Hi Everyone--

I am taking a vacation to Key West and would like to know if it is better to drive there (from Miami) or fly directly into their small airport. Any opinions?

Thanks.

Everyone says do the drive at least once but it's a neverending experience from Miami. I'll never drive it again; it's the airport for me!

We always take four days driving down. Half the vacation is in the trip.

The Keys are to be savored....

Thanks, Postal. Are there direct flights into Key West?

Depends on how long you're staying. If you'll be in Key West for a couple of weeks, driving down is fine. But if you're only staying a long weekend, or even a week, flying in is a better choice.

have driven from Miami to Key West 9 times and flown into Key West from Miami twice. as someone said, it depends on how long you will be staying. flying in should add what will feel like an extra day to your stay in Key West. we fly from Detroit to Miami early in the morning usually getting to Miami at approx 10 am. if you then rent a car you could expect to get to Key West by 3 or 4 o'clock by the time you get your car and do the drive stopping for lunch along the way. if you can get a flight from Miami to Key West at about 11am you will be in Key West by noon and having a beer at Sloppy Joes by 1pm. same when you leave. if you have a late afternoon flight out of Miami you will have to leave Key West by 9 or 10am, if flying out, you can hang around untill about 2 or 3 pm. (drive time from Miami to Key West can vary from at best just under 4 hours to 6 or more depending on day of the week/holidays and time of day)

Here is a good link with the options listed on getting here.
http://flakeys.com/keywest/gettinghere.htm

I'm always torn about this. I've been going to the Keys since 1966. Everytime I say I'll never do the drive again. Yet, I always do.

The drive to the Keys can be a bear, particularly on the weekend. This is when tons of Miami-Ft Lauderale-ites head to the Keys.

But the drive is wonderful, especially if you can do it early in the morning (or near dusk). You get to see the other Jeys. The Islamorada area is gorgeous. And Bahia Honda is sublime. If you're lucky and you're driving the Big Pine area at dusk you may spot a Key deer.

It will take - barring an accident or really outrageous traffic - 4 to 4 1/2 hours.

Have fun.

JT has got it right. As great as Key West is it is kind of "unique" for the Keys (Key west is a densely-populated- yet charming- town; the other Keys are more spread out and, well, "Islandy") and if you stay on KW you will never see what the Keys are really like.
The nightmare stories of traffic jams do of course happen from time to time, and if you get stuck in one you will be cursing all of us who suggested you drive. If you make it down there with no real traffic problems (which is likely) you'll be thanking us.

If you arrive during the week, drive the views are great, water beautiful. Have fun.

Drive down, but fly back. You won't need the car once you get there, and parking is such a pain you won't want it. Depending on how long you stay, you can save enough on not renting the car to cover the cost of the flight.

Laura's right. That's the ideal way to handle it. But, particularly on Sunday, getting an airline seat can be tougher than an in-season weekend motel room....

Check with the car rental companies first if you are thinking of driving down to Key West then flying back. I tried a few years ago and the rentals companies did not do a one-way car rental. They'd get stuck with all their cars in Key West!!

I personally have said before that the drive to Key West is one of the most scenic drives in the US. Don't drive it in one day!! Stay along the way and savor the keys.