Tampa International Airport

Tampa International Airport is located in western Florida and located around 5 miles away from central Tampa. The airport serves around 20 million passengers annually with 25 airlines traveling to and from about 50 destinations throughout America and 7 destinations internationally. There are many transportation options at the airport including public buses, taxis, shuttle services, and car rental services that can travel to Tampa Bay and the surrounding areas. The airport features two food courts and also has a wide rage of shopping possibilities. One of the nice things about the airport is the many conveniences that are free such as wireless Internet access, passenger paging, parking for the first hour, shuttle services from the parking garages to the terminal, and traveler's aid services. For passengers and guests of the airport there are also touch screen information kiosks spread throughout the airport.

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Tampa International Airport is a very easy airport to navigate with one big airside/landside passenger terminal. There are around 60 gates currently in use at the airport. The terminal at the airport is a satellite set up having five departure lounges around a main departure hub in the middle. A monorail system connects each concourse area from the terminal's third floor. Baggage Claim is located on the ground level, Ticketing is located on level 2, and Transfers is located on level 3. The level 3 area has the airside shuttle stations, as well as the Airport Galleria shopping area. The terminal and the parking structures are also color-coded to make it easier for passengers to find their way around.

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Driving to the airport is easy with the many roads that allow for easy access to and from the airport. Tampa International Airport is located on the eastern shore of Old Tampa Bay and is near interstate I-275 and Highway 60. To the west of the airport there is the North Memorial Highway, which turns into the Veterans Expressway. To the north of the airport there is West Hillsborough Avenue and to the south of the airport there is West Spruce Street, West Columbus Drive, and West Boy Scout Road. Traffic in Tampa can become congested, especially interstates 275, 75, and 4, during the morning and late afternoon rush hours. You need to give yourself enough time to get to the airport if you are on the roads at this time, especially if you are flying internationally.

To get to the airport from the north, drive on interstate I-75 heading south to the I-275 south. Keep driving past downtown Tampa and then take the I-275 heading west. Take Exit 39 getting onto Memorial Highway and drive directly to the airport.

To get to the airport from the south, drive on the I-75 heading north to the I-4 heading west. The I-4 will merge into the I-275 west in downtown Tampa. Take Exit 39 getting onto Memorial Highway and drive directly to the airport.

To get to the airport from the east, drive on the I-4 heading west onto the I-275 heading south. Take Exit 39 getting onto Memorial Highway and drive directly to the airport.

To get to the airport from the west, drive on Highway 60, which is across from the West Courtney Campbell Causeway. Drive south towards the Memorial Highway and follow the signs directly to the airport.

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Besides the vast network of roads that make Tampa and Tampa International Airport easily accessible there are several ground transportation options available at the airport. Transportation options at the airport are public buses, shuttle buses, taxis, and limousine services. Many hotels located near the airport, as well as in Tampa, offer free hotel shuttle buses. Check with the hotel you are staying at to see if these shuttle buses are available.

Outside the terminal at the airport are the Blue Quadrant 1 and Red Quadrant 2 where you can take the Sarasota-Tampa Express that runs directly to the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. The HARTline route #30 is the bus to take to central Tampa and surrounding areas. This bus can be taken from the Baggage Claim area. A free shuttle service runs directly from the airport to the International Plaza shopping center in Tampa. There are also shared vans at the airport available for transport to Tampa and the surrounding areas. The shuttle bus companies that operate from the airport are Bay Shuttle, Airport Limos, and SuperShuttle.

Various hotels in and around Tampa offer courtesy shuttle buses that give door-to-door service for their guests. For more information on which hotels offer this service there are boards located in the Baggage Claim area. Taxis are readily available from the airport and can be found at each end of the Arrivals area. In the Baggage Claim area you can also book limousine services and shared-taxis. Two taxi companies serve the airport, which are Yellow Cab (+1) 813-253-0121 and United Cab (+1) 813-253-2424. If you are taking a taxi you should get the approximate fare from the driver beforehand so there are no misunderstandings. Traveling by class is available from the airport from the two limousine services, which are Classic Limo's and Travel (+1) 850-421-1933 and VIP Limousine (+1) 850-681-6062.

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Tampa International Airport is well known for its excellent facilities. Located in the terminal there are ATM machines located on each of the three levels, postal services, a first-aid facility, a chapel, and a bureau de change facility. Most of the facilities at the airport are located on Level 3. Information kiosks are located throughout Level 3 where you can find information on transportation, directions, airport services, tourist services, and up to date arrival and departure flight information. The telephone number for airport information is (+1) 813-870-8700. Also on Level three there is a Travelers Aid desk and several white courtesy telephones for the paging of passengers.

