help us decide where to stay one night before Key West
 

DH and I are arriving MIA at about 4:30pm on Friday, Jan. 7. We need to be in Key West the afternoon of Jan. 8. We were thinking of driving to Key Largo and staying the night before continuing on to Key West. We will be renting a car at MIA.

What will traffic be like at that time of day on a Friday? About how long will it take to get to Key Largo? And what would be the best route from MIA?

Or should we just get a hotel near the airport and leave for the Keys the next morning?

I can only give you a tiny bit of information, because we've never driven that time of day. The trip from the airport in Miami to Key West will take about 4 hours. Some say that's too long, but much of the road is two-lane and no passing. In addition, there's an area that's protected for key deer and speed is strictly enforced there.

Islamorada is half-way between Miami and Key West and it'd be a good place to spend the night, or just stop for dinner if you want to drive straight down to Key West. My experience with accommodations there is limited to one place, Cheeca Lodge, which was wonderful but pricey.

I would definitely not spend the night in Miami - especially near the airport - since the drive shouldn't be that taxing.

I agree with SusanCS (rare but true) that you should make the hardest part of your trip on Friday when you get into Miami... get the rental car, tough it out in Friday rush hour, and get into the Keys friday night... we have driven the Friday PM near the airport and it was bumper to bumper and slow...

But the next decision is yours... if you want a longer drive along the keys Saturday (it can be 4 more hours) then stop in Largo... you can breakfast there and hit the road... its a pretty drive, but you are in a car when you could be on a patio...

If you don't mind driving in the dark, keep going to at least Islamorada, but I wouldn't pay for a fancy room just to sleep there... grab the cheapest room

I would strongly recommend driving straight to Key West...We just get in the car in Miami, and keep driving and stop to eat in Islamorada, then do a late check-in in Key west... I would rather start my day in KW than have to drive on Saturday at all... you can have your scenic drive on the way back... have fun!

I would break up the trip and stay in Key Largo, which can take up to 2 hours to get to, depending on the traffic. We've stayed in Key Largo at the Hilton, I actually like breaking up the trip a bit and we prefer driving during daylight hours so you can enjoy the views along the way.

There's also a neat Pelican Rescue place right down the street from the Hilton that we enjoy visiting and a nice little seafood restaurant on the water across the road (sorry cannot remember the name, but they do have a billboard on Rt. 1).

The Holiday Inn at Key Largo is a basic, clean option and you can see the African Queen there. I wouldn't drive all the way to Key West in the dark. IMO the scenery of the drive is the best part of the trip - there is simply nothing like driving a road from island to island. At least stop in Islamorada so you can get that experience early in the trip rather than at the end.

Thanks everyone. We've decided to drive to Key Largo and stay the night and drive on to Key West the next day.

If you can find lodging in Key Largo on the bayside, you get a chance at seeing a nice sunset. I've had better luck seeing them from Key Largo than the traditional Key West location(s.)

Stop at the Chamber of Commerce Visitor's Center in Key Largo for lodging recommendations. http://www.fla-keys.com/keylargo/

We stayed in Key Largo once at the Holiday Inn . . they have the African Queen boat there . . it's still in use ( well, it was 6 years ago ) and was a treat for us to see "up close and personal"

The drive to Key west was easy the next day.

The Queen Conch. I've always wanted to stop there and look at this boat. They bill it as the sister ship to Hemingway's fishing boat, the Pilar. "Sister" in the sense that they are similar and were built round about the same time in Brooklyn, NY, shipyards.

Pjk

Our kids did this a few years ago and got a hotel on Priceline along about Key Largo.

I definitely agree with Starrs. Defintely spend the night in Key Largo. That way you can see all of scenery in the Keys during the day on your drive down to Key West and take your time to make stops to eat and sightsee at your leisure.

There's lots of fun restaurants and bars in Key Largo as well that you can experience on Friday night.

Key Largo - yes! We just did the same itinerary to Key West and it worked out as a great stop over. It took us one hour with no traffic on a Thurs night around 7:00 PM. Highly recommend the Bay Cove Motel. It seems dingy but it's not. Clean, comfortable, great hosts, and the setting makes you feel like you're in the Caribbean. Good luck!