The fastest way to get around is by using the 21-mile above-ground rail system known as Metrorail. Reportedly the longest elevated rapid transit system in the nation, Metrorail serves downtown Miami and extends west to Hialeah and south to Kendall, a suburb southwest of the city. With the creation of the  downtown Metromover, Miami-Dade County became the world’s first community to have a people mover connected to a rail system. Metromover consists of individual motorized cars that run on top of the elevated track. Besides connecting to Metromover, the trains also connect to Metrobus and Tri-Rail.

Stops are approximately every mile along the route. Fares are $1.25 each way, exact change only. Seniors, students, and riders with disabilities pay 60 cents with a rail permit. Metrorail fare gates accept tokens, dollar coins, quarters, dimes, nickels, bus-to-rail transfers, and monthly passes.

Riders can transfer to Metromover for free at the Government Center and Brickell Avenue stations.

Locals call it MetroSnail because the trains run only every 20 minutes. During peak hours it runs every five minutes. Metrorail operates 6am to midnight. A big drawback is that it doesn’t go to Miami Beach or the airport, two popular destinations.

For airport service you can take Tri-Rail, a commuter rail service with 19 stations throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Stops include the Miami Airport Train Station. Fares, priced by zone, range from $3.50 to $9.25 for a round-trip ticket.

For more details, call Metrorail at (305) 770-3131 or Tri-Rail at (800)TRI-RAIL.