Water Taxi - The Best Deal in Fort Lauderdale

No matter if you (rightfully) refer to it as the Water Taxi and/or Water Bus, it is the best way to get acquainted with Fort Lauderdale and all the various tourist traps therein. Now, this company does operate also in Texas and Oklahoma City, but since I'm a Floridian at heart and that's the only place I've ridden the thing, that's what I will concentrate on. I do assume the other two locations are comparable at any rate.

What this is, is just as the name would imply: a taxi on the water. This one runs up and down Lauderdale's popular Intracoastal Waterway, and has one trip each Saturday from Lauderdale to Miami and back. The cost for all day (except that Miami run) is a mere $7. Yes, I said seven dollars. That 7 bucks gets you an all-day ticket. You can ride to your heart's content, getting off at any of their 20 stops and back on as many times as you wish. What a deal, eh? It really is.

The entire circuit, which comprises those 20 stops, will take you 3 hours if you stay on and ride the loop in one go. I've actually done this on sunny days when I just wanted to be on the water and hadn't much cash on me. This is the cheapest entertainment going, and quite pleasant.

These are longish flat bottom enclosed boats with large windows that open up giving you a pleasant breeze. There is one part in back that is open-air if you wish to get the full rays of the sun on your trip. Unfortunately, you can't smoke on these boats. Not even out on the open deck part. grr argh. But Still... They do not serve snacks or drink either like a lot of the more expensive site-seeing boats, but this is not really mainly a site-seer... that is to say it's just more of a side effect of the taxi part. You can, however, bring on a picnic basket if you should desire. I usually remember to bring bottled water at the very least. Some of the stops are for up to 10 minutes too, so you can get off and have your cigarette or buy a drink real quick if you wish to continue on with that boat.