Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (KFLL/FLL)
Fort Lauderdale, United States
Fort Lauderdale Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
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The FLL crew card
| Fastest into town | Broward County Transit Route 1 from the bus stop at the Rental Car Center: a scheduled 20 to 29 minutes on weekdays to Broward Central Terminal in downtown Fort Lauderdale, with northbound departures from the airport first at 5:08 a.m., then a 32 minute gap to 5:40 a.m., after which 15 to 25 minutes apart |
|---|---|
| First and last bus | Route 1 toward downtown Fort Lauderdale leaves the airport first at 5:08 a.m. and last at 12:07 a.m. Monday to Friday. Sunday is much shorter: first 6:41 a.m., last 9:56 p.m. There is no all-night service |
| Payments | Route 1 costs USD 2.00 one way in cash and exact fare is required, because operators do not carry change. An All Day Pass is USD 5.00 and can be bought on the bus |
| Tap water | Safe to drink in the City of Fort Lauderdale |
| Emergency | 911 (City of Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, and Florida statewide numbers. Call 911 for any emergency. The other lines cover police non-emergencies, city services, poisoning, and hurricanes.) · non-emergency 954-764-4357 (954-764-HELP) |
| Solo & at night | Taxi fares are regulated by law in Broward County and there is a taxi dispatch location on the lower level (Arrivals) at each of the four terminals |
| Crew knows | The first bus toward downtown leaves the airport at 5:08 a.m. and the next one at 5:40 a.m., so the first gap of the day is 32 minutes rather than the 15 to 25 minutes the rest of the weekday runs. That hole sits right where an early report time lands. On a weekend or a public holiday, Tri-Rail drops the zone fares and charges a flat USD 5.00 between any two stations, so the long ride costs the same as the short one. |
| Crew deals | Verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff: on this page, right below this guide. |
airlinecrewdiscount.net · FLL crew card · Checked Aug 2026 · Next check Oct 2026 · Screenshot this card for offline
Every number on this page comes from an official source. Where no official source gives a number, we say so instead of guessing.
Getting from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport into downtown Fort Lauderdale: the city bus from the Rental Car Center, Tri-Rail, or a taxi?
One city bus does the useful work here: Route 1 runs from the Rental Car Center to downtown Fort Lauderdale in one seat, and south to Hollywood in the other direction. The train is a separate journey, because Tri-Rail does not reach the terminals. The Route 1 stop on Southeast 3rd Avenue in downtown Fort Lauderdale is closed until further notice, and no replacement stop is published. Ask the driver where to get off.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus (Broward County Transit Route 1) | 20 to 29 minutes to Broward Central Terminal in downtown Fort Lauderdale on weekdays, or 24 to 30 minutes southbound to Young Circle in Hollywood northbound departures from the airport 15 to 25 minutes apart Monday to Friday, 23 to 41 minutes apart on Sunday |
USD 2.00 one way, exact fare in cash | The stop is on the upper departure level at the Rental Car Center, marked Stop G. From Terminals 2, 3, or 4 take the free Rental Car Center shuttle; from Terminal 1 use the moving sidewalk into the Rental Car Center. Route 1 runs Aventura Mall to Broward Central Terminal via Federal Highway and US 1, on a timetable marked effective 10/26/25. Broward Central Terminal is in downtown Fort Lauderdale, not at the beach. For the BEACH, Route 1 is only half the trip: ride it to Broward Central Terminal, then take Route 11 east, a scheduled 13 to 18 minutes to Las Olas Boulevard and A1A on weekdays, first from Broward Central Terminal 5:43 a.m. and last 11:51 p.m. Same USD 2.00 fare, exact fare. Route 11 timetable sheet stamped effective 24 May 2026. |
| Train (Tri-Rail, reached by a free shuttle) | 7 to 8 minutes by train between the airport station and the Fort Lauderdale station, plus the shuttle ride from the terminals shuttle approximately every 15 to 20 minutes during train operating hours; 26 southbound and 26 northbound weekday trains call at the airport station |
zone based: USD 2.50 for 1 zone, 3.75 for 2, 5.00 for 3, 6.25 for 4, 7.50 for 5 and 8.75 for 6, counting the origin and destination zones, with round trip double. Weekends and holidays are a flat USD 5.00 between all stations. The ticket machine works the zones out for you, and passes are not sold on board | The train does not stop at the terminal. Tri-Rail states ‘Complimentary shuttle bus service for Tri-Rail passengers between the Fort Lauderdale Airport Tri-Rail Station and the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL). Shuttle service runs during train operating hours approximately every 15 to 20 minutes.’ The station is at 500 Gulf Stream Way, Dania, Florida 33004. Ticket vending machines take cash, debit, and credit card during train operating hours; the staffed ticket kiosk on Track 1 is open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and closed weekends and holidays. |
