General Miami:
Who flies to Florida on vacation usually lands at Miami International Airport (MIA), one of the largest international aviation hubs in the world.
One thing right away. Miami is the second largest city in Florida after Jacksonville, but it is NOT the capital of Florida. The word Miami comes from the language of the natives and means “big water”. In Miami live about 5.5 million inhabitants.
The majority speaks Spanish as a native language. So it may well happen that you ask a boy something in English at the valet parking, but this is not able to understand one, or to answer in English. In Miami live many exiled Cubans and other Central and South American immigrants.
But the city itself is by far not so large. Rather, it is the many adjacent regions and cities that make Miami grow into a metropolis. As in my other blog posts I will try to give you useful tips.
However, I will not be able to compete with any travel guide here. Which is why it may well happen that you personally like a spot as a highlight, but I have not mentioned him here.
Then you can post this here but very happy as a comment. This will make the information for other users even more detailed
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Arrival & Rental Car:
IMPORTANT: For entry into the USA you need an approved ESTA visa. This must be applied for at least 14 days prior to travel and is approved online. The visa costs about 14 US dollars. When you arrive in Miami the U.S. Customs and Border Protection`s passport control will welcome you. 
The passport control. Here you will be asked about the duration and reason for the stay, if you are suspicious of the officials, the questioning can also go a little deeper.
After that, fingerprints of all fingers are taken and a nice photo shot. After that, you take your luggage in receipt and go through some more minor controls such as customs, food, etc.. Alternatively, there is also the so-called APC (Automated Passport Control) which can also use ESTA travelers
Hab you booked a rental car, which you take at the airport in reception, you must now to the Car Rental Station. To do this, follow the signs to the MIA Mover. You have to go to the 3rd level of the airport. Enclosed still another plan of the airport.
As soon as you have received your rental car, you should start the navigation system before you leave. It takes a while to find the necessary satellites. After you have left the building with your vehicle, you are also already put before the big question “North or South”?
The driveway on the highway allows only these two choices. It recommends itself urgently to make itself in the apron smartly where one must there and possibly already Google Maps to trouble around itself one an overview to provide.
We wanted e.g. after South Beach and drove the logic following to the south. What ultimately turned out to be a mistake and brought us a detour of 1 hour. Unfortunately also through not too trustworthy neighborhoods of Miami.
Hotel recommendations:
Turnberry Isle Miami
The Turnberry is a very luxurious hotel of the “Autograph Collection” by Marriott. It is located in the Aventura district. Directly across the street from the Aventura Mall. But do not worry, from this hustle and bustle you get in the hotel nothing at all.
It has 389 rooms and 27 suites. But the simple double rooms are quite enough for any “normal mortal”. This resort has a golf course.
Direct beach location has this hotel unfortunately not. But it offers a shuttle service to the hotel’s own beach club on the beach. Here one enjoys the exclusive advantage of a hotel-own beach section. What is unusual in Miami is that the beaches are public. In the beach club itself there are sanitary facilities, a snack bar / restaurant, a pool and a SPA area. Also lie and towels there are here inclusive.
A double room cost on average around the € 140 / night (not per person). But you can, depending on the day of the week, save one or the other euro. Thus, an arrival on Sunday is much cheaper than on Friday (where plenty of weekend golfers book in). However, it is quite a drive to Ocean Drive or Miami Downtown. Here you should plan a good 45-60 minutes by car.
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Hotelinfos:
19999 West Country Club Drive
Aventura, FL 33180
P: 305.932.6200
F: 305.933.6560
Website
Cadilac Hotel & Beach Club Miami Ocean Front
The Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club Miami is also a hotel from the “Autograph Collection” by Marriott. But unlike The Turnberry, the Cadillac is located in the legendary Art Deco neighborhood of Miami Beach.
This neighborhood was long the preserve of the poor and homeless. But since the television series “Miami Vice” booms this quarter just to and inspires with its pastel-colored facades and the Art Deco architectural style which gave the quarter its name. The location is exclusive, directly on the white sandy beach of Miami Beach.
It is known that if you book the hotel from Germany, you almost certainly always get a room on the street side. If one has luck, the Ocean View is offered extra. Mostly, however, unfortunately not. The nice people on site would like to sell you an upgrade. On the hotel site, the Ocean View costs just 10 dollars more. On site they like to take 60 dollars per night. But one thing I have to tell you, the view from the balcony compensates all times.
In addition, the hotel has 2 pools and its own snack restaurant directly on the beach. To the city center and/or to the Bayside Marketplace are it 10-15 min. the room prices lie here with starting from. 200 euros per double room.
The hotel was completely renovated and reopened in August 2018.
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Hotelinfos:
Hotel & Beach Club
19999 West Country Club Drive
Aventura, FL 33180
P: 305.538.3373
Website
Sightseeing:
Naturally, besides shopping, sightseeing is also at the top of the must-do list when you’re in Miami. If you are interested in a sightseeing tour I can recommend you the company “Miami Tour Company“. This does not offer the large classic tours as you know them from most major cities in the world as “Hop-On Hop-off”.
Here you are guided with a small fully air-conditioned bus to all sights in Miami. Of course, the whole also in German language. In addition, you can buy combination offers with this company. I recommend the combination of city tour and boat tour incl. lunch. Cost point for this tour are 94 dollars p.p. for families there are special prices.
