Miami, Florida Hotels and City Guide

Miami - Travel Tips

When to Go

Seasons

You can't get much further south in the US than Miami, so when it gets hot, it's searing; consequently winter is the peak season. The city bulges at this time: most of the US squeezes in while the rest of the country freezes their Fanny-Maes off. The 'in-between' months, especially August through to November, see a range of enticing festivals so reservations come in handy at this time. The Calle Ocho Festival in March and the White Party in November especially draws the crowds.
 
Miami is a city that loves festivals with the nine-day 'Carnaval Miami' at the beginning of March being the largest. There are smaller festival celebrations and contests going on throughout the Carnaval period, including concerts at the Orange Bowl, the 'Miss Carnaval' contest and the 'Calle Ocho' cooking competition in Little Havana. From the end of May through to the middle of June, The International Hispanic Theater Festival presents productions by theater companies from all over Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe.

In August the Annual Miami Reggae Festival takes place in Bayfront Park and in November the Miami Book Fair attracts writers and publishers from all over the world. Finally, to bid goodbye to the old year and welcome in the new, the spectacular 'Orange Bowl Parade' is followed by the 'Big Orange' celebration and a fantastic fireworks display over the city.

Events

Deco Weekend
January
Festival for the preservation and celebration of art deco,
South Beach
Website: www.artdecoweekend.com

FedEx Orange Bowl
January
Two of the top US football teams compete for Orange Bowl title, Pro Player Stadium
Website: www.orangebowl.com

Coconut Grove Arts Festival
President’s Day weekend
February
Multimedia arts event,
Coconut Grove
Website: www.coconutgroveartsfest.com

Miami Improv Comedy Festival
January
Comedy groups from across America perform,
Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium
Website: www.miamiimprovfestival.com

South Beach Comedy Festival
January
Four-day event, Jackie Gleason Theater
Website: www.southbeachcomedyfestival.com

Annual Homestead Championship Rodeo
January
Seven-event rodeo
Homestead
Website: www.homesteadrodeo.com

Annual Miami International Map Fair
January
Antique map dealers gather from around the world
Historical Museum of Southern Florida
Website www.hmsf.org

Miami International Film Festival
Early February
10-day festival featuring Hollywood and International independent films and celebrity parties in the Design District, Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Miami, and other venues Website: www.miamifilmfestival.com

South Beach Wine and Food Festival
Late February
Culinary festival featuring world-class wine and food tasting, gourmet dinners and culinary demonstrations, various venues
Website: www.sobewineandfoodfest.com

Miami International Boat Show and Strictly Sail
February
One of the largest new boat shows in the world
Miami Beach Convention Center
Website: www.miamiboatshow.com

Ford Championship
Late February-early March
Golf tournament
Doral Golf Resort and Spa

Florida Derby
April
Horseracing
Gulfstream Park
Website: www.gulfstreampark.com

Carnaval Miami
Early March
A nine-day festival, with parades and entertainment leading up to Calle Ocho Festival,
Little Havana
Website: www.carnavalmiami.com

Calle Ocho Festival
Early March
The largest one-day Cuban-American festival and street party in America
Little Havana

Miami International Orchid Show
March
Sheraton Miami Mart Hotel
Website: www.southfloridaorchidsociety.org

Greater Miami Mardi Gras
March
Street parade and festival
Biscayne Boulevard

Acura Miami Race Week
March
Major international sailing regatta
Key Biscayne and Miami Beach
Website: www.premiere-racing.com

Archaeology Fair
March
One-day event
Deering Estate
Website: www.deeringestate.com

Miami Wine and Food Festival
March
One of the top 10 wine events in the nation
South Florida InterContinental Miami
Website: www.miamiwinefestival.org

Sony Ericsson Open
Late Mar-early Apr
ATP tour tennis competition
Crandon Park Tennis Center Key Biscayne
Website: www.sonyericssonopen.com

Miami Beach Dance Festival
April
Contemporary and traditional dance performances
Byron-Carlyle Theatre
Miami Beach
Website: www.floridadanceassociation.org

Great Sunrise Balloon Race and Festival
April
Over 40 hot air balloons compete
Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport
Website: www.sunriseballoonrace.org

Miami/Bahamas Goombay Festival
First weekend in June
Three-day Caribbean entertainment and food festival
Coconut Grove
Website: www.goombayfestivalcoconutgrove.com

Fourth of July
4 July
rides parade food stalls and fireworks
Bayfront Park and Key Biscayne

Hispanic Heritage Festival
October
The oldest Hispanic cultural festival in America with food fair and entertainment for a month leading up to a street party Festival of the Americas
Various venues
Website: www.hispanicfestival.org

Festival Miami
October
Four-week international music festival featuring world premieres concerts chamber music and jazz
Various venues
Website: www.music.miami.edu/festivalmiami

Junior Orange Bowl Festival
October-January
the world’s largest arts culture and sports festival for youth; an accompanying parade takes place between Christmas and New Year’s
Various venues
Website: www.jrorangebowl.comf

South Miami Art Festival
First weekend in November
A juried festival and fair of artists and craftspeople
Sunset Drive

Miami Book Fair International
Mid-November
Leading up to Thanksgiving night readings lectures and workshops with top authors book fair
downtown Wolfson campus of Miami-Dade Community College and other venues
Website: www.miamibookfair.com

Annual Winternational Thanksgiving Day Parade
Fourth Thursday in November
starts at the Orange Bowl

King Mango Strut Parade
26 December
A quarter-century old tradition the parade parodies traditional holiday parades and spoofs national figures and current events
Coconut Grove

FedEx Orange Bowl Parade and Big Orange New Year’s Eve Celebration
31 December
Football season events
Downtown Miami

Local Holidays

1 January: New Year’s Day
3rd Monday in January: Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday
3rd Monday in February: President’s Day
Last Monday in May: Memorial Day
4 July: Independence Day
1st Monday in September: Labor Day
2nd Monday in October: Columbus Day
11 November: Veteran’s Day
4th Thursday in November: Thanksgiving
25 December: Christmas Day

Visa and Passports

Entry requirements for UK nationals: UK passport holders require a valid passport for travel to the USA. Under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), most British citizens do not require a visa for holiday, transit or business purposes providing their passports are machine-readable, the stay does not exceed 90 days and a return or onward ticket is held. Holders of other UK passports do require a visa.
Entry requirements for Canadians: Canadians do not require a visa, only a valid passport. Visitors should hold tickets and documents required for return or onward destination.
Entry requirements for Australians: Australian nationals do not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program; a valid machine-readable passport and a return or onward ticket is required if travelling by sea or air.
Entry requirements for South Africans: South Africans must hold a passport valid at the date of entry; a visa is also required. Visitors must have return or onward tickets and the necessary documents for further travel.
Entry requirements for Irish nationals: Irish nationals require a valid passport. Irish passport holders qualify for the visa waiver programme, but a machine-readable passport (MRP) must be presented to gain visa-free entry to the country, which allows a stay of up to 90 days. Visitors must have return or onward tickets and all necessary documents for further travel.
Entry requirements for New Zealand nationals: New Zealand nationals require a valid passport, but do not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days under the US Visa Waiver programme. A machine-readable passport is necessary to qualify for the programme. A return or onward ticket is required.

Passport/Visa Note: Visitors entering the country under the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP) must have a machine-readable passport (MRP) that has a bar code on the photo page. From 26 October 2006 eligible travellers under the VWP must include biometrics in their machine-readable passports if they wish to enter the country without a visa, containing unique personal data such as fingerprints or iris details. All new passports issued on or after 26 October 2005 must contain a digital photo image in order to travel visa-free. Due to new security measures, all visitors to the USA will have a photograph and two fingerprints taken by an inkless scanner on arrival, including those travelling visa-free under the Visa Waiver Programme. As part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), all travellers travelling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean region are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States. If departing from the USA a valid passport will be required by immigration authorities. A new security regulation, set to begin in 2009, will mean that all visitors who do not need a visa under the US visa waiver programme will need to register online three days before travel. This will allow the US government to screen all visitors before travel. The new programme will be mandatory for all visa-free travel from 12 January 2009.

Local Customs & Language (including Tipping)

Language

Miami has the largest Latin American population outside of Latin America, with nearly 65% of its population either from Latin America or of Latin American ancestry. Consequently, Spanish is a language often used for day-to-day discourse in many places, although English is the language of preference, especially when dealing with business and government.Customs: Laws vary from state to state, including speed limits, the age of consent and the age at which you may legally buy and consume alcohol, but this is usually 21 years.

Tipping

A 15% tip is expected by taxi drivers, bartenders, hairdressers and waiters, but don't tip in fast-food or self-service restaurants. In expensive restaurants or for large parties tip 20% of the bill. It is normal to tip staff in hotels. Most services are customarily tipped if the service is good. 

Health and Security

Health

There are no specific health risks associated with travel within the USA. Medical facilities are excellent, but expensive. Only emergencies are treated without prior payment and treatment can be refused without evidence of insurance or proof of funds. Good medical insurance is essential.

Security

Travel within the United States is generally trouble-free, however travellers should be aware that the US shares with the rest of the world an increased threat from terrorist incidents. Security has been heightened particularly at airports. Restrictions on hand luggage apply and travellers are advised to check on the latest situation with airlines in advance. Travellers should also be alert to the dangers of car and street crime in cities and should use common sense and take basic precautions. Hurricanes are common between June and November, putting the southern USA, including the Gulf Coast and the eastern US, at risk. There is a risk of wildfires in many dry areas in the US, particularly on the West Coast from March to November.
Miami, frequently heralded in the news as a center of crime and drug smuggling, is only relatively dangerous for the passing tourist in certain areas. Overtown has the highest violent crime rate in the city and is best if avoided all together. If you are in this neighborhood, or any other high crime neighborhood, take the same precautions as you would in other high crime neighborhoods around the country. Such as minding one's business, getting to your destination quickly, and avoid wearing flashy jewelry and electronics. Remember that most common sense rules such as being aware of your surroundings at night and traveling in high-traffic areas at night apply in Miami as it does in all other urban areas around the United States.

Tax Refunds

The rate of sales tax varies by city throughout the US and ranges from 4% to 15%. It is applied to the price at the checkout, although some items are exempt. Currently Florida imposes a sales tax of 6.5%. There is no federal system for refunding sales tax, although you may qualify for an exemption if you plan to immediately ship your purchase outside the state you buy it in. If purchasing an expensive item you should ask at point of purchase about the possibility of obtaining a tax exemption on that particular item.

Hotels in Miami, Florida