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Swifties travel by planes, trains and automobiles to Miami's Eras Tour

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Swifties travel by planes, trains and automobiles to Miami's Eras Tour

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MIAMI – Swifties flocked to Hard Rock Stadium by the thousands from airports, hotels and short-term rentals to watch Taylor Swift's return to North America for the final leg of the Eras Tour.

Hordes of fans traveled on planes, trains and automobiles with their friendship bracelets and smiles from miles away.

Swift said 61,000 concertgoers crowded into the open-roof arena, meaning more than 180,000 tickets made their way into fans' hands and through the metal detector-lined doors. Although there were traffic jams on Interstate 95 in the hours before and after the three-hour show, nothing could erase the infectious excitement on fans' faces.

Remember this moment: Celebrate Taylor Swift's unprecedented Eras tour with USA TODAY's enchanting book

Airplanes: Flight No. 1989

Southwest Airlines added Flight No. 1989 from Nashville to Miami on Thursday evening. The two-hour trip was not only packed with Florida-bound fans, but also songwriter and early Era collaborator Liz Rose.

Rose mentored and co-wrote many tracks on Swift's debut albums Fearless and Red. With a microphone in hand and a guitarist by her side, Rose sang songs including the fan favorite “All Too Well.” The Nashvillian attended the show on Saturday night.

“Everyone was singing and it was really great,” Rose tells USA TODAY. “My daughter was on the plane and I saw her and another girl start to cry and I was really trying not to cry.”

Southwest handed out friendship bracelets to everyone on board and Rose thanked every single person who left the plane. Rose says she's impressed by how explosive Swift's career has been.

“I’m proud of her,” she says. “I still look at her and say 'Wow!'”

Trains: the Brightline Swift Rail

Everyone get on the Swiftie train! The Brightline railroad operated a Swift-style train from Orlando to Miami via West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

The singer's music echoed throughout the train. Each railcar represented a different era. Quotes and song lyrics lined the walls and backs of the seats. Faux purple flowers and disco moons illuminated the “Speak Now” car. In the “Red” section, bright red lips and bright iridescent fringed curtains hung from the roof.

“We got in Fort Lauderdale,” says Sarah Stubblefield as she strolls through the cars with her friend Taelor Cravey. “Everyone sings and exchanges bracelets.”

“We got emotional watching it all,” Cravey adds. “It’s just a great start to our journey to the show.”

The car stopped at the Aventura train station about 20 minutes from the stadium. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, shuttles brought everyone on board to the arena.

Automobiles: In my Uber shuttle era

Uber has launched Uber Shuttle as a test to take travelers to New York's LaGuardia Airport. Users would reserve a seat in advance and ride from Manhattan. The ride-sharing app used the Swifties shuttle to take fans to and from the concert for $20 (cheaper than taking an Uber car).

The shuttles displayed a huge black banner with white text: “In my Uber era.” Fans were packed with shiny tinsel hanging from the ceiling. Butterfly stickers lined the windows. Fast songs played above.

After the concert, shuttles took fans to drop-off locations in Miami's Brickell, Bayfront and Fontainebleau neighborhoods.

Although the transportation method was different for each fan, the final destination was the same.

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Follow USA TODAY Network Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.

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