Getting Around in Saint Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine Travel is Easy on Foot, by Car or by Trolley
Sep 23, 2008
Visitors to Florida’s St. Augustine find that there’s much to see and do in America’s oldest city. Rich in Florida history and Spanish architecture, St. Augustine offers great dining, shopping and touring opportunities.
Staying in one of the many historic bed and breakfast inns in the heart of the city is a good way to be close to most attractions as well as soak up as much hsitory as possible.
For those wishing to tour St. Augustine, the city’s maze of one-way streets might be confusing at first. However, unlike many coastal towns, St. Augustine follows a logical grid of north-south and east-west streets that are easy to maneuver.
Tour St. Augustine
Two touring companies operate in St. Augustine, the Old Town Trolley and Ripley’s Red Train Tours. Tickets for both can be purchased in the Visitors Information Center on Castillo Drive.
Old Town Trolley offers city tours that include admission the St. Augustine History Museum and free use of the Beach Bus Shuttle to St. Augustine Beach and the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. Tickets are $21 for adults and $8 for children ages 4 to 12 and are good for three consecutive days of unlimited travel. Other tours offered are the Ghosts and Gravestones Night Tour and tours of the Old Jail. Call (800) 868-7482 for more information.
Red Train Tours are $20.99 for adults and $7.99 for children ages 6 to 12 and tickets are good for three consecutive days of train travel. Tour packages start at $29.99 for adults and $12.99 for children and offer city tours, ghost tours, Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum and other Ripley’s attractions. Call (800) 226-6545 for more information.
Public Transportation
St. Augustine’s public transportation is operated by Sunshine Bus Company. Bus fares are $1.00 per one way adult trip, $.50 for seniors over 60, children 6 and younger and for persons with disabilities. All day passes are $3.00 for adults and $1.50 for seniors and students. Exact change is necessary. Routes go to the beaches and most tourist attractions. Call (904) 823-4816 for more information.
Driving in St. Augustine
The city of St. Augustine recently completed construction of a multi-level parking garage next to the Visitors Information Center on Castillo Drive across from the Castillo de San Marcos Spanish fort. Parking is $1.25 per hour with a $7.50 per day maximum. A monthly rate is also available. The first 15 minutes of parking are free for those wishing to stop into the VIC for brochures or trolley tickets.
Although the city’s one-way streets may seem annoying, they are logical for a town that is 400 years old and built for horses and carts. Finding street names will soon be easier as the city installs new permanent reflective thermoplastic street makers in the pavement.
When driving to an attraction or just around town looking at the buildings, follow the one-way streets to go around the block if necessary to reach a destination.
Downtown parking in St. Augustine is sometimes limited, so walking a few blocks may be necessary. Meters are enforced and cost $1.50 an hour, maximum two hours for on-street parking and four hours in parking lots. On the Plaza, pay stations accept both cash and credit cards. The city’s Park Now cards can be purchased for $20, $50 and $100 for 40, 100 and 200 hours worth of parking respectively.
Another way to get around St. Augustine is both relaxing and romantic. Take a carriage ride. Avalon Carriage Service offers carriage tours for $18.00 for adults and $8.00 for Children ages 5 to11. Call (904) 824-7722 for more information.
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