Orientation
Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale is in southeastern Florida on the Atlantic coast, about 25 miles (40km) north of downtown Miami. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport is about 10 miles (16km) south of downtown. The city is set in a grid wherever physically possible (no mean feat with all that water) and divided into three distinct sections: the beach, on the eastern side of the Intracoastal Waterway; downtown, on the mainland; and Port Everglades, the cruise port south of the city. The main arteries between downtown and the beach are Sunrise Blvd to the north, E Las Olas Blvd in the center and 17th St to the south, which connects the beach to Port Everglades.
Between the beach and the mainland are almost two dozen small finger islands. Millionaire's Row, as this area is called, is on the New River, just west of the Intracoastal Waterway and east of downtown. Here, a mooring and a boat and a half comes with every house - this could well be the yacht capital of North America - and along with yachts, of course, come the millionaires who putter around on them.
Visas Overview
Canadians need proof of Canadian citizenship or a passport to enter the USA. All other visitors must have a valid passport, which should be valid for at least six months longer than their intended stay in the USA.
Travellers from countries such as Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom can enter the USA for up to 90 days under a visa-waiver program if they have a round-trip ticket that is nonrefundable in the US, and have a passport valid for at least six months past their scheduled departure date. All other travellers will need a visitor's visa. Visas can be obtained at most US consulate offices overseas; however, it is generally easier to obtain a visa from an office in one's home country.
The USA is regularly adjusting entry requirements in an effort to reduce the threat of terrorism. It is imperative that travellers double- and triple-check current regulations before coming to the USA, as changes will occur for several years. A procedure introduced in 2004 requires most visitors travelling on visas to the United States to have two fingerprints scanned by an inkless device and a digital photograph taken by immigration officials upon entry at US air and seaports.
Under new regulations to be phased in toward the end of 2005, travellers from VWP-eligible countries will need to present a biometric passport or US visa to enter the country. You don't need a visa if:
your passport was issued before October 26,
2005, but is 'machine readable';
if it was issued on or after October 26,
2005, and includes a digital photo as well as
being machine readable; or if it was issued
on or after October 26, 2006, and contains
a digital photo and 'biometric data,' such as
digital iris scans and fingerprints. Further details and information on the changes to the visa system can be found at www.travel.state.gov/visa.
Customs Overview
All incoming travellers must fill out customs declarations. Travellers must specifically disclose all agricultural products and all cash and cash equivalents worth 10000 USD or more.
Duty Free
Overseas visitors may bring in up to 100 USD in goods or gifts duty free, together with 100 cigars, 200 cigarettes and a litre of alcoholic beverages. As of this writing, Cuban tobacco products are still prohibited in the USA.
Getting There and Away
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is home to some three dozen airlines, including a few with nonstop flights from Europe. Miami International, a much larger but less 'friendly' airport, is about 48km (30mi) south of Fort Lauderdale. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport is about 16km (10mi) south of downtown. Shuttles, buses and taxis are always around for rides between the airport and downtown, or you can pick up a rental car upon arrival.
Fort Lauderdale's Greyhound bus station is on NE 3rd St at Federal Hwy, just north of downtown. There are frequent buses to Miami, from where you can catch buses to most parts of the US.
Tri-Rail trains run between Miami and Palm Beach with stops in Fort Lauderdale. The station is on SW 21st Terrace, east of central Fort Lauderdale, west of I-95.
Florida's Turnpike, the state's main toll road, runs north and south, from Miami to Longwood, a few miles east of town. I-595, the major east-west artery, connects the western suburbs with Port Everglades, the airport and downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Port Everglades Authority runs the city's enormous cruise port, the second busiest in the world after Miami. If you're arriving in your own boat, head for the Bahia Mar Yachting Center.
Getting Around
Frequent Broward County Transit (BCT) buses run between downtown and the beach, Port Everglades and surrounding towns and beaches, leaving from Broward Central Terminal, right in the heart of town. BCT's free Downtown Trolley loops through downtown, while the Wave Trolley Company's trolley service travels between downtown, Port Everglades and the beach.
Having a car is the easiest way to go, though parking is especially tight during Spring Break and you usually have to pay for it. Speed limits are enforced to such an extent that you may wonder if the local cops get a commission. Driving is on the right. Beware also the high taxes on rental cars in Florida.
Fort Lauderdale's flatness makes it a great place to get around by bike or inline skates, and plenty of places rent them out. Water taxis are a full-fledged transportation option in the canals and waterways of Fort Lauderdale. You can call from any place with a dock, and they'll swing by and pick you up.
