Whether a surface lot or parking garage at the beach or your hotel’s valet, parking in Miami is almost always of the break-the-budget variety. If you mainly plan to spend your time between the beach and downtown neighborhoods, consider saving money by skipping a car rental and opting to take Uber or Lyft around instead–you’ll also skip having to navigate for yourself the congestion and free-wheeling driving along the city’s beach roads and highways.

Miami beats to a Latin drum, full stop. More than 70% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, and you’ll hear Spanish spoken, sung, and on speaker phone absolutely everywhere you go here. It’s what makes Miami Miami, and what makes Miami great. If you have a working knowledge of the language don’t be shy to deploy it–you’ll feel that much closer to the spirit of the city.

Don’t land in Miami thinking you’re going to be sitting at a tiki bar with something frosty in hand in the Florida Keys in a flash. Key West is roughly 160 miles southeast of the Miami International Airport, a route that regularly takes more than 3.5 hours to drive. If you want a taste of the Keys and have limited time, Key Largo (the first major island in the chain) is about 64 miles (1.5 hours) away.

Everglades National Park tends to steal the South Florida spotlight and makes for a fun little day trip from Miami. But when you’re craving some nature and time on the water (sans alligators) beyond South Beach and beautiful Key Biscayne, don’t sleep on Biscayne National Park, just south of the city. With great scuba diving (after all, you’re technically in the northern Florida Keys here), largely uninhabited islands and mangrove forests to explore during eco tours, the park is within sight of downtown’s skyscrapers, which makes it all the more fascinating for an escape.

Many a Miamian will tell you they almost never make it out to South Beach (and absolutely not a chance if it’s over Spring Break or any other peak and packed period). So much of the city’s creative and culinary buzz of late surrounds downtown Miami neighborhoods like Little River, Brickell, Allapattah, and Wynwood. Hit Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, just south of downtown, for more great stops off the sand, too.