Miami: The Don'ts of Visiting Miami, Florida

Whether you are heading to South Beach for a night on the town or to Little Havana for some incredible food or to downtown Miami to take in the Perez Art Museum there are a lot of do's and don'ts of visiting Miami. Here we talk about what NOT to do in Miami. The Don'ts of Visiting Miami, Florida as a tourist.
Filmed on South Beach in Miami Beach
Copyright Mark Wolters 2021

#visitmiami #florida #miami

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[Shangrunewald]

As a native, please remember that South Florida is extremely fun but to treat it with respect. There are ALWAYS trash cans and recycle bins near you, it’s not hard to walk 5 ft to throw out your trash. People still live here & call this place home & respect our oceans & streets(communities).

[mikenogozones]

#1 rule is do not drink or eat on Ocean Drive, nothing but tourist traps.

[TheRagingGamerChannel]

Miami local here; do NOT play around with parking in south beach. If you are even ONE minute late after your parking expires, it will get towed by Tremont towing and they are an absolute nightmare to deal with.

[blakeyrebeccaross]

Great tips! I'm a South Beach native, and totally agree with especially the no driving. Tons of tourists get their cars towed and have to deal with that huge headache ruining their trips. If I could also add something I always tell friends and family who visit: Plan your day around the sun and the heat peak hours. Most people wake up, hang around a while, and then go out at the hottest time of the day, get sunburnt, feel exhausted, etc.. But it's best to wake up, go out and about in the morning to the beach or pool, sightseeing, etc.. then go back to hotel/airbnb in the middle of the day to check emails, nap, etc... and go out again in the evening when it's cooled off. : )

[RiverMontana]

Thank you for mentioning that Miami is a real place, with real homes and real things here. Sometimes people come to our town and destroy it because they have a mentality that Miami doesn't exist outside of their vacation. But we call it home! :)

[AndyAllOver]

Had a blast in Miami a few months ago as a first time visiter. Split my days up into different neighborhoods, Brickell, Wynwood, Little Havana, South Beach which are all worth a day or so each.

[CyclopsTG]

Miami native here, thank you for this, your do’s and don’t’ are spot on and I appreciate you for mentioning the diversity aspect of Miami, that gets lost too often when people talk about the city.

[MissJoi]

As a native & resident, I'm impressed with these tips! Kudos to you!

[Dallas_K]

Traffic in any part of Florida is a nightmare.

[richardpowell]

GREAT VIDEO.
One additional tip: Never visit on a Holiday weekend. EVERYTHING is overpriced and the city is overrun with tourists. It is better when it is an off week or a regular weekend when you can mingle with the locals and enjoy an authentic outing. 😉

[louiseaxon]

I actually stumbled across this channel whilst watching another video and I've been hooked ever since! Me and my other half absolutely love roadtripping across this beautiful country and we've been to some pretty cool places but I wish I had come across this channel earlier! Its invaluable information for a roadtripping loving Brit like myself and I'm going to recommending this channel to my friends who are planning a holiday to America to check these videos out so please keep them coming!

[smokesession]

Rule #1 - If you're on a budget, leave South Beach to eat and party. Locals don't go to south beach because it is a tourist trap with crazy prices and out of towners that lack culture and the the ability to behave in public. Visit Downtown Miami, Brickell Wynwood, Little Havana, Coconut Grove for a more authentic Miami experience.


Rule #2 - Pre-game! Drinks in Miami are $15+ for cocktails. You might find them cheaper at some places (not on the beach) but those places aren't a real reflection of miamis bubbling nightlife. Also, DON'T DO BOTTLE SERVICE. You will pay a 400-500% markup on a bottle that will cost you $30 in a liquor store.


Rule #3 - Peak nightlife doesnt begin until 12:00 and most venues don't close until 3-4AM. Even after that, we have after hours which begins from 9AM on. If you arrive at the time listed on the flyer out of fear you'll miss the headliner, you are three hours too early.


