As a fourth-generation Floridian, I’m something of a traditionalist when it comes to my home state. But one innovation I can’t get enough of is the sleek new Brightline rail network, which has, over the past seven-plus years, redrawn the travel map between Orlando and Miami.
The company’s comfortable carriages now link some of the state’s most in-demand cities, beaches, theme parks, and cruise ports with a speed and polish more commonly associated with Europe or Japan. In an Old Florida twist, Brightline runs along some of the same railways that were knitted together by Henry Flagler in the late 19th and early 20th century—the ones that laid the groundwork for the state’s present-day tourism industry.
Thanks to these new trains—and more than $6 billion invested along the Miami-to-Orlando corridor—it’s possible to put together a multifaceted trip that takes in family-friendly parks, always-electric Miami, and a short Caribbean cruise, all without battling the traffic on I-95.
It’s such a distinctive shift that people have coined a term for scooting around the state: we now go “Brightlining” up to Orlando for a Walt Disney World Resort weekend, or down to Fort Lauderdale for the International Boat Show. (The company also provides last-mile shuttles to major events like the boat show so that riders don’t have deal with Uber hassles.)
While going car-free is one major upside, hopping aboard the Brightline has several other advantages that are winning over would-be drivers, including me, to the tune of more than 2.2 million passengers in the first nine months of 2025. Stations have lounges that rival those found in airports, at least for Premium ticket holders. On board, there’s speedy and reliable Wi-Fi, plus a selection of snacks that includes fancy gummy bears and charcuterie boards you’d actually want to eat. Tickets often cost less than a hundred bucks.
Florida is gearing up for a busy 2026, with the FIFA World Cup coming to Miami in June and July, as well as other sports events, like the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix in May. Brightline, in response, is adding service and looking to expand, says Patrick Goddard, CEO of Brightline Florida. “We are changing the way people move around the state, because once people understand that this alternative exists, they’re adopting at a very, very high rate.”
Goddard says as many as 70 percent of riders are repeat customers and that tens of thousands of new travelers are hopping aboard every month. Like Flagler more than a hundred years ago, it’s a story of “If you build it, they will come.” As Goddard explains, “We couldn’t just offer the commodity of transportation. We had to create an experience around it.”
Ticket to Ride
A partnership between Brightline and JetBlue makes it possible to book a rail-and-flight journey in one go. For example, someone looking to travel from New York to Boca Raton, Florida, can book the whole trip with JetBlue, including a flight from LaGuardia Airport to Fort Lauderdale International and a connecting train ticket.
A version of this story first appeared in the February 2026 issue of Travel + Leisure, under the headline “The Future Is Bright.”
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