Benchmark International Arena Transportation: How to Plan Your Ride to Lightning Games and Concerts

How long does it take to get to the arena?

Benchmark International Arena is at 401 Channelside Drive, close to Water Street Tampa, the Tampa Convention Center and the rest of downtown. Typical drive times in normal traffic:

• Tampa Airport or Westshore: about 15 to 25 minutes
• South Tampa or Hyde Park: about 10 to 20 minutes
• Brandon or Riverview: about 20 to 40 minutes
• St. Petersburg: about 30 to 50 minutes
• Clearwater or Clearwater Beach: about 40 to 70 minutes
• Wesley Chapel: about 35 to 55 minutes

These are ranges, not promises. Many Lightning games and concerts start on weeknights, so the trip in can overlap with the evening commute, and the last few blocks often move more slowly than the highway. Our Benchmark International Arena transportation page covers the areas we serve.

Where will your car drop you off?

The arena’s website directs rideshare guests to a 15-minute drop-off circle just east of the intersection of Morgan Street and Channelside Drive. That gives you a useful reference point, but check the arena’s current directions before your event, since traffic plans can change.

When you book a prearranged ride, tell us the event, your seat section if you know it and anyone in your group who needs a shorter walk. Your chauffeur can then confirm the most practical drop-off for that night. The City of Tampa also posts road closures, which are worth checking for big event nights.

When should you leave for the game or concert?

Work back from the time you want to be in your seat, not from the start time on your ticket.

1. Check when doors open. The arena says doors normally open 60 minutes before puck drop for Lightning games, with earlier entry for some premium ticket holders. Concerts and other events set their own times, so confirm yours on your ticket or the arena’s website.
2. Allow for security and finding your seats. Lines tend to build as the start time gets closer.
3. Add the drive time from the list above, plus a buffer for the final approach downtown.
4. Plan dinner into the timeline if you are eating nearby first, and share the restaurant with us when you book.

A sensible target for most guests is arriving downtown 45 to 60 minutes before the event starts. For a first visit or a sold-out show, earlier is more comfortable.

Planning the ride home

The ride home is the part most people forget to plan. Thousands of guests leave at once, phones are busy and streets near the arena can be slow to clear.

The arena lists rideshare pickup areas a short walk away, at Jefferson and Eunice Streets, Nebraska Avenue and Eunice Street, Nebraska Avenue and Cumberland Avenue, and Water Street and Cumberland Avenue, marked with “Rider Pick Up” signs before the event ends. A prearranged ride works best with the same kind of clear plan:

• Agree on the meeting point with your chauffeur before you go in.
• Text when you are heading out, so your chauffeur knows when to expect you.
• Keep your group together. Pick one spot inside to regroup before walking out.
• Expect some variation in the finish time. Hockey games can go to overtime and concerts can run long, so a flexible pickup plan helps.

One-way rides or an hourly chauffeur?

Two simple bookings cover most event nights:

• Round-trip rides suit guests going straight from home or a hotel to the arena and back. Share your expected pickup time when you book.
• An hourly chauffeur suits nights with several stops, such as dinner in Hyde Park or on Water Street, the event and a stop afterward, or anyone hosting clients.

If you are also planning a football night, our Raymond James Stadium transportation guide covers the same decisions for a much larger crowd on the other side of town.

Choosing a vehicle for your group

Going to an event usually means little luggage, so passenger count and comfort drive the decision.

• Sedan: a couple on a date night or a solo guest.
• Executive SUV: a small group, a family or a client outing.
• Sprinter van: larger groups, suite guests or a company outing that wants to travel together.

Keeping a group in one vehicle means nobody has to find a second car after the show. Our group transportation and corporate and event transportation pages have more on planning for larger parties. For children, rear-facing, forward-facing and booster car seats are available at no extra charge by advance request, subject to availability.

Arena rules that affect your plans

A few arena policies are worth knowing before you get out of the car. These come from the arena’s guest information, and they can change by event, so check the current version before you go.

• Bags: bags larger than 12 x 12 x 12 inches are not allowed, and for hockey games, bags larger than 4 x 6 x 1.5 inches must go through an x-ray scanner.
• Re-entry: the arena does not allow guests to leave and come back in during games or events, so bring what you need when you go in.
• Food and drinks: outside food and beverages are not permitted, except for medical purposes.
• Accessibility: the arena lists an accessible drop-off area off Channelside Drive next to the accessible entrance. Let us know about wheelchairs or mobility needs when you book.

Visiting from out of town

If you are flying in for a game or concert, leave room between your landing time and the event, and drop your luggage at the hotel first, because large bags will not get through arena security. We monitor flights on airport arrivals, and our Tampa Airport transportation page explains how pickups work.

Staying close by? The arena is near many downtown hotels, and our downtown Tampa hotel transportation page covers rides to and from them. Guests in town for a conference can also read our Tampa Convention Center guide.

Book your Benchmark International Arena ride

To get an accurate quote, send us:

1. The event and date
2. Your pickup address and any stops, such as dinner
3. Passenger count, with children’s ages if car seats are needed
4. Your preferred drop-off time and whether you want a ride home
5. Any accessibility needs

Wright Executive Transportation provides prearranged, private sedans, executive SUVs and Sprinter vans for Lightning games, concerts and events across Tampa Bay. Request a quote online or call or text 813-922-1236.

Continue planning your trip