---
title: "Miami airport to Florida's west coast: Tampa and Sarasota"
description: "Getting from MIA to Tampa or Sarasota: a connecting flight, FlixBus and RedCoach buses, or the drive across Alligator Alley with its toll."
url: "https://miaairportguide.com/guides/miami-airport-florida-west-coast-tampa-sarasota/"
updated: "2026-10-21"
airport: "MIA"
type: "guide"
---

> Independent guide, not the official MIA website. All pages: https://miaairportguide.com/llms.txt

# Miami airport to Florida's west coast: Tampa and Sarasota

Getting from MIA to Tampa or Sarasota: a connecting flight, FlixBus and RedCoach buses, or the drive across Alligator Alley with its toll.

Updated October 21, 2026

![The Tamiami Trail beside its canal through the Everglades sawgrass](https://miaairportguide.com/images/mia/the-tamiami-trail-running-t-v1.webp)

The Tamiami Trail

**American flies nonstop from MIA to both Tampa and Sarasota-Bradenton.** FlixBus and RedCoach run buses from Miami to the west coast, and FlixBus boards at the Miami Intermodal Center next to the airport. Driving suits you if you’ll want a car on the coast, and the road heads west across the Everglades on Alligator Alley, the toll stretch of I-75.

## Taking a flight for the last leg

MIA’s list of nonstop cities shows American as the only airline flying to Tampa (TPA) and to Sarasota-Bradenton (SRQ). American’s MIA gates are in Concourses D and E, and our [American Airlines page](https://miaairportguide.com/airlines/american-airlines/) shows which.

## FlixBus leaves from one MIA Mover ride away

FlixBus lists routes from Miami to Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples. It boards at the **Greyhound and FlixBus bus bays at the Miami Intermodal Center**, 3801 NW 21st Street. From the [terminal](https://miaairportguide.com/terminals/), take the free [MIA Mover](https://miaairportguide.com/transport/mia-mover/) from Level 3, between the Dolphin and Flamingo [garages](https://miaairportguide.com/parking/), and follow the signs for the bus bays. The [intercity bus page](https://miaairportguide.com/transport/intercity-bus/) also covers Greyhound from the same bays.

RedCoach lists stops in Miami, Tampa, Tampa Airport, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples, and sells Miami to Sarasota and Miami to Naples trips.

## Driving means crossing Alligator Alley, a toll road

Pick up the car at the Rental Car Center. The crossing of the Everglades is **Alligator Alley**, the toll section of I-75, also called the Everglades Parkway.

- **The toll.** FDOT’s toll table lists two plazas on Alligator Alley, East and West, and each charges a car $3.18 with SunPass or $3.51 by toll-by-plate. The plazas are all-electronic, so you don’t stop to pay.
- **Rental cars.** Ask at the counter how tolls get charged to the card you rented with. Florida’s Turnpike says toll-by-plate isn’t available to customers in rental cars. Our guide to [tolls and SunPass in a rental car](https://miaairportguide.com/guides/miami-airport-tolls-sunpass-rental-car/) explains what to ask.

Heading to Naples or Marco Island instead? Our guide to [MIA to Naples and Marco Island](https://miaairportguide.com/guides/miami-airport-naples-marco-island/) sets the rental car against the bus for that trip, including the last leg to Marco Island.

### Sources

Florida’s Turnpike: rental vehicles

[MIA Airport Guide: intercity buses](https://miaairportguide.com/transport/intercity-bus/), [MIA Mover](https://miaairportguide.com/transport/mia-mover/), [Rental Car Center](https://miaairportguide.com/transport/rental-car-center/), [flights](https://miaairportguide.com/flights/) and [American Airlines](https://miaairportguide.com/airlines/american-airlines/)

FlixBus: bus stations in Miami

Greyhound: Miami Intermodal Center stop

RedCoach: routes and stops

MIA: cities served nonstop

Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise and FDOT: South Florida toll rates