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.
Visitors to St Augustine can arrive via either Jacksonville's international airport, about an hours drive to the north, or via the Daytona Beach airport, about an hour's drive south. Services are more frequent, and fares usually lower, at Jacksonville. Amtrak train services terminate at Jacksonville.
On-street parking is nonexistent in St. Augustine's historic district, and metered parking lots elsewhere are difficult to find and are often full. Your best bet is to park in the large lots behind the visitor center on Castillo Drive.
Open airs buses, trains and horse drawn carriages service the historical districts and city highlights. The Sunshine Bus Company runs public bus routes Monday through Saturday to 7pm. Yellow Cabs provide taxi services throughout the city. There are outlets in the city for the hire of bicycles, mopeds and scooters.