Art Basel Miami Beach: How to Get Around During Fair Week

Art Basel week is the one time of year when Miami Beach moves slower than the rest of the city and everyone still has somewhere to be. The main fair is on the island, the satellite fairs and galleries are scattered across the mainland, and the evening programme runs until late. The roads connecting them are the same few causeways all week.

None of this is a reason to stay in. It is a reason to decide how you will move before you land.

The fair itself

The convention centre area is the bottleneck. Drop-off points move from one edition to the next and the streets around the entrances close at the busiest hours. Agree a drop-off and a pick-up point with your driver the day before, and make them different if the first is congested — walking two blocks is almost always faster than waiting in the queue.

Between the satellites

The satellite fairs and galleries are not close to one another, and the order of your day will not follow the map. This is where a car and driver at your disposal for the half-day or the day earns its place: the car stays with you, you do not search for a ride at every stop, and the route follows your plan rather than the other way round.

Evenings

Openings and dinners overrun. The practical risk is not the dinner, it is the end of the night, when everyone leaves at the same time and finding a ride takes longer than the meal. A driver who knows when you expect to leave, and who is waiting at an agreed point, removes the problem entirely.

Arrivals

Collectors and guests arrive in waves over several days. Flights are tracked for delays, and meeting you inside the terminal at MIA or Fort Lauderdale (FLL) is simpler than coordinating a pick-up by message from the baggage hall.

• Fix your transport before the week; availability is tightest around the opening.
• Agree drop-off and pick-up points in advance, not at the kerb.
• Keep one contact for the whole week, so a change of plan is one message.

How we arrange it

Send us your dates, the number of people and roughly where you will be, and we will tell you what the week needs — including when one car is enough.

Request a quote, or see the vehicles.