From $400 per vehicle: a private, one-way ride from Port of Miami to Island Inn in a chauffeured SUV or van.
One number per vehicle covers the full journey one way. Choose by how many people ride and how many bags come along.
Disembarkation at Port of Miami is easier with a driver already outside the terminal. The greeting at the curb is part of the price, the Meet & Greet at the terminal adds $40, and the vehicle is yours alone from the port to the destination, luggage included.
Island Inn sits on Sanibel, one of the barrier islands in the Sanibel and Captiva stretch. What sets the location apart is how close it keeps you to the water — the shoreline is only steps from where you stay, so the sand becomes part of the day rather than a separate journey. Sanibel keeps things low and quiet, with no high-rises to speak of, just the island’s own scale and a beach doing most of the work of entertaining you.
Sanibel is known for what washes up. The sand here gives up more shells than anywhere else in Florida, and numerous guests spend a first afternoon walking the tide line with their heads down, sorting the morning’s catch. Plenty of travelers who reach off a cruise skip the pool entirely and go straight for real sand the same day they disembark — after days at sea, a quiet beach a few steps from the room is a simple trade to make.
The island offers more than its beach. The J.N. ‘Ding’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge and its mangroves sit within simple reach, as does the Sanibel Lighthouse, while Bowman’s Beach and Blind Pass are both neighboring in the Sanibel and Captiva region. It adds up to a stay built around the outdoors — sand, water, and quiet marsh rather than crowds and towers — which is exactly why a direct ride from the ship makes the most of the first day.
The journey is door to door. Your driver meets your group at your ship’s own terminal on Dodge Island, organized by message as you come off, so there is no hunting for a pickup point in the crowd. From there the vehicle runs straight to Island Inn with no added stops — bags go in with you, and the driver handles the luggage at both ends. The route follows I-595 for the 162.7-mile run.
Plan on roughly 172 to 180 minutes for that distance, traffic depending. Port mornings run hectic, particularly on weekends when whole ships walk off at once, so the pickup is timed to when your group actually clears the terminal rather than to a fixed clock. At Island Inn, look for your driver at the main entrance. One group per vehicle, start to finish.
From the Port of Miami, plan on about 3 hours and 166.4 miles to reach Island Inn in Sanibel via I-595. Prices are per vehicle, not per seat: $400 for the Black SUV, $530 for the Van, $650 for the Van XL. Pickup is at your cruise terminal curb at PortMiami.
| Road distance | 166.4 miles |
|---|---|
| Black SUV, 1-5 | $400 |
| Drop-off address | 3111 W Gulf Dr, Sanibel |
| Drive time | 3 hours |
| Van, 6-9 | $530 |
| Main roads | I-595 |
| Van XL, 10-14 | $650 |
| Back from Island Inn | $400 / $530 / $650 |
Going back works the same way. The driver meets you at the main entrance of the inn (3111 W Gulf Dr) and takes you to your cruise terminal at PortMiami, 166.4 miles away, in about 3 hours with light traffic. Fares for the return from Island Inn are $400 (Black SUV), $530 (Van) and $650 (Van XL). The booking box below opens with the two points swapped. Book the return
The 166.4 miles from the Port of Miami to Island Inn take about 3 hours without heavy traffic via I-595. At busy hours, allow extra time. Each vehicle has a fixed fare, no traffic or surge charges: $400 for the Black SUV, $530 for the Van and $650 for the Van XL.
Set the pickup for when you expect to clear the cruise terminal, allowing for customs and the luggage hall. From the terminal, Island Inn is 166.4 miles away, about 3 hours in light traffic.
At the curb outside your own cruise terminal (the terminals are listed below). Before the pickup you get the driver’s name, car and plate; when you are outside with your bags, message us and the car pulls up for the ride to Island Inn.
In the Black SUV ($400 to Island Inn) passengers plus big suitcases can add up to 10, so five people with five cases fit. The Van ($530) carries 9 passengers and 9 big cases, the Van XL ($650) 14 and 14, and everyone keeps a carry-on.
We do. The driver picks you up at Island Inn and takes you to your cruise terminal for $400 (Black SUV), $530 (Van) or $650 (Van XL). Plan on about 3 hours for the 166.4 miles, more at rush hour.
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Primeira vez em Miami, veículo moderno e bem mantido. mesmo com trânsito a rota fez sentido. Jeito esperto de começar uma viagem.
There were eight of us stepping off at PortMiami, and one private transfer to Island Inn was the smart move. There was a name sign at the curb, so we spotted the driver immediately. The fare was locked in at booking, nothing added at the curb.
After a week at sea I only wanted a clean handoff, so a private car from the terminal to Island Inn made the morning simple.
All of us walked off together and it was so easy to have one private van ready at the curb for the ride to Island Inn — nobody splitting up.
Coming ashore by myself, I had a driver there with my name on a sign for the ride to Island Inn — nothing left to chance. Getting to Island Inn first thing meant I could settle in without waiting around.