Arrival
I was crazy enough to take an Amtrak train from Massachusetts to Florida, which took me approximately 2.5 days. Despite the rather large city, the train station of Miami was surprisingly small, with only a single rail track. Moreover, the only way of accessing the station was by car. There were also no sidewalks from the train station to the metrorail, which provides access to downtown and the beach, and I had to walk on the road sometimes. The area also looked super sketchy, with numerous broken cars on the roadside.
Miami Beach
I took the metrorail to downtown, where I went onto a bus that took me to Miami Beach. The place is enormous, and I spent an entire day exploring all the interesting places at the island.
South Beach
You should consider staying in a place near South Beach, because this is where most of the stuff happens. Here, you’ll find a vibrant nightlife with numerous bars and restaurants, as well as an outdoor gym right on the beach. I stayed at a place called Generator Hotel Miami, however that was further away from South Beach and I had to walk for a while. It was still good though. A friend of mine stayed at a place called Viajero Hostels Miami, which was also nice and next to South Beach. If you don't mind sleeping in hostels, you should consider the latter.
Food
You can find a wide variety of food options at the beach. There are many restaurants. Even a Döner Kebap restaurant was there. For snacks, I went to a place called Triton Supermarket, which was conveniently located next to my hotel. Most of the stuff there was incredibly cheap.
Lizards
I also spotted several lizards running around the beach. I gave them Pokémon names!
Downtown
On my last day in Downtown Miami, I visited the area. It was quite car-centric, with nothing particularly special to offer. There are just plenty of tall buildings. I would recommend staying at Miami Beach as a tourist.
Wynwood
The only place I would recommend visiting in downtown is the Wynwood District. It’s home to numerous buildings covered in graffiti, as well as many bars and restaurants. I also saw some insane cars, like a monster truck, and this cool Golf GTI.
Conclusion
Miami Beach is a nice destination for beach vacations. However, it’s best to avoid visiting during the summer months due to the insane heat. Additionally, I highly recommend avoiding traveling to Miami Beach by Amtrak train. Just take a plane like every other normal person.