Ft. Lauderdale International Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in the entire country. On any given day there are 695 commercial airline flights serving some 62-thousand passengers. Shuttle services transport some 17,000 passengers to ground transportation facilities and rental car companies every day. This busy airport employs 11,000 people on a daily basis.
This airport is 21 miles north of Miami, so there is limousine service, shuttles, taxi service and public transportation to other area airports, especially Miami International. It is serviced by every major airline you can think of, plus several commuter air charter companies, air taxis and four major cargo carriers.
This airport began as the Merle Fogg Airport which was on an abandoned 9-hole golf course in 1929. During World War II it was commissioned as the Naval Air Station Fort Lauderdale. Following WWII the county resumed control of the then Broward County International Airport. The airport began to expand, the name was changed, and by 2008 the facility was servicing nearly 23-million passengers.
The weather here is one of the main attractions to the resort. There are miles of white sand beaches which also lures people to come here. The top five things to do in Ft. Lauderdale start with Butterfly World displaying thousands of colorful butterflies on 10 tropical acres. The Billy Swamp Safari is at the Big Cypress Reservation and gives guests swamp buggy rides through the Everglades where you can see the alligators. Flamingo Gardens and Wray Botanical center is a 60-acre sanctuary of natural Everglades habitat, and a must see. Executive Airport provides visitors the chance to fly in a real jet, the L-39. And, a person can experience zero-gravity weightless flight by attending ground school at the Seminole Hard Rock Cafe.
It is easy to book a car rental online for the city of Fort Lauderdale with brand name car rental suppliers such as Hertz, Thrifty, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Avis and Alamo. You arealso able to choose your preferred vehicle type such as sedans, coupes, trucks, station wagons, mini vans, hybrids, convertibles and suv's.