At President Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT), formerly PBI, taxis and walk-up sedans, SUVs and vans are at the Ground Transportation desk outside on the west end of Level 1, Baggage Claim, with no reservation needed. The airport does not publish a taxi fare table, so ask for the fare before you set off. For one or two people with light bags going a short distance, the taxi is usually the cheaper choice; a pre-booked car, fixed at US$135 in a Business Sedan to Palm Beach island, wins for families, groups, late arrivals and anyone who wants the price settled before the flight.
There is also a genuinely free option many visitors miss: a Palm Tran bus link from the airport to the West Palm Beach Tri-Rail station. This guide covers the taxi desk, the rideshare curb, the bus and the train, how vehicles for hire are licensed in Palm Beach County, and an honest view of when each is the right call.
Where is the taxi stand at Palm Beach airport?
Taxis at DJT are at the Ground Transportation desk outside on the west end of Level 1, the Baggage Claim level, offering taxi, sedan, SUV and van service on demand with no reservation needed for arriving passengers. App rides pick up on the outer curb of Level 3. Palm Tran buses stop on the outer curb of Level 1.
Those locations are from the airport's taxis and rideshare page and its public transportation page. The airport also lists Metro Taxi's phone number for questions about the walk-up service and for reserving a taxi to the airport.
See Palm Beach prices and reserve
How Palm Beach airport taxi fares work
DJT's ground transportation pages explain where to find the taxis but do not publish a fare table or a flat rate to Palm Beach island, West Palm Beach or Boca Raton. We could not find an official airport or county source listing current taxi rates from the airport, so we are not going to quote one.
What that means in practice:
- Ask before you leave the curb. The desk or the driver can give an estimate for your address.
- Short trips are the sweet spot. Palm Beach island is about 6 miles (9 km), roughly 15 minutes on a clear road. Downtown West Palm Beach is closer still.
- Longer trips add up. Jupiter, Wellington, Delray Beach and Boca Raton are much further, and that is where a fixed price starts to compare well.
The safety point the airport makes
The airport is direct about this: legitimate ground transportation companies will not approach you in the terminal or at the curb asking if you need a ride. Trips must be pre-arranged unless you use the on-demand walk-up service on Level 1 at the terminal's west end. If someone offers you a ride inside baggage claim, decline and go to the desk, the rideshare curb or your booked chauffeur.
Licensing in Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs says all taxi, limousine, shuttle and non-medical vehicle-for-hire companies operating in the county must be licensed by Consumer Affairs, that their drivers need special permits and must wear a Consumer Affairs ID badge, and that licensed companies must meet minimum insurance and safety standards. The county offers an online search of licensed vehicle-for-hire companies and drivers.
App-based rides are different. The county explains that, under section 627.748 of the Florida Statutes, transportation network companies and their drivers are governed by state law, and the county no longer licenses them for prearranged rides.
For an Elly8.net booking, rides in Palm Beach are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk.
Rideshare at DJT
App pickups are on the outer curb of Level 3, the departures level, with signs to guide you. The airport's safety advice is worth following: only accept rides you requested in your app, check the car's make, model and plate, confirm the driver's name and ask "Who is this ride for?" before you get in.
App prices are quoted at the moment you request and move with demand. A Friday evening in season, or the hour after a busy event, can cost noticeably more than the same ride on a Tuesday afternoon. Wait times are not published.
The free bus link to Tri-Rail
This is the option to know about if you are heading to Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Boca Raton on a budget. According to Tri-Rail's West Palm Beach station page, Palm Tran Route 2 connects the station with the airport for free: going to the airport you show a valid Tri-Rail fare to the bus operator, and trips from the airport to the station do not require a purchased fare. The station is at 203 South Tamarind Avenue in West Palm Beach.
The airport adds that Amtrak's West Palm Beach station is at 201 South Tamarind Avenue, with a Palm Tran shuttle between the station and DJT.
For a solo traveller with a carry-on heading south by train, that combination is excellent value. It is less practical with heavy bags, children or a schedule to keep, and it does not help much if you are going to Palm Beach island itself, because the train does not cross the Intracoastal.
Taxi vs rideshare vs bus vs a pre-booked car
| Option | Where at DJT | How the price works | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walk-up taxi, sedan, SUV or van | Ground Transportation desk, west end of Level 1 | No published fare table; ask first | One or two people, short trip, light bags |
| Uber or Lyft | Outer curb, Level 3 | App quote, varies with demand | Flexible travellers at quiet hours |
| Palm Tran Route 2 to Tri-Rail | Bus stop, outer curb, Level 1 | Free from the airport to the station | Solo, carry-on, heading south by train |
| Elly8.net Business Sedan to the island | Met inside baggage claim | US$135 fixed, per vehicle | Couples, business arrivals, late flights |
| Elly8.net Business SUV to the island | Met inside baggage claim | US$180 fixed, per vehicle | Families, golf bags, child seats |
| Elly8.net Executive Sprinter to the island | Met inside baggage claim | US$355 fixed, per vehicle | Wedding groups, golf groups, teams |
The First Class SUV is US$220 and the First Class Sedan US$240 for the same trip. All Elly8.net prices are all-in: chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and meet and greet, with tolls and parking billed at cost. The fare is the same in either direction.
