How to Get to Clearwater Beach from Avalon: Driving, Parking, and the Trolley

The short version

Avalon is a gated complex about 3.5 miles from Clearwater Beach, which is a 10 to 15 minute drive, not a walk. That is the honest part, and it is also the good part: you get a free parking spot waiting at home. From Avalon you drive over and park in the public beach lots, and once you are at the coast the Jolley Trolley makes it easy to get around car free. Here is exactly how the drive, the parking, and the trolley work, with real fares and times.

Driving to the beach and where to park

The drive from Avalon is short and simple, straight over to the beach in about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the season and time of day.

Parking at the beach is the only thing to plan for. Clearwater Beach has a set of public lots, including ones near Pier 60 and the Rec Center, plus metered on street spaces along the beach. They run on pay by plate kiosks, the ParkMobile app, and pay by text, so you do not need coins. Rates change by season and by lot, so check the meter or kiosk when you arrive rather than trusting an old number.

A couple of practical notes:

• The kiosks and ParkMobile are plate based, so know your plate number before you walk off.
• If the beachfront lots are full, the parking garages are the reliable fallback, such as the Surf Style garage at 311 South Gulfview, where the first hour is free, or the Hyatt Regency garage with 500 plus spaces and a three hour minimum.

The Jolley Trolley: fares, times, and where it goes

Once you are at the coast, the Jolley Trolley is the local way to get around without moving the car again. The beach route runs about every 30 minutes, 365 days a year, along the beach.

• Fares: $2.25 one way, $1.10 reduced for riders 65 and over, disabled riders, and Pinellas students with ID, and free for children eight and under (check current fares before you ride).
• Paying: cash is exact change only, or use the Flamingo Fares app for an all day pass. Passes also work across the county PSTA buses.
• Times: roughly 9:45am to 10:18pm Sunday to Thursday, and later to about 11:48pm Friday and Saturday. These shift with the season, so check the current schedule before a late night out.

The trolley is not just a beach shuttle. The same system runs up the coast through downtown Clearwater, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, and the Tarpon Springs sponge docks, so it doubles as a car free day trip. From an inland complex like Avalon you drive to the beach first; the trolley then saves you moving the car again for dinner, Pier 60, or a hop up the coast.

Biking and walking

For a stay close to the water, biking can be an option. From an inland complex like Avalon the beach is a longer trip, so driving or the trolley is the easier choice than cycling the whole way.

Getting there from the airport

Two airports serve the area:

• St. Pete Clearwater (PIE) is the closer, smaller option, just off Roosevelt Boulevard. There is a shared van, the Grouper Airport Express, from about $8 a person to the beach (check current fares).
• Tampa International (TPA) is larger, about a 40 minute drive (roughly 21 miles) over the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

Either way you will want a car or a rideshare for the first hop to the apartment, and then the choice of driving or the trolley once you are settled.

Which option, when

• Driving wins when you are loading a cooler, beach chairs, and kids, or heading out for a day trip.
• The trolley wins once you are at the coast: park once, then ride to dinner, Pier 60, or up to Dunedin without hunting for another space.
• Biking suits the closer stays and a relaxed morning.

It is easy to do a bit of both across a week: drive on the big beach days, and take the trolley in for sunset at Pier 60.

Frequently asked questions

Both of our Avalon condos, Oasis Dream Vacations and Blue Ocean, sit the same short drive from the beach. Still deciding where to base yourself? See our guide to where to stay in Clearwater Beach, and our Clearwater guide for what to do once you are here.