key west
 

married couple late 40's going to key west. don't really want to rent a car. just going for few nights. can anyone recommend a hotel perfer on beach and close to all the action like duvall street?
plan on going in oct .how's the weather then?? and maybe in late january hows the weather than???
would appreciate any help on hotels and what to do there

Oct is nice... went this past year. Probably still in low 90s/high 80s. We stayed at the Southern Most Hotel. Has beach access. It close to Duval, but at the other end from all of the action. Still, we didn't mind the walk. we're in our 30s and it was maybe a 10-15 min. walk to Sloppy Joes. Best thing to do - rent a bike for ~$10.day and cruise the island. Cheap transportation and a good way to see all of the island in 1 day. We had a blast.

we have stayed at the avalon B&B several times. It's the same end of Duval as southern most, has a small plunge pool, nice breakfast on the porch.

There are several B&B's and hotels around there and we like the location - it's quiet at night, but walking distance to all the action. It's also a couple of steps from the beach.

forgot to say weather wise, we went mid November the first time and I was sunbathing on the beach in a bikini!! so weather in October should be great, cooler in Jan I would think.

October is lovely. Still Good and hot. There are many varieties in lodging and many prices as well. KW is a simple town to navigate. Pick your price range and go from there....Moped Hospital rents bike and you can reserve on line in advance. It may be wise to check your dates against the carnival schedule. It's a huge event that you may or ma not want to be part of.....a mini Mardis Gras.

We go in late October/early November every year, but I might remind you that it's still hurricane season then. As far as the weather goes, January would probably be nicer, but it's also high season, so prices will be higher, too.

One other thing: if you're not familiar with "beaches" in the keys you need to know that they're virtually all man-made and most are tiny. If you're looking for a true beach destination, you'd be better off looking in another area.

Fantasy Fest is scheduled for October 17 through 26. Mucho people will be littering the streets that week. Might want to factor that in (or maybe not depending on what it is you seek in Key West).
I find the weather nicer in Oct and Nov than in January. In January there's more of a wind, which makes water sports more of a challenge. Plus, the water's a tad cooler.
And as someone said, the rates are higher in Janaury.

I tend to favor places nearer Simonton (1 block from Duval) like the Pilot House, Old Town Manor or the Marquesa. Once you get on the other side of Truman, you'll have quite a hike.

We stayed at the Casa Marina resort, which has its own private beach, something that is rare in Key West. It's not near Duval, but also not terribly far. We went in May last year and took a snorkeling trip. Michael's is a great restaurant for dinner and you can't miss Blue Heaven for breakfast. We went there every morning during our stay.

http://www.casamarinaresort.com/

http://www.michaelskeywest.com/

http://blueheavenkw.homestead.com/Bl..._Key_West.html