Rule #4 - If you are attempting to party in South Beach, you may very well get denied entry for not being with enough women (if you're a male) or for not being pretty enough. Don't get mad at me for saying this, I did not make these rules... im just the messenger. This is yet another reason not to party at South Beach. Showing up with an abundance of women and few men is always an easy way to ensure entry. You can literally ask ppl off the street. As a male, the more women you come in with, the more chances you have of coming in without being charged a cover.

Rule #5 - Big night clubs like Eleven, Space, Liv, etc... all have dress codes. No shorts or tank tops, no sandals. To guarantee they dont give you a hard time, wear a button down and jeans to be safe.

Rule #6 - The weed trucks that drive around don't sell weed that will get you high. They will outright lie to you and tell you that they do but its not true. Bouncers at venues are almost always your best bet for finding weed.

Rule #7 - Weed is generally accepted throughout Miami. You can smoke anywhere on the streets and even in almost all venues (some even inside) except the fancier ones. If a venue that isnt a major club doesnt let you smoke weed or has a dress code, it's likely a racist / classist thing and I would generally suggest avoiding it. (venues like Dirty Rabbit and most other latin ones for example.)


Rule #8 - Don't use your turn signals to switch lanes. Many will complain about this but I'll share a little secret about Miami... people drive like assholes here. Unfortunately, putting your turn signal to switch lanes will only make the person in that lane speed up so you can't get in. You WILL NOT get a ticket for not using your turn signal. Driving doesn't suck in Miami, especially compared to places like New York & California. They always tell you to drive defensively, Id say you have to do a bit of both here.


Rule #9 - Try to avoid traveling from 7:30 - 9AM and 4 - 6:45PM as those are our traffic times.

Rule #10 - You can turn right on red lights

Rule #11 - No one will ever ticket you for jaywalking

Rule #12 - Buses rarely run on time. Metro rail is a little better but I still recommend getting there at least 15 minutes earlier than the arrival time. Also, the Metro Mover connects downtown and brickell and you can ride it for free. Because of this, homeless use it often. They are generally harmless but there have been violent incidents in the past.

Rule #13 - The left lane is for passing, not driving the speed limit.

Rule #14 - English is the first language here and almost everyone speaks it but knowing spanish will be a huge help.

Rule #15 - The bums that guide you into street parking are just that... bums. They will try to lie to you about the price to park at a spot. You can either ignore them or give them a few bucks but there is no obligation. [This is only for street parking and not parking lots.]

[relatemusic]

agreed with everything as a local other than the car rental. If you really want to see the real Miami and do as much as possible a car is basically essential. Similar to LA.

[Spootyskater]

Just got back from a trip to Miami Beach… So glad for tip #1! I never would have thought to double check the check for this and it ended up saving me a decent bit of money. I also began ordering two drinks at a time since I knew the service wouldn’t be as prompt as I’m typically used to.

Great information, thanks for making the video!

[ShamileII]

Some good points there. I live in Florida and started business in Miami 20 years ago. It still has a special vibe and energy that the rest of Florida can't match.
You should have mentioned the tv series Miami Vice. It put Miami on the map and changed South Beach from a sleepy low rent retirement community to what it is today. There are Miami Vice tours and show all the places in from the show.

[Sonia_]

For anyone visiting only South beach, Brickell, Wynwood, or Downtown Miami, you will be just fine with taking Lyft or Uber! Might even be cheaper then renting a car (in my experience). Just wanted to share cause I knew this was a concern I had before going!

[electroclassics]

South beach is a freaking nightmare! I moved out of that place 10 years ago... now I’m 5 minutes away from coral gables.. chill.. relax.. cleaner ... safer 👍🏻🎉

[kcalejo]

Born and raised Miami! You’re literally standing on my running route 😂. These are great tips! I think one you should add is “remember that people actually live here!”

[flaviamolinari]

As someone from Miami, I think you did a great job on this video! Yes, Miami is more than South Beach... its better to eat and drink off the strip the restaurants and bars through out the city especially downtown are amazing!

[CS-nwwu]

I just spent a week there, it was great. I was out early morning and late at night, walked all over the place and never felt unsafe. Good food, and had good service. I love all the diversity, people from all over the world enjoying themselves. Good times.