
Getting around while in port depends on where you are.
First, Walking! You will do a lot of walking, so bring good shoes! We’ve walked up to 3 miles to get to some attractions. You will probably be walking to grocery stores to re-provision in many cases.
We recommend a folding cart of some type. Many marinas do not have dock carts available, and if they do, they usually don’t allow you to take them off the property.
These carts fold down to almost nothing and store easily. They are also great for hauling laundry, and we’ve seen other Loopers use them as a dog carrier!
Second, bikes. We brought two manual-peddle folding bikes with us. We used them a few times and enjoyed it but neither of us are big bike riders so if there were hills, we tended to shy away from them. We have since purchased folding electric bikes and use them a lot! (See our “Are Bicycles a good idea?” question for more information) Some marinas and many cities have loaner or rental bikes and scooters available.
Third, Courtesy Cars. Many marinas have Courtesy Cars that are either free or available for a small cost. Usually, these are intended for short-term (1-2 hour trips) provisioning or going out to dinner. Be sure to put gas into them from time to time or if you go a long distance. We even put new wiper blades on one. A note about Courtesy Cars: don’t expect much. Most are near the end of life and are pretty rickety. Our best Courtesy Car was a brand-new BMW that was provided by the local dealer who kept his boat at the marina.
Fourth, pick-up services. In some areas (usually rural), grocery stores, restaurants, and attractions will provide pick-up and drop-off services. Ask at the marina office, as they usually know. We have gotten rides to the local Piggly-Wiggly in the “Pig Mobile,” to small family restaurants, and to an Airboat ride. Even if they don’t advertise the service, you can ask. Also, a reminder to tip the drivers, as many are using their own personal vehicles and taking time away from their jobs.
Fifth, Taxi and Ride-share. In the U.S. and in larger towns and cities, Uber & Lyft are available pretty much all the time. We did find we had to switch between them in some areas to find an available vehicle. Be prepared to wait on rainy days and in more rural areas. In Canada, they were pretty rare except in larger cities. In non-urban areas, it is pretty much hit or miss. Also, we found there were fewer vehicles available in the morning, so if you have an appointment to go to, be sure to use the pre-booking feature a day ahead if possible. Another hint with Uber & Lyft is that if you get a good driver who is from the area, you can sometimes arrange for them to give you a guided tour. We did this several times, and it was always excellent. In a few cases, we did it as part of our trip; they just switched to “time-distance billing,” or we made it up to them in a cash tip. In others, we arranged for them to pick us up later on their own time and negotiated a rate with them. We got an excellent tour of St. Louis from an ex-school teacher this way!
Another ride-share service is called Freebee. Freebee is a free ride (the drivers work for tips). You just call them, and they pick you up! It’s sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce or Municipality and is funded by a grant from the federal government. They operate in many areas in Florida like Islamorada, Miami, St. Pete, Key Biscayne, and many more. Check out their service areas at https://rideFreebee.com
Sixth, Public Transportation. There are many options if you ask at the marina office and look around. Public bus service in metro areas are very good. Many resort areas like the west coast of Florida, and the Keys have Free or Tip driven shuttle services. Trolleys, small buses, or golf carts that run back and forth on short routes. You can get from Clearwater Beach all the way to Tarpon Springs on a free shuttle Trolley! There are also commuter and passenger train services (especially in Canada and along the Hudson River). Florida has its Brightline service on the eastern coast.