Also otherwise is here times fast a Discount of 5-10% to get. On this tour you will get to know all worth seeing corners of Miami and at the same time still get an insight into residential areas and villas of the rich & Beautiful via boat. We have already made this tour 3 times and discover or learn each time something new.
Naturally, you can also explore almost all sights independently and read everything in a guidebook. But that costs maybe less, eats but oodles of time and time you have in Miami actually never enough. Below I list for you some sights, of which I think that you should have seen them.
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A tip for lovers of a good Mojito I would like to get rid of at this point. If you are in the Bayside Marketplace, make sure to visit the Mojitobar a visit. I have drunk many mojito`s in the world.
But this one was really by far the best and also biggest mojito. In the afternoon is often also still “Happy Hour”, there you can also still save a few dollars.
Also a tip for PIN collectors, the Hard Rock Cafe is located just opposite the Bayside Marketplace on the other side of the Marina. Just follow the stores to the left and walk through to the end.
For “Forrest Gump” fans, there is also a Bubba Gump restaurant with original movie props. Likewise, there is a bench in front of it with a box of chocolates and NIKE sneakers. Always good for a souvenir photo.
Holocaust Memorial
The Miami Beach Holocaust Memorial consists, among other things, of a 15 meter high bronze statue “Sculpture of Love and Agony”.
Furthermore, a hall with the names of all concentration camps of the Nazi era. Just as symbolic as the statue is the address at which it was erected: “1933-1945 Meridian Avenue”.
Biltmore Hotel
The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Cables opened in 1926 as a luxury hotel. It had the largest pool in the world at the time.
Many celebrities have stayed at the hotel throughout its history. Al Capone was also a frequent guest in this hotel.
The hotel also served as a film set for “Miami Vice” and “Bad Boys”.
Venetian Pool
The Venetian Pool is a kind of public outdoor pool. This was opened in 1924 on 16,000m² in Mediterranean style.
This is a fresh water pool, which does not use any chemicals. The water (3100m³) is exchanged every night with fresh groundwater. It is the largest fresh water pool in the USA.
Little Havanna
A neighborhood in Miami, which is mainly inhabited by Cuban exiles. Here you feel more like you are in Cuba than in Miami. In the parks the older Cubans meet for a round of dominoes. There is also a “Walk of Fame” for Latino stars on “Calle Ocho”. As well as numerous small, but very good restaurants.
Ocean Drive
Actually just a street in the Art Deco district of Miami South Beach. But still THE highlight in Miami with its Art Deco buildings, which take you back to the 60s. Not only the name is well known. The promenade turns every evening into a catwalk of the rich, the beautiful, the extroverted and the autoprotzer ? An absolute “must see” in Miami.
But be careful when entering the many restaurants with your “offers”.
Versace Villa
Casa Casuarina, known to all as “Versace Villa” is located at 1116 Ocean Drive. It was built in 1930 and inhabited by fashion designer Gianni Versace from 1992 to 1997. On July 15, 1997, he was shot on the steps in front of the villa as he returned from buying a newspaper.
Today the villa is a hotel with 10 unique suites and a gourmet restaurant “Gianni`s”.
Bayside Marketplace
An open air shopping center with more than 150 stores in Miami Downtown. The ambience of this center is unique. Daily live music, events for children and families, plus bars and the fantastic location directly on the Miami Marina. Not only do they have the best mojito I’ve ever had, or the Hard Rock Cafe, but this is also where the ships leave for a tour of the harbor and the many private islands. A quick trip to the Bahamas with a speed catamaran its not a problem.
Collins Avenue
The main street in Miami Beach. It stretches for 21 km from Aventura (Turnberry Hotel) to the southern tip of Miami Beach. Always parallel one block to the Atlantic Ocean. It is lined with stores, restaurants and attractions. Also famous hotels like the “Fontainebleau Hotel” or the “Eden Rock”.For the nightlife you can find here numerous bars and clubs. In Miami South Beach, it runs right through the Art Deco district, lined with palm trees, along Indian Creek. The Cadillac Hotel is also located on it.
Shopping:
Of course, you can’t avoid shopping during a trip to the USA. Whether it is to get hold of exclusive brands or to shoot a bargain in the outlet store. Too tempting are the prices, minus “Discount” and “additional Off”
But beware, even if Florida belongs to the purchase friendly states with only 6.5% VAT or tax, so the prices are the in the stores are always net prices. In other words, to each price you have to add the tax first.
In addition to the many stores and boutiques in Miami Downtown or the Bayside Marketplace, there is still the huge Aventura Mall. Here over 300 stores, on 3 floors with over 260,000m² waiting for the customer and your money. The Aventura Mall is a regular shopping center. As far as size is concerned, it is exceptionally large and thus the largest in Florida.
The Sawgrass Mills, on the other hand, are a pure outlet center with over 350 stores. In this one can buy really favorably, straight which brand jeans or Poloshirts concerns. If one visits such an Outlet center still on national holidays, one of “Off`s” and “additional Off`s”, thus discounts and further discounts which are gladly summed up here, is virtually showered. But even here you must not trust everything blindly.
Many manufacturers produce extra, inferior quality, for these outlet centers. Despite everything, one comes here very quickly to the limit of his duty-free allowance of goods of 430 euros per person.
If you thus remain in the framework and not overshot the mark, nicely picks up the receipts, so that the customs officers also see how cheap everything was
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