When the taxi is the right call
- You are one or two people with a bag each.
- You are going to Palm Beach island, downtown West Palm Beach or nearby.
- You land in the middle of the day, outside a big event week.
- You did not plan ahead and the desk has cars waiting.
There is no shame in the taxi line. For the island run, it is short, and a booked chauffeur only earns its price when something about the trip needs it.
When a pre-booked car wins
- You land late. The chauffeur is already in baggage claim, with complimentary waiting after a tracked landing.
- You have children. Child seats are fitted before pickup on request.
- You have golf bags or season luggage. Book a Business SUV or Sprinter so it all fits in one vehicle.
- You are a group. One Executive Sprinter at US$355 carries twelve people and twelve bags; the arithmetic, for comparison only, is about US$30 each.
- You are going a long way. Jupiter, Wellington, Boca Raton or Fort Lauderdale are priced exactly in the web booker before you pay.
- It is an event week. The Palm Beach International Boat Show on Flagler Drive, March 17 to 21, 2027, is one of the busiest weeks of the year.
- Someone else is paying. A corporate account or travel agent account gets one invoice, not a stack of receipts.
Our chauffeur vs taxi and chauffeur vs Uber and Lyft guides compare the options across the network.
Long trips: Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Miami
The further you go from DJT, the more the choice tilts toward a fixed price. Some visitors land in West Palm Beach for a stay in Boca Raton or Delray Beach; others find a cheaper fare home out of Fort Lauderdale or Miami and need to cover the distance on the last day.
For those runs there are three realistic options. The train, via the free Palm Tran Route 2 link and Tri-Rail, is the budget choice for a solo traveller with light bags. A taxi or app ride is quick to arrange but priced by the meter or the app's demand, which matters over forty or fifty miles of I-95. A pre-booked car is priced by address in the web booker before you pay. For reference, Elly8.net's fixed fare between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport (FLL) and Palm Beach island is US$370 in a Business Sedan, US$485 in a Business SUV and US$965 in an Executive Sprinter, about 65 minutes on a clear road, the same price in either direction.
Our Fort Lauderdale car service and Miami car service pages list fixed prices from those airports, and the Palm Beach car service page has every Palm Beach route and package.
How a pre-booked pickup works
The step-by-step version is in our Palm Beach airport car service guide. In short: add your flight number at booking, the chauffeur tracks the landing and waits inside with a name board, helps with bags, and walks you to the car. You never need the desk or the Level 3 curb. Our airport transfers page explains how waiting and tolls are handled everywhere we operate, and the fleet page shows seats and bags for each vehicle.
If you are staying longer than a transfer, our guide to chauffeur service in West Palm Beach covers hourly bookings and evenings.
Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, with refunds to the original card.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the taxi desk at Palm Beach airport?
At the Ground Transportation desk outside on the west end of Level 1, the Baggage Claim level. Taxi, sedan, SUV and van service is available on demand, and arriving passengers do not need a reservation. Anyone approaching you inside the terminal offering a ride is not a legitimate operator, according to the airport.
How much is a taxi from DJT to Palm Beach island?
The airport does not publish a taxi fare table, and we could not find an official rate to quote, so ask the desk or driver for the fare before you leave. The trip is about 6 miles, roughly 15 minutes on a clear road. An Elly8.net Business Sedan is a fixed US$135 per vehicle, all-in.
Where is the Uber and Lyft pickup at DJT?
On the outer curb of Level 3, the departures level, where signs guide you. Check the car's make, model and plate against the app and ask the driver who the ride is for before you get in. App prices move with demand.
Is there a free way from the airport to the train?
Yes. Palm Tran Route 2 links DJT with the West Palm Beach Tri-Rail station at 203 South Tamarind Avenue. Trips from the airport to the station need no purchased fare, and going to the airport you show a valid Tri-Rail ticket, according to Tri-Rail.
Are Palm Beach taxis licensed?
Palm Beach County Consumer Affairs licenses all taxi, limousine and shuttle companies operating in the county, and their drivers must carry permits and wear a Consumer Affairs ID badge. The county offers an online lookup of licensed companies and drivers. App rides are governed by Florida state law instead.
When is a pre-booked car worth it over a taxi?
When you land late, travel with children who need seats, carry golf bags or lots of luggage, travel as a group, go beyond the island and West Palm Beach, arrive in an event week, or need the fare fixed and invoiced. For a solo traveller with a carry-on at midday, the taxi is usually cheaper.