| Taxi | metered and regulated by law in Broward County. The airport publishes estimates only for Port Everglades (USD 18 to USD 21 by cab, USD 45 by luxury sedan), Port of Miami (USD 86 and USD 90), Miami International Airport (USD 72 and USD 90), West Palm Beach International Airport (USD 135 and USD 145), and South Beach (USD 80 and USD 85) | Taxi podiums sit on the lower level (Arrivals) at all four terminals, reached by turning right out of Terminal 1 and left out of Terminals 2, 3, and 4. The operator states ‘Taxi Cab and luxury sedan rates are estimates and may vary’ and that ‘Taxi rates are subject to change due to the current fuel surcharge’. No estimate is published for downtown Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale beach, or Hollywood, so none is quoted here. | |
| Rideshare (Uber, Lyft) | app-priced; the airport publishes no rate | Pickup is on the lower level (Arrivals). Terminal 1 uses a temporary area just beyond the taxi podium marked Zone Z, Terminal 2 uses Ground Transportation Area GTA-2, and Terminals 3 and 4 use the first floor of the southern portion of the Palm Garage, Zones A to D, reached across the pedestrian crosswalk. Drop-off is on the upper level (Departures). | |
| Brightline airport connector shuttle | from the airport, shuttles pick up twice an hour at approximately 30 minute intervals, Monday to Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. | USD 12.00 per guest with a same-day Brightline train ticket, paid when you board | This connects the terminals to Brightline’s Fort Lauderdale station, not to the city center directly. Brightline states the shuttles ‘are available on a first-come, first-serve basis’. Stops are Terminal 1 at GTA-1 Zone B (out of Door 114, turn right), Terminals 2 and 3 at GTA-2 Zone F on the Brightline listing, but see the closure below, and Terminal 4 at GTA-3 Zone F (out of door 411, turn left). The airport operator publishes a wider 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. window for the same service; the narrower window is what we publish. |
Best Areas for Crew Stays in Fort Lauderdale, from downtown and Las Olas out to the beach, Hollywood, and Dania Beach
Downtown Fort Lauderdale and Las Olas Boulevard: The business core and the restaurant and gallery strip that runs east from it, and the end of the line for the airport bus.
Fort Lauderdale Beach: The A1A oceanfront north of Las Olas, a separate journey from downtown rather than the same trip continued.
17th Street Causeway: The hotel, marina, and cruise-terminal corridor between the airport and the beach, built around early departures.
Hollywood and Young Circle: A smaller downtown south of the airport with its own beach boardwalk, sitting on the same bus route in the opposite direction.
Dania Beach: The low-rise stretch immediately south of the runways, where the Tri-Rail airport station and much of the airport hotel belt sit.
What to Do on a Layover in Fort Lauderdale, from staying airside to downtown plus the beach
Under 5 hours: Stay airside. The Wi-Fi is free in every terminal, and a bus round trip plus screening on the way back does not sit comfortably inside a short window.
5 to 9 hours: One direction, one bus. Route 1 north to Broward Central Terminal for downtown, or Route 1 south to Young Circle for Hollywood. Pick your return departure before you leave the stop, because the gaps stretch on Sundays.
9 hours plus: Downtown plus the beach becomes realistic, using Route 1 into Broward Central Terminal and Route 11 out to Las Olas and A1A from there. Leave yourself room for two bus waits on the way back, not one.
Crew Tips for Fort Lauderdale and FLL Airport: exact fare on the bus, the stop at the Rental Car Center, and hurricane season
Paying for the bus: When boarding, exact fare is required and operators do not carry change. The adult one-way cash fare is USD 2.00, an All Day Pass is USD 5.00 and can be bought on the bus, a 3 Day pass is USD 12.00 and a 7 Day pass is USD 20.00. Fares and trip planning also sit in the operator’s own RideBCT app, which takes Apple Pay and Google Pay. If you arrive on Tri-Rail and board a bus at a Tri-Rail station, the transfer fare is USD 0.50 with proof of Tri-Rail payment; board anywhere else and you pay the full fare.
Finding the bus stop, which is not at the terminal: Route 1 does not call at the terminal curb. The stop is at the Rental Car Center, marked Stop G. From Terminals 2, 3, or 4, take the free Rental Car Center courtesy shuttle from the lower level (Arrivals); it runs every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From Terminal 1, follow the Rental Car Center signage to the Concourse B pedestrian bridge on level 2 instead. Build the shuttle leg into your timing, not just the bus ride. Note the redirect: the Rental Car Center shuttle no longer picks up at GTA-2. From Terminal 2 follow signage to GTA-1, from Terminal 3 to GTA-3, because the GTA-2 pickup area is closed for the Terminals 2 and 3 connector construction.
