Tampa International (TPA) is a relatively small airport located in Hillsborough County, Florida, just 7 miles (11km) from Tampa’s city center. It’s a friendly and attractively designed airport with a great selection of amenities.
The airport has a unique design featuring one landside terminal where all the ticketing, check-ins, customs and security checks take place and then four airside satellite buildings that are connected to the main terminal via automated people movers. The landside building has a great range of food and drink options and each of the satellite terminals has a couple of shopping and eating options as well. There is also duty free, but only in the satellite terminals that handle international flights.
Tampa International Airport is a hub for Gulfstream International Airways. However, Southwest Airlines offers the most flights to Tampa International. There are also a number of non-stop services to various destinations across the United States as well as the UK, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
With its innovative design and friendly service, Tampa is a great airport to use when flying to Florida. From the air the airport almost resembles a wheel with four spokes, and on the ground it’s an easy airport to navigate.
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The airport consists of one landside terminal with four satellite airside terminals that are all connected to the main terminal by automated people movers. Transfers are reasonably easy.
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Taxi: Taxis (Yellow Cab and United Cab) can be found in the Commercial Ground Transportation Quadrants on the baggage-claims level. Fares are charged at $2.25 per mile with a $2 flag drop fare. The minimum fare from the airport is $15 and the maximum flat rate to downtown Tampa (and the port) is $25.
Bus: Pick-up areas are located in the bus zones of each of the Commercial Ground Transportation Quadrants. Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) offers a service to downtown Tampa. HART Route 30 runs from downtown Tampa to the airport at 15-minute intervals between 5:15am and 12:33am on weekdays. At weekends the service operates every 30 minutes between 7am and 10pm. Red Coach Inc offers private service from Tampa International Airport to Orlando International Airport.
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There are three parking options as well as valet parking and a free cell-phone waiting lot for drivers picking up passengers. The short-term garage is conveniently located above the terminal. The first hour is free, after that it costs $4 for 60-80 minutes and $1 per 20 minutes thereafter up to a maximum of $20 per day. The long-term garage is adjacent to the terminal and connected to the terminal via pedestrian walkways and a monorail on level five. The charges are the same as those in the short-term parking, except that the maximum daily rate is $15. A 24-hour shuttle connects the economy car park to the airport. It runs every seven to 10 minutes. Charges start at $1 per 20 minutes and go up to a maximum of $9 per day. Valet parking is at the curb outside the terminal and costs $2 per 30 minutes with a maximum of $25 per day.
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Money and communications: Banks, ATMs and currency-exchange facilities, post office and public phones.
Luggage: Luggage carts are available and cost $4 with a $0.25 refund upon return of the cart. Lost and found is available through the Airport Administration Department.
Conference and business: Conference facilities and a business center are provided at the Marriott Hotel, which is connected to the landside terminal. Services include catering, audio-visual equipment, meeting rooms, workstations, and photocopying, printing and faxing services.
Other facilities: A public art programme, observation desk, children’s play areas, assistance for passengers with special needs, first-aid station, information booths, chapel and baby-changing facilities.
Wi-Fi: Free Wi-Fi is provided throughout the landside and airside terminals. Simply click on the TPA Network from the list of available wireless networks, your browser will open with a set of terms and conditions. Once you’ve clicked “accept” you’ll be free to browse.
Shopping: The main terminal has the Tampa Bay Galleria and the Marriott Shopping Arcade. Stores in the Galleria include Authors Bookstore, Bijoux Terner, Brookstone, the Florida Shop, the Harley Davidson Store, Pacific Outfitters, Sunglasses International as well as many, many more. Each of the airside satellite buildings has a smaller selection of shops, usually a gift shop and a newsstand. Airside satellite buildings E and F have a duty-free shop that opens two hours before international flights are scheduled to depart.
Food and drink: The airside satellites have a few restaurants and at least one bar, but the main eating and drinking options (including Burger King, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, TGI Friday’s and Starbucks) are housed in the main terminal. The Marriott Hotel also has a food and beverage section in the main terminal with options such as Cafe Elise, The View at CK’s (revolving rooftop restaurant), Skyye Lounge (for cocktails) and Skyye Coffee Bar.
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