Key West Trip
 

Hello. After checking into destinations ranging from Hawaii to New Orleans, we are seriously leaning toward Key West for our 10th anniversary trip. I'd like to get some feedback and suggestions on a few parts of the trip. We will be going either the last week of May or the first week of June, probably a total of four or five nights. It will be our first trip without children since our honeymoon!

Transportation-wise, I'd like to take Southwest from St Louis to Fort Lauderdale. They'll release their summer rates next week, but current rates for early May are in the $200 range. Does anyone know if the rates are usually higher/lower/similar during the summer months? I've found a shuttle van that will take us from FLL to Key West with a four hour trip time. I think this might be a nice option, at least one way, to see the scenery. Cost of this is $80 per person each way. Is this reasonable, cost and time wise?

As far as accommodation, I think a small B&B might be nice. With a quick look, $100-$150 seems a reasonable range for a small B&B this time of year. I'm looking for suggestions of somewhere that is close to Duval St, but not too crazy, with a fun environment and nice hosts. We like to go out, but we're generally in by 11:00 kind of people...

There doesn't seem to be any shortage of activities, so I can research those a little more later. The main things we'll want to do are beach and eat/drink. I've had trouble finding too much info on beaches in KW. Any info on those would be good, as well as hotels that would be fairly close.

There is also the possibility of staying a night in Ft Lauderdale. We usually take our family winter holiday there, so it might be nice for just my husband and I to enjoy it together, alone. I'll have to check the typical temperature that time of year, though. Looks like KW is usually in the mid-80s in May/June.

The one thing to remember is that there are no good beaches in Key west. It is not a beach town. Great place to visit, do not get me wrong but if you just want a beach, it may be the wrong location. Agree with the eat / drink part but not the beach

Hi Katharine,

If Southwest is the competitive airline is your locality, grab those tickets when they first release them. You probably won't do better. We use SW all the time. We also prefer FLL to MIA.

I'm familiar with the shuttle that you've discovered. It will get you there but I would prefer a rental car which will enable you to explore the entire southwestern part of the Keys - basically the islands from Marathon on down. For a week or less you should be able to rent the car for not much more than the RT cost of the shuttle for two people. You will also be more comfortable in a car. Another option is two one way car rentals if you are sure you don't want the car while in Key West. Check Enterprise - our kids have done this. I would still check out the rental for the entire visit. National and Hertz are handy to use in FLL.

B&Bs are great. Another option that gets very good reviews by posters here is the Gardens Hotel. You can check reports of many places to stay on tripadvisor.com.

Happy 10th Anniversary.

Thanks for your responses. GBC-I'm a little embarrassed to say that we've never rented a car before! We've never needed to, always been able to take public transportation/taxi/shuttle everywhere we've gone. I'll look into that, though. That would allow us to take our time driving down, and also make it easier to plug in the time on the beach in FLL. tchoiniere-I was worried that might be the answer to my beach question, since I hadn't found any information on them. I've seen two mentioned. We really just want some sand, so we can lay in the sun a bit. Will they do for that?

Thanks!

I haven't been to Key West in several years, but I do know there are a few places where manmade beaches were created in KW. I knew going down there that it wasn't really a "beach" town in the traditional sense, but I didn't really understand until I saw it for myself. The water around the island is gorgeous, but it's not that easy to get to. That being said, KW is fun and interesting and I think you'll have a good time. Consider a snorkeling excursion while you're there--really fun!

Several posters have suggested renting a car and I agree. We rented one in Miami and were glad to be able to drive ourselves down to KW (and back). Parking is difficult, so you might often end up parking the car and walking but at least you'll have it if you want to drive to other islands or even around KW. We stayed in a townhouse and they did have street parking. It was a block off of Duvall, so we had easy access to the main drag but also had a more quiet area to sleep in. We were there at the end of July, beginning of August, so we were glad to have a place with A/C to go and cool off at during the day and night as well!

Thanks Lee4. I've been doing a little more research since the earlier posts, and I think the trip to Dry Tortugas might be a good day trip. Also, if we rent a car, we can stop at the Bahia Honda beach either on our way up or down. If we know we'll be bringing a car, we can look for an inn that has some parking available.

