802-395-1155
Note: Details about the 2021 Free Tram service are at the end of this post.
Lee County Bus Service
Lee County offers bus and tram service through Fort Myers Beach down to Lovers Key (410 Route) and off islands towards Fort Myers (490 Route). You only need 3 quarters to hop on the Trolley (Bus) and ride all the way to Lovers Key. Spend the day there hanging out at the beach, go on a kayak tour or rent your own kayak and explore the bay. The free tram operates around the northern end of Estero Island.
Note that you will need exact change for the Trolley. Drivers can’t make change. You may also choose to buy an all-day pass for $2 or a 3-day pass for $4 (available at Publix Grocery stores and Beach Park and Ride). In 2021, the Lee County Bus service added cashless methods of payment too! You can use the LeeFare App on your Android or Apple devices. You can also get a Tropicard that can be reloaded as well.
Walking around Fort Myers Beach
Our Beach Delight vacation rental home is easy walking distance to the places you’ll want to frequent. Within 1 mile you’ll find restaurants, ice cream shops, clothing stores, souvenir shops, bars, entertainment spots, food and beverage marts and more. Between mid-February and end of May, there’s a free transportation option that will get you to all these wonderful places without exerting much energy at all!
Fort Myers Beach Free Tram
We really enjoying walking to all the places we visit in Fort Myers Beach. Beach or sidewalk will lead you to where you want to go. Knowing that we’re going to take in some calories on our adventures, we choose to walk. However, with the free open-air tram service, sometimes we just like to hop on just for a fun ride! The tram stops at all the same marked stops as the Trolley service, but only between the public library (south end) up to Bowditch Point at the very north end of Estero Island, Fort Myers Beach. Our vacation rental is less than a 60 second walk to the nearest stop on this route.
If you’re staying at our Beach Delight during tram season, take a ride just for the fun of it!
You can get a feel for the open air tram ride by checking out our Beach Delight YouTube video:
2021 Free Tram Schedule
The tram is scheduled to operate Jan 3 – April 2021. Operating hours are 8am to 11:30pm with trams running every 20 minutes (if the traffic allows!).
The tram runs between Bowditch Point Park and goes to Matanzas Pass Preserve (by the Library), making 20 stops in between. Multiple open-air, multi-car trams will run simultaneously.
Visit the Lee Transit Web site to learn more about the tram, trolley and Lee County bus system. Click here to get the schedule for the Trolleys and Trams serving Fort Myers Beach.
Install the Transit App to locate the nearest Trolley/Tram stop and know when to expect your ride. Click the photo below to get the App.
Week 4-6 totally enjoyed riding the free Tram. The first time out we didn’t know it quit running at 8pm. We were south of Times Square, and had to walk back to the Pink Shell. It would really be great to run later so you could get dinner and meander through shops awhile before heading back to your resort.
The tram driver “Bruce” is the BEST. He is a good operator and courteous, thoughtful, and accommodating to the passengers. We often waited for his Tram.
We enjoyed the team service greatly.
I learned that the tram quits running at 8pm this year (2019)! My husband and I were waiting for a ride home, probably around 8:30pm. The regular Trolley stopped even though I waved him on. Apparently, we aren’t the only ones looking for a ride after 8pm. We walked back to Beach Delight. Being just .8 miles from Times Square, it isn’t too far to walk.