Many of the business services at the airport are at the Airport Marriot Hotel, which is adjacent to the motel. The business serves at the hotel include computer stations, shipping services, fax machines, photocopying machines, and telephones. There is also free wireless Internet access throughout the terminal building. Located near the Economy parking lot at the airport there is a full service post office.

The airport is well equipped to handle disabled passengers and guests. Some of the disabled facilities include adapted toilets, wheelchair accessible elevators, disabled parking spaces, ramps, and TTY/TDD telephones for the hearing impaired. Porter assistance is available upon request. If any disabled traveler needs porter assistance or any other special needs they should contact the airport information desk prior to arrival.

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Tampa International Airport offers many eating and shopping options. Many of the shopping facilities are located on Level 3 of the terminal building. There are retail shops, specialty shops, and newsstands at the airport. Duty free shops at the airport offer tax-free goods and the Marriot Hotel, which is adjacent to the airport, also has several shops. Just a few of the shopping options at the airport include Mindwork's, Ron Jon Surf Shop, Tie Rack, Sunglass International, The Leather Expert, and the Florida Market / Florida Shop, where you can purchase a wide variety of souvenirs. A good selection of restaurants, cafés, and fast food outlets are also available at the airport, as well as coffee stands and bars. The newsstands at the airport also offer snacks. Just some of the eating and drinking options at the airport are Burger King Express, Taco Bell Express, TGI Friday's Wall Street Deli, Starbucks, and the Wharf Grill and Brewhouse. At the Marriot next to the airport there is CK's Revolving Rooftop Restaurant with a full cocktail lounge.

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Tampa International Airport has multi-level garages with thousands of parking spaces. Available at the airport is short-term parking, long-term parking, economy parking, and valet parking. All of the parking lots are open 24 hours a day and have good security. At the entrance of the parking lots you will take a ticket and when you exit you can pay with cash, personal check (from a bank in Florida), and with credit cards such as MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Diners Club.

The Garage for short-term parking has over 3,500 parking spaces and is for stays of less than 4 hours. Direct terminal access is available from both the blue and red elevators, as it will depend on the airline you are flying. In this garage the first hour of parking is free and the maximum height of cars for this garage is 6' 8".

Long-term garage parking is just south of the short-term garage and has over 8,000 parking spaces. Direct access to the terminal can be had from the monorail located on Level 5. Walking pedestrian bridges located on Level 2 also give access to the terminal. The first hour of parking is free and the maximum car height for the long-term parking garage is 7' 10" and 10' for the High Vehicle Level Clearance area.

Located near the post office of the airport is the Remote Economy parking lot. To get to the main terminal from the Economy lot there are courtesy shuttle buses. The maximum height of vehicles for the Economy lot is 8'. There is a Cell Phone car park where drivers can wait for the pick-up and drop-off of passengers. This parking area is free of charge.

Valet parking is available where you can drop off your vehicle at the Blue Departure Drive on Level 5 of the garage for short-term parking. You can drop off passengers at curbside. but only during the day. Level 5 of the short-term parking garage is where the pick-up of passengers must be done. At each of the parking garages and near the bus stops at the Economy lot there are disabled parking spaces. Drivers that are disabled must have the handicapped card in their vehicle to park in the disabled spaces.

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Accommodations near the airport are plentiful and many of the hotels that are near the airport have many business facilities. The closest hotel to the airport is the Airport Marriot Hotel. This hotel is connected to the terminal building and has business facilities, several shops, and a rooftop-revolving restaurant with a full cocktail lounge. Many of the hotels that are near the airport have courtesy shuttles that can pick you up and take you to the airport. Check with your accommodations and see if these courtesy shuttles are available. Some of the hotels that are within 4 miles of the airport are Best Western Westshore Hotel, Doubletree Hotel TPA Tampa Airport, Hampton Inn TPA Airport Westshore, La Quinta Inn Tampa Airport, Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites, DoubleTree Guest Suites Bay Hotel, Tampa Marriott Westshore, Wyndham Westshore Hotel, and Best Western Tampa.

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The city of Tampa is a major tourist destination because of the many attractions and the nearby beaches. There is a wide range of accommodation options in Tampa from budget hotels to 5 star luxury hotels. Many of the city's accommodations are located on the main roads near the attraction of Busch Gardens. These roads are Highway 582, called Fowler Avenue, and Highway 580, called Busch Boulevard where there are many budget hotel chains such as Red Roof Inn and Best Western Suites.

The downtown area of Tampa has many hotels, which are very close to the beach. There are many attractions in the downtown area such as the Florida Aquarium and the port. The Waterfront district is major tourist area of the city and has many accommodation options and is near many shops, restaurants, and live music venues. Other areas in Tampa that have accommodations are the Cultural district, the Hyde Park Historic district, Ybor City, and Hillsborough River State Park, where camping is permitted.

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