That should cover us pretty well for beach time. Maybe we could explore one of the beaches on KW if we feel the need. Otherwise, pool time in the sun sounds great, too (although in January, any time in the sun sounds good!).

I found an earlier post on Dry Tortugas. It seems like the plane is the way to go, but we would probably take the boat due to cost. Also, looks like only 2 hours is allowed on the island if we take the plane trip. Sounds like there is plenty to do there to fill the 5 hours allowed on the boat trip.

Hello (again)

Regarding beaches. It is true that there are no beaches in the Keys that compare to many of those in the Caribbean. That said, there are beaches. Key West proper has a fairly long beach where you can surely get some sun and possibly a little swimming. There is also a nice beach at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. We often stop there for a picnic.

Also, you may enjoy a trip to Dry Tortuga National Park, either on a catamaran or by small plane, where you will find a very nice beach and some fine snorkeling for those who are good swimmers(the good snorkeling is a little way off from shore.) These trips usually include a very nice lunch so it makes a nice excursion.

Finally, if you have a car you will discover some beaches en-route to Key West. Sombrero Beach in Marathon is nice - mostly for sunning. Further along is Bahia Honda State Park with a similar beach.

Renting a car at FLL is easy. Reserve in advance. The rental company desks are in the terminal while the cars are located in a high rise parking garage accessed by a free shuttle. The shuttle ride is only five minutes. We fly walk on so that we're usually off the plane and on the Florida Turnpike South in no more than twenty minutes.

Enjoy.

May/June is off season at FLL. You should be able to find a rate on a rental for less than the shuttle. There are many stops between FLL and KW that make the drive one of the best in the country. If you check other KW threads on this site, you'll find abundant advise on good stops in Islamorada, Marathon, and Bahia Honda. I am sure you will enjoy your trip.

My wife and I flew into FLL last September and rented a car for the drive to KW. One advantage to renting a car in Florida is that most car rental companies do not have a drop off charge for one way rentals. This means that you could rent a car for the arrival day and drop it off at KW airport, then take a taxi to the hotel and on your departure day , take a cab to the airport and pick up a car for the drive back to FLL.
The beach at Fort Zachary Taylor is probably the nicest one on KW.

Katharine, You will love having the option on renting a car, even one way. We frequent Key West, and love the drive down. We usually drop the car off and then enjoy the key on foot, bike scooter, whatever. The great thing about keeping the car is that you have the option of seeing the lower keys, they are really beautiful. As much as we love Key West, after 3 or 4 nights.....
Think about it, the rates in Fl on rentals are very good.
Have fun, Happy 10th!

Having just been to Dry Tortugas via Yankee Clipper in Dec., IMO it is worth the day trip. Fort Jefferson was amazing, snorkeling was good, the beach wonderfully quiet, and just walking the grounds was interesting. The boat trip also includes a guided tour of the fort, but there is National Park Service information too if you prefer going on your own. We had 5 hours at the island so there was plenty of time to snorkel and enjoy the area and beaches. Lunch was included on the boat as part of the package. If you are at all subject to motion sickness take this larger boat since even though the ocean was quite calm, there were some who were sick. Also on KW there is Smathers Beach across from the Sheraton Hotel which offers a sandy beach with rental chairs etc. There were not many people in the water, but the view of the water looked wonderful. Parking can be a problem in KW, but it is easy to walk in the major areas and taxis are plentiful. The fresh seafood was excellent, weather perfect in Dec., and it was a great place for a relaxing visit. It is a fun town.

Thanks everyone! I've done a quick check on rental cars and priced a convertible (seems like a good choice for the drive?). About $400 to have the car for the entire trip, only $75 per day for one way. mersingary and marleyzoemom-sounds like your idea will work well. I assume cab would be $10-20 to most places from the airport? Looks like this would save us a little, while giving us some flexibility while traveling to and from. The company with the best rates seems to be Dollar Rent A Car. Is that a decent company? I know that's not a "Florida" question, but you all know a lot about all this!

Thanks! