While not as well-known or crowded as Miami and Orlando, Tallahassee can provide a list of reasons it’s worth visiting. It’s the home of award-winning artists, such as Burt Reynolds, Rita Coolidge, and T-Pain. Its location in the Panhandle offers warm summers and cool winters all year round, with annual average temperatures of just below 80o F.
But whatever reason that floats your boat, you can take heart in the fact that there are plenty of ways to get to the city’s many sights. This article will discuss those options later (spoiler alert: having your own car is a bonus but not required). First, you have to know how to get there, to which there’s no shortage of options.
Source: marriott.comContents
Getting To Tallahassee
As the state capital of Florida, Tallahassee makes sure it provides more than one way to reach the city. On land, several major routes lead in and out of the city proper, namely Interstate 10 (I-10). If you’re coming from anywhere in Florida connected to I-10, such as Pensacola or Jacksonville, you’ll most likely be no more than three hours away from Tallahassee (under regular traffic).
The trip is considerably longer for visitors from the peninsula. From Miami, the journey can take between seven and eight hours, not accounting for pitstops, via the Turnpike. Not all drivers have the endurance to drive for that long, even with breaks in between.
Fortunately, there’s the public transit option. For around USD$80, you can get a ticket for a one-way Greyhound bus trip from the Miami Intermodal Center to Tallahassee. The buses make daily trips twice, one in the predawn hours and another just before midnight. You can check out ticket booking services like Wanderu and others to know the exact schedules and fees.
The downside is that buses make multiple stops, making the journey about four hours longer than by car. You can consider booking a nonstop domestic flight if you have to get to Tallahassee as soon as possible. Most flights won’t take more than two hours, but plane tickets cost three times as much as bus tickets.
Getting Around Tallahassee
Upon arriving in Tallahassee, the ideal way of getting around depends on where you’d want to go. Do a quick search of “things to do in Tallahassee” on Google and look at the map it provides. Apart from a few in the downtown area, many other sites of interest are situated in the outskirts.
A solid itinerary allows for making the most of anyone’s stay. It also determines the best mode of transportation to use. Here’s an in-depth breakdown of options visitors can use during their stay in Tallahassee.
Source: tripadvisor.com•Private Car/Car Rental
Given the locations of most sites of interest, bringing your own car is the ideal way to enjoy Tallahassee. Driving lets people get to places the local public transit can’t reach, such as the Tallahassee Automobile Museum and Silver Lake Meat Market.
Didn’t bring your car? The city has car rental services in the downtown area and the local airport. A few even offer SUVs and cross-country vehicles to traverse the trails of nearby national parks. However, doing due diligence on such services beforehand can help make the trip more enjoyable.
•Taxi Services
Tallahassee manages two types of taxi services: traditional yellow cabs and ride-hailing vehicles. Taxis can bring you anywhere in the city, similar to private cars, but charge a premium averaging between USD$4.24 and USD$28.30. These prices aren’t Bay Area-expensive but can add up when used often.
Deciding between a yellow cab and an online transportation service with apps where you can book a ride can be tricky. After all, both operate as transport on-demand in different ways: taxis by hailing and online transportation services via their respective apps.
Experts say USD$35 can be a pivoting point in deciding on the more affordable of the two. Conventional taxis are more cost-effective if the fare is below that pivot, while online transportation services shine when it’s over that figure.
As a rule of thumb, consider taking a cab to go around the downtown area. On the other hand, book a ride on online transportation services when heading to the more distant locations of Tallahassee. Remember to keep the driver or company’s contact details just in case.
Source: dehraduncab.in•Buses
Managing the city’s bus fleet and routes falls under StarMetro, formerly TalTran. Of all the options discussed, StarMetro’s buses are the most affordable. A one-way trip costs USD$1.25 (USD$0.60 for those who qualify for a discount). If you’re going places for the whole day, the USD$3.00 unlimited day pass gives the best bang for your buck.
StarMetro’s buses traverse a specific route based on the letter and destination displayed on its ticker. There are 15 regular weekday routes, 12 Saturday routes, and four Sunday routes. Buses with two letters operate within the grounds of Florida State University.
While not a bus, StarMetro’s free trolley service ferries people to Tallahassee’s diverse culinary choices. The weekday lunch trolley route plies through College Town, Midtown, and Downtown and runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. The weekend dinner trolley route is similar but runs from 4:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. the following day.
As of this writing, the trolley service may be operating at a limited capacity as part of the city’s ongoing COVID precautionary measures. Please keep that in mind when planning your visit to Tallahassee.
•Walking
The downtown area has plenty of sites of interest and amenities within walking distance of a hotel. Cascades Park alone has plenty of sights to see, mainly museums, such as the John G. Riley Center and Smokey Hollow Commemoration. You can walk the entirety of the park in more or less than an hour.
Source: medicalnewstoday.comConclusion
As this guide explains, there are as many ways of getting around Tallahassee as traveling to the city. Regardless of your preferred mode of transportation, carrying enough travel money is vital. A lot can change even in a day of touring the city’s sights and sounds. You never know when you might have to spend more to get where you need to be.
