Need Help, Please [Tolls: Fort Lauderdale airport to Marco Island via Rt.75.]

[gnipgnop]

We are traveling from Fort Lauderdale airport to Marco Island via Rt.75. Directions give notice that this route has partial tolls. If you know, or have traveled this route, can we pay cash or are the tolls cashless and require the plate pass or SUN pass? Your input would be welcome and appreciated.

 

[TheTimeTraveler]

The Sawgrass Expressway allows you to use SunPass or Pay by Plate, so you're fine there (no cash at all). Note that the "Pay by Plate" option has a small surcharge as a convenience fee.

Alligator Alley (Interstate 75) allows SunPass or Cash Payments.

So the answer to your question is that you will be all set!

I would make the suggestion that you search the Florida Forum on TUG and you will see how easy it is for someone from out of state to obtain a SunPass Transponder and add money to it at any time. I would strongly suggest you think about doing this and you can avoid the convenience fees on the Sawgrass Expressway.

By the way you can obtain a transponder at any Publix Supermarket or SunPass can likely mail one to you.

Have fun!





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[gnipgnop]

The Time Traveler: Thank you so much. Very helpful.

 

[Talent312]

You could also take the "free" (old) way...
I-95 South to the Palmetto Expwy (826), South to Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41).
.

 

[PigsDad]

The Sawgrass Expressway allows you to use SunPass or Pay by Plate, so you're fine there (no cash at all). Note that the "Pay by Plate" option has a small surcharge as a convenience fee.

Alligator Alley (Interstate 75) allows SunPass or Cash Payments.

So the answer to your question is that you will be all set!

I would make the suggestion that you search the Florida Forum on TUG and you will see how easy it is for someone from out of state to obtain a SunPass Transponder and add money to it at any time. I would strongly suggest you think about doing this and you can avoid the convenience fees on the Sawgrass Expressway.

By the way you can obtain a transponder at any Publix Supermarket or SunPass can likely mail one to you.

While I agree that having a SunPass is useful, if the OP is traveling from the Fort Lauderdale airport to Marco Island, they would not be traveling on the Sawgrass Expressway at all. From FLL, you just hop onto I-595 which then connects / turns into I-75 as you head to Marco Island. You would never be on FL 869 (Sawgrass Expressway), you only cross it (no tolls to cross it). We do this trip most years at Christmas.

Am I missing something here?

Kurt

 

[PigsDad]

You could also take the "free" (old) way...
I-95 South to the Palmetto Expwy (826) South to Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41)...

According to Google Maps, it is 30 minutes faster (1 hr, 47 min vs. 2 hs, 17 min) to travel on I-75. With the cash toll price of $3.25, taking the toll route seems like a no-brainer. Not much to see on either road, IMO.

Kurt

 

[Talent312]

...Not much to see on either road, IMO.

Au contraire, my fine feathered friend.

Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) is slower, but it has some interesting stops:
-- The Everglades NP "Shark Valley" Visitor Center (tram tours).
-- The Miccosukee Indian Village
-- The Dade-Collier Training Airport (aborted new Miami International).
-- The Big Cypress Preserve "Oasis" Visitor Center.
-- The turn off to Everglades City with NP-VC & "official" Boat Tours.

.

 

[Videoguy75]

Unless you have a car in your flight's cargo, you are likely renting one. Car rental companies have really simplified the toll process for us. Every car we have rented in Florida these last few years (Budget, Alamo, whoever is cheapest on Costco.com) comes with toll payment capability. You do nothing to activate it. Don't want to use it? Don't use toll roads or go in the cash lanes and pay cash. Want the convenience of the transponder? Just speed through the toll - the rental company gets billed and they charge you for the payment. Could not be easier.

 

[PigsDad]

Unless you have a car in your flight's cargo, you are likely renting one. Car rental companies have really simplified the toll process for us. Every car we have rented in Florida these last few years (Budget, Alamo, whoever is cheapest on Costco.com) comes with toll payment capability. You do nothing to activate it. Don't want to use it? Don't use toll roads or go in the cash lanes and pay cash. Want the convenience of the transponder? Just speed through the toll - the rental company gets billed and they charge you for the payment. Could not be easier.

It may be "easy", but with most companies, it is not "cheap". Rental companies add their service fees any time you utilize their transponders or if they get billed via the plate readers. The last time we relied on the rental agency for tolls, the fees we were charged were over $25, and that was for going through a couple of toll checkpoints where the total tolls were maybe $3. No thank you.

Kurt

 

[gnipgnop]

We go to Florida maybe every other year. Our first experience with a cashless toll was about 3 years ago on a trip from Orlando to Bradenton. We saw a toll booth and stopped to put in cash and there was no where to pay so we just meandered through. We were in a rental car from Dollar. Nearly three months later we get a charge on our credit card and also a notice from Dollar saying our account has been charged for the toll ~ $.45 plus a admin. fee of $25.00. That really made me angry so...……. I don't want that to happen again. That's why I needed to know about any cashless tolls from FLL to Marco.

 

[rapmarks]

Quite a drive along Hwy 41, especially at dusk. It will take you longer because you will want to stop at a few places and because it is two lane. There is one spot where you can stop and see more alligators than you can imagines d if you go a mile or two down that road, they will be everywhere. If you do take 41 from Fort Lauderdale you will not go all the way to Collier Boulevard, but will turn on the road to Goodland, and on to the heart of a Marco, but you should take a short detour and see Goodland too.

 

[LMD]

From FLL to Marco you can pay cash. We do it all the time because we keep forgetting to transfer our new car on to our sun pass One of these days I will remember BEFORE we hit the road...LOL!!

 

[Sea Six]

The toll plazas on I75 take cash, both east and west. But if you use the express lanes in I595 (2 lanes right next to I595, but there are no interchanges the entire way from I75 to the Turnpike or I95.) only have sunpass or pay by plate - there is no toll booth. To me it's well worth the 50 cents they charge to avoid all the traffic on 595. I usually feel like I have a private road all to myself, and it practically dumps you right into FLL.

595 can be a nightmare. Notice the spaghetti mess I posted above. Imagine the signs and trying to make sure you are in the right lane in that mess.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Quite a drive along Hwy 41, especially at dusk. It will take you longer because you will want to stop at a few places and because it is two lane. There is one spot where you can stop and see more alligators than you can imagines d if you go a mile or two down that road, they will be everywhere. If you do take 41 from Fort Lauderdale you will not go all the way to Collier Boulevard, but will turn on the road to Goodland, and on to the heart of a Marco, but you should take a short detour and see Goodland too.

The road to Goodland is called San Marco Road and there is a flashing light at that intersection with Tamiami. Plus a bar if you feel the need to stop for refreshments. San Marco Road runs straight up to the Residents Beach and Collier Blvd if you are headed that way. You'll also pass by a Publix and Walgreens at San Marco Road and Barfield if you need to stop for supplies. Make sure you abide by speed limits, especially as you get closer to Marco because we love to get your money.