Of Florida's nineteen commercial airports, only two, Miami International and Tampa International, are coastal facilities.

Miami Airport

Miami International Airport, the country's nineteenth busiest airport, lies 8 miles west of downtown. It's served by sixteen domestic carriers, including its chief carrier American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, and US Airways, plus thirty-one international carriers. A monorail system links the terminals, and though you can walk between them, they're quite far apart. Taxis, vans, and limousine services are available from the airport from outside the baggage claim area. Metro-Bus (305-8768494), Miami's city bus service, provides service to areas of Miami Dade County from Level 1 of Concourse E. Or you can take Metro Mover, a light-rail train that provides transportation to various locations downtown. If you're flying into Miami but your final destination is in Palm Beach or Broward County, you can take the Tri-Rail Train, which runs along I-95. To get to the airport train station, you can take the free Metro-Bus shuttle if you have a valid Tri-Rail ticket. The airport also has Internet kiosks. (305-876-7000, www.miami-airport.com)

Flying into Regional Airports

Relatively the same lines serve other large airports like Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International, Palm Beach International, Jacksonville International, and Tampa International. Plus a number of airlines provide service into regional airports such as Daytona Beach, Fort Myers, Sarasota-Bradenton, Panama City–Bay County Municipal, and Pensacola, either directly from hubs like those in Atlanta, Georgia, or Charlotte, North Carolina, or from the major Florida airports. If you're flying to Key West, you'll have to change to a smaller plane run by one of the affiliates of the major lines, such as American Eagle or US Airways Express. If you're headed for the Everglades, you'll find it convenient to fly into Miami International Airport.

• Fort Lauderdale: www.fll.net

• Jacksonville: www.jaxairports.org

• Tampa: www.tampaairport.com

• West Palm Beach: www.pbia.org