A four-day luxury road trip from Miami to Palm Beach

Why drive this corridor instead of taking the train

Miami and Palm Beach sit on the same coastal corridor, and two other itineraries on this site cover it without a car: a five-day trip through Fort Lauderdale done entirely without one, and a five-day luxury version that rides Brightline between cities. This itinerary takes the opposite approach on purpose. Renting a car for four days trades the ease of a train platform for the freedom to pull off at the Hollywood Broadwalk between Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, detour to a beach that caught your eye, or leave a stop early when you have seen enough. That freedom is the whole point of doing this leg by road rather than by rail.

It also changes the pace. A straight drive from Miami to Palm Beach takes about 1 hour 30 minutes on I-95, so a same-day round trip is easy but shallow. Spreading four days across three stops means shorter drives between each one, more time on the ground in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, and a deliberate half-day pause in Hollywood rather than skipping straight past it.

Before setting off, note two practical points. Florida drives on the right, standard for the United States, so this is a non-issue for anyone used to right-hand traffic but worth flagging for visitors coming from a left-hand-drive country. Second, tolls on I-95 and the Turnpike spurs are cashless: a SunPass transponder covers you directly, while a rental car without one gets billed by license plate, usually with the rental company’s own processing fee added on top. Ask about this at pickup so it is not a surprise on your final bill. See renting a car in Miami: tolls and parking before you collect the keys.

Day 1: Miami to Fort Lauderdale, on the water

Pick up the rental car in Miami in the morning and take I-95 north. The drive to Fort Lauderdale covers about 30 miles (48 km) and runs 30 to 45 minutes outside rush hour, longer if you leave during the morning commute.

Fort Lauderdale’s identity is its canals, and the best way to see them on a first visit is from the water rather than the road. A private yacht charter along the New River and the Intracoastal Waterway shows why the city earned its “Venice of America” nickname, past waterfront mansions that are hard to appreciate from a sidewalk.

book a private yacht cruise along Fort Lauderdale’s canals

Spend the afternoon around Las Olas Boulevard for lunch and shopping, or head to the beach for a few hours before dinner. Fort Lauderdale’s dining scene runs from casual waterfront spots to serious seafood, and a luxury pace here means an early dinner with a view rather than a packed schedule. See things to do in Fort Lauderdale for a fuller list. If a private charter is not what you are after, Fort Lauderdale boat tours and cruises rounds up other ways to get out on the canals. Overnight in Fort Lauderdale.

Day 2: Fort Lauderdale, then the Hollywood Broadwalk

Give the morning to whatever you did not fit in on day one, whether that is more time on the beach, the Riverwalk, or a second look at the shops on Las Olas. Fort Lauderdale rewards a slower morning rather than a rushed checklist.

Before heading further south, consider a shorter, more active outing on the water: a mini powerboat rental lets you pilot a small boat yourself along the Intracoastal for an hour or two, a different feel from a crewed charter and a good way to spend a free block of time.

In the early afternoon, check out and drive about 20 minutes south to Hollywood, a stop this itinerary treats as the thing that sets a car-based trip apart from a train-based one. The Hollywood Broadwalk is a wide, beachfront promenade lined with cafes and shops, made for a walk rather than a destination in itself. It is exactly the kind of stop a fixed train schedule would skip and a car makes easy.

Have lunch or an early dinner along the Broadwalk, or work through a few of its stands and cafes on a guided walk instead of picking one spot yourself.

join a Hollywood Beach Broadwalk food tour

Then continue the drive north. See things to do in Hollywood, Florida for what else is nearby if you want to extend the stop, or Fort Lauderdale day trip from Miami if you would rather cover this leg without the overnight. Return to Fort Lauderdale for a second night, or press on toward Palm Beach if you would rather start day three there. Overnight in Fort Lauderdale.

Day 3: On to Palm Beach and West Palm Beach

Drive north from Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach, roughly 45 miles (72 km) and about an hour on I-95, longer with traffic around West Palm Beach. Palm Beach itself is a narrow barrier island connected to the mainland by a handful of short bridges, and it is worth being clear on the geography before you arrive: Palm Beach is the island of estates and boutiques, while West Palm Beach on the mainland is where most restaurants, hotels, and everyday services actually are.

Spend the afternoon walking Worth Avenue, then take in the water from a different angle with a classic cruise along the Intracoastal past Palm Beach’s waterfront estates, a good way to see the island’s scale without trying to walk all of it.

take a classic Intracoastal cruise past Palm Beach’s waterfront estates

For dinner, cross back to West Palm Beach, where the range of restaurants is wider than on the island itself. Overnight in West Palm Beach. See things to do in Palm Beach for museum and garden options if you want a quieter afternoon instead, or Palm Beach boat tours and cruises for other ways to see the estates from the water beyond the classic cruise above.

