Hi y’all! Today I am writing the very first part in my Unofficial Pink Retreat Guide! I am so excited to be writing this since there are so many unanswered questions out there. I hope y’all will find it useful whether you’re going to The Pink Retreat in 2019, if you want to go in the future, or if you’re simply taking a trip to Palm Beach. Today I’ll specifically be covering transportation. It can be confusing to plan how to get around if you’ve never been somewhere before, so hopefully this will give some valuable insight. I just want to remind you all that I am in no way affiliated with The Pink Retreat or Lilly Pulitzer. I am just an attendee and fan wanting to help y’all out. Also everyone’s thoughts and ideas are different on what the best way to get around is, but these are my thoughts after both living in Palm Beach AND traveling there in the past. Now let’s get into it! 😉

Rental Cars

So this one is somewhat of a no brainer… But I completely understand if people do not want the struggle of the rental car. However, if you consider the distance between some event locations (ex: Palm Beach Gardens Mall), as well as Uber/Lyft fees, things will add up and it may make more sense money-wise and convenience-wise to just rent a car. You can easily do this at the airport rental locations if you are flying in, but it’s also helpful to know The Colony Hotel is able to arrange rental cars as well. If you have a roommate or roommates, or know ladies across a few rooms, splitting the cost of a rental car may be something to bring up as well. Just be aware hotels may charge for parking as well as certain tourist locations like CityPlace (newly renamed Rosemary Square). The Colony Hotel, The Brazilian Court, and The Chesterfield are all offering free parking to The Pink Retreat attendees!

Hotel Transportation

I took it upon myself to call each hotel offering special room rates for The Pink Retreat and ask about their transportation options. These hotels include The Brazilian Court, The Colony Hotel, The Chesterfield, and Hyatt Place West Palm Beach.

The Brazilian, The Colony, and The Chesterfield are all located on Palm Beach Island which is the “HQ” for the retreat. After talking with each hotel, those three unfortunately do not offer any complimentary means of transportation, unless you count the complimentary bikes at The Colony. However, all three do offer services through their concierge that can help you set up rental cars, limos, taxis, etc. To arrange that you will have to contact your hotel directly, as prices will vary.

The Hyatt Place WPB does offer a free shuttle! This shuttle will take you anywhere with in a two mile radius; Worth Avenue, the beach, CityPlace (Rosemary Square), Clematis Street (nightlife), & Uptown Art, just to name a few places. This would NOT include the airport! But according to hotel it is an on-demand shuttle, so you would just contact the front desk to arrange a ride. This will be extremely helpful to those of you staying there who do not have a car, or just do not want to drive. This would give you the ability to get to and from any of the events on the island held at The Colony or on Worth Avenue, the girl’s night at CityPlace (Rosemary Square), and even the art events at Uptown Art.

The Free Ride App (Now Called Circuit)

The Free Ride is an awesome tool that is available in certain cities throughout the U.S., including Palm Beach! This is a completely free service where you can get a free ride between 11:30am and 8pm (or later on the weekends). They are able to give free rides thanks to different sponsors who’s logos are featured on the vehicle and since they are electric vehicles they cut out the cost of fuel. Did I mention it isn’t a car? Lol. It’s more of a glorified golf cart.

Each vehicle can fit up to 5 people and your ride can take you within a certain radius. When you download their app and schedule a ride you will see the boundaries on a map and where you can and cannot go. Luckily for us this can take us just about anywhere we need to go for The Pink Retreat, with the exception of the airport and the Gardens Mall. However, this is a great option for getting to and from CityPlace (Rosemary Square), Uptown Art, Publix, and The Breakers, among other places in the area both on and off the island.

I am not quite sure how timing works for The Free Ride or how many vehicles are available at one time. Depending on these situations there may or may not be a wait time, and you cannot preschedule pick-ups. Download The Free Ride app to read more about it as well as view the map of where you can travel!

Uber and Lyft

For some locations, you may not have a choice but to Uber or Lyft, such as traveling to/from the airport or Palm Beach Gardens Mall. I did some research to get a ballpark of how much it would cost on both apps to get to or from certain locations. Keep in mind these prices will obviously vary depending on time of day, how busy the apps are, which hotel you’re specifically going to, etc.

To/From Palm Beach International Airport: $12-$16

To/From Gardens Mall: $20-$22
(Keep in mind this is at least 20 minutes, without traffic, from the Island)

To/From Uptown Art: $6-$8

These cars can fit up to 4 passengers, so I would recommend trying to get a few ladies together, splitting the fare to make the total cost smaller. Also, please keep in mind that the prices listed are one-way.

Make Friends

Last year many ladies got around thanks to locals or those who drove to The Pink Retreat. Feel free to connect with ladies online through The Pink Retreat Facebook Group, and there’s even an additional group for ladies coming solo. Don’t be afraid to post asking for a ride somewhere either on the page or in person! Someone will most likely help you out if they can. Since I was local and went to The Pink Retreat alone last year, I always gave ladies rides when I could. Just remember to be kind and courteous, and maybe offer them some gas money or a drink at some point throughout the weekend 😉 Also there is a small shuttle that is complimentary to get TO the Gardens Mall for the shopping event on Saturday. However, space is limited and it is first come, first served. Specific time will be on The Pink Retreat Facebook group, linked above, and pick up is at The Brazilian Court.

Walking

This may sound a little blunt lol. But seriously, many places are within walking distance, especially if you’re staying on the island. Each hotel on the island is a 5-10 minute walk from one another. Worth Avenue is well within walking distance from those three hotels as well. The Hyatt is within walking distance from CityPlace (Rosemary Square) for the girl’s night event on Saturday evening! There are also plenty of restaurants within walking distance of all of the hotels, and of course, most have a restaurant or two in them. Don’t spend money on a ride when you don’t have to, plus it’ll give you a chance to soak up the Florida sun and walk off the cocktails that will be had throughout the weekend 😉

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That’s a wrap on the transportation section of the Unofficial Guide to The Pink Retreat! I hope y’all enjoyed it and got some use out of it. Feel free to leave a comment down below or connect with me on social media (@TheNorthernPrepster) if you found it useful or feel there is something I missed, and share it on Facebook or with a friend who may find it helpful.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo
Jayme