Getting around Coral Gables: the free trolley, Freebee, Metrorail and driving

You can see a good part of Coral Gables, Florida without paying for a ride. The City runs a free trolley six days a week and a free on-demand electric car service, both linked to Miami-Dade Metrorail at the Douglas Road station. This page sets out the days, hours, routes and the status of each service, from the City’s own pages, checked October 20, 2026.

The Coral Gables Trolley

The City says the trolley “is free Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and provides service on two routes, Ponce de Leon and Grand Avenue.” It has run since 2003 and, the City says, averages over 1 million passengers a year.

• The City says the Coral Gables Trolley "is free Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and provides service on two routes, Ponce de Leon and Grand Avenue." City of Coral Gables: Trolley
• The City says the trolley "has been providing a convenient transportation option for residents and visitors since 2003 and averages over 1 million passengers per year." City of Coral Gables: Trolley

Route	Where it runs (City wording)	Status
Ponce de Leon	North and south on Ponce de Leon Boulevard, from Douglas Metrorail Station to Flagler Street	Running, Mon to Sat
Grand Avenue	North and south from Douglas Metrorail Station through the historic MacFarlane Homestead District	Running, Mon to Sat
Southern Loop (pilot)	From the Douglas Road Metrorail Station to Red Road (SW 57 Ave.) via Ponce de Leon Blvd., serving the University of Miami among other stops	One-year pilot from Nov. 3, 2025; no decision posted
Downtown Express	A 2023 City news post announced it; the current trolley page does not mention it	Unconfirmed

• City trolley page: "Ponce de Leon runs north and south on Ponce de Leon Boulevard, from Douglas Metrorail Station to Flagler Street." "Grand Avenue runs north and south from Douglas Metrorail Station through the historic McFarlane Homestead District." City of Coral Gables: Trolley
• Per the City trolley page, both the Ponce de Leon and Grand Avenue trolley routes start at the Douglas Road (Douglas) Metrorail Station, and the Southern Loop pilot runs from that station to Red Road via Ponce de Leon Blvd. City of Coral Gables: Trolley

The City’s trolley page spells the district “McFarlane”; the City’s landmarks page calls it the MacFarlane Homestead Historic District, the only district in Coral Gables listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• The City says the MacFarlane Homestead Historic District "was listed in the National Register in 1994" and "is the only historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places within the City of Coral Gables." Most houses were built between 1926 and 1939, in a wood frame vernacular type "not seen elsewhere in Coral Gables." St. Mary's Baptist Church was built there in 1926. City of Coral Gables: Historical Landmarks

Days with no trolley

The City says: “The trolley does not run on Sundays, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.” In the coming months that means every Sunday, Thursday, November 26, 2026, Friday, December 25, 2026, and Sunday, July 4, 2027. Those dates are the holidays worked out for this year; the City page does not print them. The City posted Thanksgiving hours for 2025 but none yet for 2026, so do not rely on last year’s notice.

• City trolley page: "The trolley does not run on Sundays, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day." City of Coral Gables: Trolley
• The City's only holiday-hours notice found is for Thanksgiving 2025 (offices closed Nov. 27 and 28; Community Recreation closed Nov. 27; trolley 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Freebee 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Nov. 28). No 2026 holiday schedule is posted. Check the City's notices for 2026 holiday hours. City of Coral Gables: Thanksgiving Hours of Operation (2025)

How often, and where is it now?

The City’s trolley page does not publish a frequency, so we do not give one. It points riders to its Real Time Trolley Tracker and the ETA Transit app to see where each trolley is. For questions, the City lists Trolley@coralgables.com and 305-460-5070 (City trolley page).

• The City says the trolley connects with Miami-Dade Metrorail, Metrobus and the City of Miami Trolley, and points riders to a Real Time Trolley Tracker and the ETA Transit app. Trolley contact: Trolley@coralgables.com, 305-460-5070. City of Coral Gables: Trolley

The Southern Loop pilot

The City “launched a one-year pilot of a new Southern Loop Trolley route on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025,” free, from the Douglas Road Metrorail Station to Red Road (SW 57 Ave.) via Ponce de Leon Blvd. The City says it “will monitor ridership and feedback to decide if the route will continue beyond the pilot year.” That year ends in early November 2026, and when we checked, the City had posted no decision. Check the Southern Loop page or call 305-460-5070 before you count on it.

• The City "launched a one-year pilot of a new Southern Loop Trolley route on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025", a free route "from the Douglas Road Metrorail Station to Red Road (SW 57 Ave.) via Ponce de Leon Blvd.", serving the University of Miami among other stops. The City says it "will monitor ridership and feedback to decide if the route will continue beyond the pilot year." City of Coral Gables: Southern Loop Trolley Pilot
• The Southern Loop trolley was a one-year pilot from Nov. 3, 2025. The City had not posted (when checked) whether it continues after early November 2026. Check the City's trolley page before relying on it after early November 2026. City of Coral Gables: Southern Loop Trolley Pilot

Freebee: free on-demand rides

The City has partnered with Freebee to offer free door-to-door rides in electric vehicles. Request one in the Ride Freebee app; without a smartphone, call Freebee Dispatch at 855-918-3733.

