Getaways to Sanibel and Captiva Islands

If you plan on flying to Sanibel and Captiva Islands, you`ll fly into Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers. You`ll definitely want to fly from Minneapolis to Sanibel and Captiva Islands because it will cut your travel time from about 25 hours driving to just three hours in the air. You won`t have a problem finding a flight to RSW because about 10 airlines offer the ride. You can even find flights as low as $100 roundtrip with budget airlines like Spirit.

The airport is about 25 miles from Sanibel Island and about 35 miles from Captiva Island. Depending on where you`re going on the islands and traffic, the ride could take anywhere from 35 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes. If you`d like to have a car during your stay, you can rent one at the airport. If not, you can easily get a ride with a taxi or a rideshare service to get to your beach rental.

Keep in mind, there is a toll to enter Sanibel Island. The system is electronic, so it reads license plates and sends a bill to the car`s registered owner. The fee is $6 for those with Florida`s Sun Pass and $9 for those without. If you happen to have Georgia`s Peach Pass or North Carolina`s Quick Pass, those will also work. You can easily sign up for a Sun Pass online and purchase a transponder at a Florida retailer like Publix or CVS. If you are renting a car, just be sure to let the car rental company know you`ll be traveling to Sanibel or Captiva. They will often already have a transponder in the car, or they will add one in for you. It`s also good to note, you only pay the toll when you enter Sanibel and Captiva, not when you leave the islands.