Making Your Way Around Sarasota and the Beaches
If you're interested in getting to the hidden gems, beach communities and the keys in Sarasota, your best bet is a car rental service. Note that your travel in and around Sarasota will include areas that are a combination of islands and mainland.
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Getting Around
January 19, 2012
For most people who fly into Sarasota, getting an affordable car rental is usually pretty easy - either from the airport of from your hotel. It's the fastest and most convenient way to get around.
The public bus service SCAT and MCAT are reliable and inexpensive, but long hauls can be time consuming.
Trolley runs along the beaches of Anna Maria Island (Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Anna Maria Beach) are frequent and free - subsidized by the county government to cut down on traffic congestion - which can be a problem sometimes.
Getting Around
Throughout Sarasota and beyond, there are three trolley systems, making transportation fast and affordable within the city.
The Sarasota Trolley runs at 20-minute intervals from Monday-Friday during business hours (9am-5pm), and every 40 minutes on Saturdays.
In addition, Sarasota's Main Street Trolley travels from Island Park through downtown Sarasota along Main Street. And the Scenic Loop Trolley shuttles from several points in the city including Island Park, Bayfront and downtown.
As far as cabs are concerned, the major taxi service to downtown and hotels in Sarasota is Diplomat Taxi.In addition, Sarasota's Green Cab Taxis and Yellow Cabs offer reliable taxi travel in and around the city, as well.
Use this link to get a competitive rate on a car rental