Day	Freebee hours (City page)
Monday to Thursday	10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday	10 a.m. to 12 a.m.
Sunday	10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Freebee does not operate on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Day. The City labels these hours “Effective July 1” without a year. Freebee covers downtown Coral Gables; the City says service now extends to Santillane Ave. from Douglas Road to Salzedo St. (to Le Jeune Road south of Zamora Ave.) and to the Venetian Pool, and it links a service area map (City Freebee page).

• The City "has partnered with Freebee to offer free door-to-door rides in electric vehicles", requested through the "Ride Freebee" app; riders without a smartphone can call Freebee Dispatch at 855-918-3733. City of Coral Gables: Ride Freebee
• City Freebee page: "Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.", "Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. – 12 a.m.", "Sunday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m." Freebee "will not operate" on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. City of Coral Gables: Ride Freebee
• City Freebee page: service "now extends to Santillane Ave. from Douglas Road to Salzedo St. (south of Zamora Ave., it extends to Le Jeune Road). Service was also extended to Venetian Pool." The page describes it as a ride "around Downtown Coral Gables" and links a service area map. City of Coral Gables: Ride Freebee
• City Freebee hours are labelled "Effective July 1" with no year. City of Coral Gables: Ride Freebee

Freebee is the only free ride on our list that runs on Sundays. On Gallery Night, the first Friday of the month from 6 to 10 p.m., the City encourages visitors to use the trolleys or Freebee to get between galleries.

• The City says "Coral Gables galleries and participating art venues open their doors on the first Friday of the month from 6 to 10 p.m. as part of Coral Gables Gallery Night," with live music and fine art, and encourages visitors "to use the city's trolleys or Freebee on-demand vehicles to travel between galleries." City of Coral Gables: Gables Gallery Night

Metrorail

The City’s trolley page names the Douglas Road Metrorail Station as the starting point of all its routes, and says the trolley connects with Miami-Dade Metrorail, Metrobus and the City of Miami Trolley, which is a separate system. For the Lowe Art Museum, the Lowe says to take Metrorail to University station, then the free University of Miami shuttle bus or walk.

• The Lowe points drivers to the Pavia Garage: "PayByPhone is $1.50/hourly, plus .27 cents transaction fee. Parking sessions of 5-hours or more converts to all day parking at $8"; University parking enforcement runs "7-days a week, 8:00a.m. to 11:00p.m." By Metrorail, it says to use University station, then the free University of Miami shuttle bus or walk. Lowe Art Museum (University of Miami): Plan Your Visit

We could not read the County’s Metrorail station page, which loads by script, so we do not give station addresses or parking counts. Check Miami-Dade Transit before you travel.

• We could not confirm Metrorail station addresses, parking or fares on Miami-Dade County's own station page, so this guide gives none; check Miami-Dade Transit before you travel. The City's trolley page names the Douglas Road Metrorail Station as the trolley hub. Miami-Dade DTPW: Metrorail Stations

Driving and parking pointers

• Meters run every day. The City enforces on-street meters 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to midnight, at up to $3.50 an hour.
• Garages are simplest downtown. City garages charge $1.00 per 24 minutes, with an $18.00 daily maximum. Garages 1, 2, 4 and 6 use a ticket and pay station; the Minorca Garage, lots and meters take PayByPhone or ParkMobile.
• Watch the residential signs. Parts of the city are residential permit zones; without a visitor hanglet, do not park in a posted zone.
• Private garages set their own rates, the City says, so its rates do not apply there.

• City: "$3.50 maximum hourly rate for on-street parking meters", "$4.00 Maximum hourly rate for city-owned lots", and "On-Street metered parking is enforced 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to Midnight." City of Coral Gables: Parking Garages and Fees Information
• City garage rates: "$1.00 per 24 minutes", "$18.00 Maximum per day", "$18.00 Lost Ticket per day"; the day "begins at 12 a.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m." City of Coral Gables: Parking Garages and Fees Information

Garage addresses and the picker are on the parking page.

Walking, biking and transit discounts

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden takes $5 off adult admission and $2 off for children if you walk, bike or take public transportation, for in-person purchases only. The City’s history page credits the landscape architect Frank Button with the winding drives and tree-lined boulevards; the day planner orders stops by distance so you can see which are close together.

• Fairchild offers active military and veterans free admission year-round; an Eco-Discount of "$5 off the admission price for adults and $2 off the admission price for children" if you walk, bike or take public transportation; and free admission on "the first Wednesday of each month" for Miami-Dade County seniors 62+ with a Golden Ticket. Discounts are "available for in-person purchase only." Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden: Hours & Admission

The Douglas Entrance

The photo at the top of this page is the Douglas Entrance, which the City says is “also known as La Puerta del Sol.” It was built between 1925 and 1927 to designs by Walter DeGarmo, Phineas Paist and Denman Fink, and is one of only four of the eight planned entrances that were completed. More on the entrances is on our history page.

• Per the City: "Of the eight planned entrances, only four were completed." The Douglas Entrance, "also known as La Puerta del Sol," was built between 1925 and 1927 to designs by Walter DeGarmo, Phineas Paist and Denman Fink in the Mediterranean Revival style. City of Coral Gables: Historical Landmarks

Getting around FAQ

Dates, rules and hours can change. The organisers have the final word: City of Coral Gables (official site)