Day 4: Palm Beach at a slower pace, then back to Miami

Use the morning for whatever Palm Beach offers that suits a slower final day: the Flagler Museum, a walk through the island’s quieter streets away from Worth Avenue, or simply more beach time. This is the loosest day of the trip by design, since the drive home is short enough not to force an early start.

If you would rather be on the water than in a museum, a private yacht rental gives you the option to set your own route for a few hours before heading back.

arrange a private yacht rental for a final morning on the water

When you are ready, the drive back to Miami is the same corridor in reverse: about 70 miles (113 km) door to door, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours depending on traffic through Fort Lauderdale. Return the car in Miami and close out the trip. If tolls came up as cashless charges during the week, expect them to show on your final rental bill rather than at the moment you drove through, per the note on tolling above.

Where this itinerary fits among the corridor trips

Itinerary	Transport	Length	Best for
Miami and Fort Lauderdale in five days	Brightline train	5 days	Travelers who prefer fixed schedules and no driving
Luxury Miami in five days	Brightline train	5 days	A relaxed luxury pace without a rental car
This itinerary	Self-drive	4 days	Travelers who want to stop wherever they like, including Hollywood’s Broadwalk

Budget notes for a luxury pace

Item	Typical range (USD)	Notes
Rental car, luxury or premium class, 4 days	$250-$600	Varies by season and vehicle class
Tolls, one round trip Miami-Palm Beach	$10-$25	Billed by plate if no SunPass, plus rental company fee
Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, per night	$250-$600	Higher in winter, December through April
Hotel, West Palm Beach, per night	$250-$700	Higher during winter high season
Boat charters and cruises	$150-$800 per person	Check the linked booking pages for the day’s rate

Prices are always worth confirming on the booking page closer to your dates, since seasonal demand around Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach moves quickly. Remember that Florida sales tax adds to every posted rate, and hotel stays carry additional tourism taxes on top of that, so budget above the sticker price. See Miami tipping, taxes, and resort fees for the full breakdown.

FAQ: driving the Gold Coast from Miami to Palm Beach

Do I need a car for this itinerary, or could I use Brightline instead?

This itinerary is built around driving because the point is stopping between cities on your own schedule, including a detour to the Hollywood Broadwalk that a train timetable would not allow. If you would rather not drive, look at the Miami and Fort Lauderdale in five days itinerary, which uses Brightline for the same corridor.

Which side of the road do you drive on in Florida?

The right-hand side, as everywhere else in the United States. Steering wheels are on the left, and intersections and highway signage follow standard US conventions.

How do the tolls work between Miami and Palm Beach?

Several stretches of I-95 and the Turnpike spur roads use cashless tolling, paid through a SunPass transponder or billed automatically by photographing your license plate. A rental car without a transponder is usually billed by plate, and the rental company typically adds its own processing fee on top of the toll itself, so ask about this when you pick up the car.

How far is Fort Lauderdale from Miami, and Hollywood from Fort Lauderdale?

Fort Lauderdale is about 30 miles (48 km) north of Miami, around 40 minutes on I-95 outside rush hour. Hollywood sits between the two, roughly 20 minutes south of downtown Fort Lauderdale, which is why it works well as a short stop rather than a full overnight.

Is four days enough to see Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Palm Beach properly?

Four days is enough for a first look at each place without rushing, provided you treat Hollywood as a half-day stop rather than an overnight. It is tighter than a full week, so expect to pick one or two activities per stop rather than everything on offer.

What is the difference between Palm Beach and West Palm Beach?

Palm Beach is the barrier island of grand estates and Worth Avenue; West Palm Beach is the larger city on the mainland, connected by short bridges. Most restaurants, rental cars, and everyday services are easier to find in West Palm Beach, while the island itself is where you go to walk Worth Avenue or see the Flagler Museum.

Should I worry about hurricane season when planning this trip?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with the highest activity from August through October, so a trip planned in that window is worth pairing with travel insurance and refundable bookings. Outside those months the risk is much lower, though it is never zero. See Miami hurricane season guide for how this plays out along the whole Gold Coast, not just Miami itself.

When is the best time of year to do this drive?

Winter through spring, roughly November to April, brings the driest and sunniest weather along the whole corridor, though it is also the highest-priced stretch for hotels in both Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. See best time to visit Miami for how the seasons compare in more detail.