the bus, your best bet would be to go for their "GO" card. This card allows you unlimited rides for the entire day for just $4.00. This fare, however, is not valid on PSTA's two express routes to Tampa.
PSTA also has a Suncoast Trolley serving the local spots from downtown Clearwater to Pass-A-Grille. Running every 20 to 30 minutes from as early as 5 in the morning to past 10 at night, these trolleys can be boarded at special trolley bus stop signs located frequently along their route. Suncoast Trolley has routes going farther in distance than Jolly Trolley.
It is quite evident that Clearwater Beach is a destination that takes care of its visitors in every possible manner. Getting here is simple and so is moving about the beaches and neighboring towns. Whatever your budget allows, you are sure to find an option that will help you create best memories of this Florida city.
http://www.1010clearwater.com/vacations/essentials/gettingHere/default.aspx
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