Moving between the four terminals: There is no terminal-to-terminal shuttle loop. The courtesy shuttles only run between the Rental Car Center and the terminals. The airport’s own instruction is that to move between terminals you ‘either use the curbside walkways or parking garage walking trail (follow ground-level directional arrows) or hop on a parking garage tram’. It is all landside, so allow for a fresh security screening. Two curbside pickup areas are closed until further notice, GTA-2 for Terminals 2 and 3 and GTA-4 east of Terminal 4, for construction of the post-security connector walkway between Terminals 2 and 3. The operator’s redirect names three services only: for the Rental Car Center, hotel and off-airport parking shuttles, Terminal 2 passengers follow signage to GTA-1 and Terminal 3 passengers to GTA-3. Brightline and Tri-Rail shuttles are NOT named in that redirect and their listings still say GTA-2, so the operator has not published which applies to them. Follow the signage and ask, rather than assuming either.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi is free in all terminals, all concourses, and the Rental Car Center. Only five network names are authorized: Airport-Wifi-Terminal_1 through Airport-Wifi-Terminal_4 and Airport-Wifi-Rental_Car_Center. The airport warns ‘Do not connect to other SSIDs’ and states ‘There is never a charge for wireless internet access provided by FLL. If you are asked for a credit card number when accessing this service, please contact FLL Customer Service at 1-866-I FLY FLL (1-866-435-9355).’ The airport also states plainly that it ‘does not scan, filter, monitor, or block traffic through this internet connection’, so treat it as an open network and use your own VPN for anything with a crew login in it.
Luggage storage: Public Baggage Storage runs in Terminals 1, 2, and 3, and the Terminal 4 location is temporarily closed until further notice. Terminal 1 is pre-security on the 2nd floor near the Concourse B exit, Terminal 2 is on the lower level near baggage claim, and Terminal 3 is on the Baggage Claim Level next to the JetBlue bag service office. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at weekends, except Terminal 2, which is open Monday and Friday only on weekdays. Call 954-359-5505 before you count on it. The airport publishes no price.
Hurricane season: The National Hurricane Center states that ‘The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30’, and that on the 1991 to 2020 climate record an average season brings 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. That is an operational fact for a South Florida layover, not a reason to avoid one: check the forecast before you plan a long day out in those months, and note the Broward County hurricane hotline in the emergency table below. No risk level is claimed here for any given date.
Emergency Numbers for Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida, and the United States
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| Emergency (police, fire, medical) | 911 |
| Fort Lauderdale Police Department, non-emergency | 954-764-4357 (954-764-HELP) |
| City of Fort Lauderdale 24-Hour Neighbor Service Center | 954-828-8000 |
| Florida Poison Information Center Network (poisoning questions and emergencies) | 1-800-222-1222 |
| Broward County Emergency Management Division | 954-831-3900 |
| Broward County hurricane hotline | 311 or 954-831-4000 |
| United States country code (calling from abroad) | +1 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
How do I get from Fort Lauderdale airport to downtown Fort Lauderdale?
Take Broward County Transit Route 1 north to Broward Central Terminal. The scheduled run is 20 to 29 minutes on weekdays and the fare is USD 2.00 one way in cash, exact fare only. The stop is not at the terminal curb: it is at the Rental Car Center, marked Stop G, reached by the free Rental Car Center shuttle from Terminals 2, 3, and 4, or by the Concourse B pedestrian bridge from Terminal 1.
Does the Tri-Rail train stop at Fort Lauderdale airport?
No. The Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport Station sits at 500 Gulf Stream Way in Dania, a few miles from the terminals, and Tri-Rail runs a complimentary shuttle bus for its passengers between that station and the airport, approximately every 15 to 20 minutes during train operating hours. Twenty-six southbound and twenty-six northbound weekday trains call there, and the ride from there on to the Fort Lauderdale station is 7 to 8 minutes. Budget for the shuttle leg as well as the train leg.
How much is the bus from Fort Lauderdale airport into the city?
USD 2.00 one way, in cash, with exact fare required because operators do not carry change. An All Day Pass is USD 5.00 and can be bought on the bus, which pays off from three rides. If you arrive on Tri-Rail and board a bus at a Tri-Rail station, the transfer fare is USD 0.50 with proof of Tri-Rail payment.
Can I get from Fort Lauderdale airport to the beach by bus?
Yes, but it is two buses and not one. Route 1 runs from the Rental Car Center to Broward Central Terminal in downtown Fort Lauderdale, and Route 11 runs from Broward Central Terminal out to Las Olas Boulevard and A1A at the beach in a scheduled 13 to 18 minutes on weekdays. Downtown and the beach are different journeys, so budget for two waits on the way back.
Is tap water safe to drink in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes in the city itself. The City of Fort Lauderdale states that it continues to provide drinking water that meets or exceeds local, state, and federal requirements.
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Crew Discounts in Fort Lauderdale: verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff sit right below this guide. Bookmark this page before you head over to the Rental Car Center. Next Fort Lauderdale rotation you start on the rates instead of from scratch.
