All Aboard! Brightline Train Begins Service in South Florida + Brightline Discounts

Great news, West Palm Beachers. There’s a sparkling new addition to the West Palm Beach landscape: the Brightline train.

Note: The body of this article was originally published on January 13, 2018, when the West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale leg first opened. Today, I continue to keep the below Brightline Coupon Codes section up-to-date with current discounts and offers. I also have a section on How to get to the Brightline station.

Train Travel in South Florida

I keep it (mostly) under wraps, but I’m kind of obsessed with train travel. My first trip to Europe planted in me a love for the ease and convenience of trains, and every train trip I’ve taken since has further nurtured that adoration. From Amtrak’s Coast Starlight (we navigated up the West Coast by train and it was an absolute dream) to the good old South Florida TriRail, I can’t get enough of riding trains.

Traveling by train is more productive than driving, more comfortable than flying, and provides an entire country’s worth of scenery right outside your window. You just walk right on with your luggage and walk right off when you reach your station. Plus, you can make reservations in the dining car and even book a full cabin to sleep in if you have an overnight trip. What more do you want out of a transportation method?!

All of that to say: I’ve been giddily excited for the newfangled Brightline to begin service in South Florida. West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale in 35 minutes? Miami in just a few minutes more? Orlando (eventually) in 2 hours, with none of the traffic or monotony of driving?! Count me in.

Plus, Brightline trains offer super smart and modern amenities like WiFi, touch-free bathrooms, power outlets at every seat, snacks and drinks on board, and sleek stations with well equipped waiting areas. Smart service is the less expensive option, while Select is ideal for business travelers. It comes with extra-wide seats, complimentary refreshments, and exclusive access to a premium lounge.

 

Last weekend, I got a chance to ride the inaugural #Brightline train on its very first day of service! 🎉 I think Henry Flagler would be proud…this brand-new high-speed train is a game changer. #WPB to Fort Lauderdale in 35 minutes? No sitting in I-95 traffic?! Yes please 🙌🏼 — I’m so thrilled about this addition to West Palm Beach and can’t wait to watch the tourism landscape of the entire state shift as the line extends to Miami and eventually Orlando. Check my Facebook page (search Skye Sherman Travel Writer) for a live video of my experience, where I give you a tour of the Select coach and discuss the train’s many modern amenities. ✨ The train cars are just as sleek as the station, pictured here. — Welcome to #WestPalmBeach, @gobrightline! 💛

A post shared by SKYE SHERMAN 🌎 Travel Writer (@skyesherman) on Jan 20, 2018 at 12:30pm PST

Brightline: The Inaugural Ride

This morning, I got a chance to participate in history in the making by riding the inaugural train on Brightline’s first official day of service. We arrived for the 8am departure and the West Palm Beach station greeted us with balloons, photo booths, and custom cookies bearing Brightline’s logo. I had the chance to try out Select coach and Smart coach; both were roomy, clean, and comfortable. Smiling train attendants served us complimentary refreshments including Starbucks iced coffee, juices, sodas, and water. (In case you missed it, check out my Facebook Live coverage of the trip.)

We made it from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale in just 35 minutes. The two stations are very similarly designed, and both are strategically located in central downtown hubs. There are plenty of places to walk (under 1 mile) from both stops. At this time, there’s no shuttle between either station and its nearest airport, which is kind of a bummer. I heard there’s supposed to be a Metro connection to the Miami airport when the Miami Brightline station opens, which should be sometime this year. That’s going to make for super easy access to this international flight hub, and I can’t wait.

Update (May 2018): The Miami station is now open! I rode the train from West Palm Beach to Miami and was shocked both by how huge the Miami station is and how little time it took to get there.

All aboard!

 

Brightline Miami is now OPEN! 🎉 Truly can’t decide if I’m more excited about the #royalwedding or the fact that I can now travel between West Palm Beach and Miami in an hour but it is a VERY CLOSE TIE. Welcome to the #305, @gobrightline 💛 — #brightline #gobrightline #brightlinemiami

A post shared by SKYE SHERMAN 🌎 Travel Writer (@skyesherman) on May 19, 2018 at 8:14am PDT

How to get to the Brightline station:

There’s currently no shuttle or transfer system between South Florida airports (MIA, FLL, PBI) and their nearby Brightline stations. You have to Uber or Lyft to/from the Brightline station (or take a taxi, but who does that anymore?).

I’m hoping they resolve this at some point, but for now, ridesharing is your only option! I have discount codes for those below if you’re a first-time Uber or Lyft rider:

• If you’re a first-time Uber rider, you can sign up with my Uber discount code skyen43ue for $6 in Uber credit ($2 off each of your first three rides).
• If you’re a first-time Lyft rider, you can sign up with my Lyft discount code SKYE029184 for $20 in Lyft credit ($5 off your first four rides).

Brightline Coupon Codes

Want a Brightline discount? Here are a few ways to save…

• You can get your first ride free here.
• Code BLSKYE gets you 25% off rides in Smart class.
• Using Brightline to get to Super Bowl LIV in Miami? Buy one ticket and get one free with promo code BIGGAME!
• Code WPBDDABL gets you 25% off rides in Smart class.
• Code BCPARIDE gets you 25% off rides in Smart class.
• Code ESPN gets you 25% off all tickets (both Smart and Select class!).
• Code EXPLORE gets you 25% off rides in Smart class through 1/1/20.
• Use promo code BLFAMILY and gather up to 4 friends and family on board for free–the bigger your crew, the bigger the savings (buy 2, get up to 2 free; buy 3, get up to 3 free; buy 4, get up to 4 free).
• Use code RSBL for a 25% discount northbound to West Palm Beach if you’re traveling to CityPlace (now rebranded as Rosemary Square) from Fort Lauderdale or Miami. (expires December 31, 2019) Also check out the discounts you can get at Rosemary Square in West Palm Beach if you ride the Brightline (just show your ticket).
• BOGO / Friends Ride Free! Use code BLFRIEND and book with a friend for a free ride in Smart class. No limit to the number of friends you can book with you—one of out every two guests on the reservation rides free. (expires September 30, 2019)
• Brightline Student / Faculty Discount: Sign up with your .edu email and get 25% off in Smart class. one ticket and get one free with promo code BIGGAMEYou can get your first ride free here.
• Code BLSKYE gets you 25% off rides in Smart class.
• Code WPBDDABL gets you 25% off rides in Smart class.
• Code BCPARIDE gets you 25% off rides in Smart class.
• Code ESPN gets you 25% off all tickets (both Smart and Select class!).
• Code EXPLORE gets you 25% off rides in Smart class through 1/1/20.
• Use promo code BLFAMILY and gather up to 4 friends and family on board for free–the bigger your crew, the bigger the savings (buy 2, get up to 2 free; buy 3, get up to 3 free; buy 4, get up to 4 free).
• Use code RSBL for a 25% discount northbound to West Palm Beach if you’re traveling to CityPlace (now rebranded as Rosemary Square) from Fort Lauderdale or Miami. (expires December 31, 2019) Also check out the discounts you can get at Rosemary Square in West Palm Beach if you ride the Brightline (just show your ticket).
• BOGO / Friends Ride Free! Use code BLFRIEND and book with a friend for a free ride in Smart class. No limit to the number of friends you can book with you—one of out every two guests on the reservation rides free. (expires September 30, 2019)
• Brightline Student / Faculty Discount: Sign up with your .edu email and get 25% off in Smart class.

(All current offers are usually available here.)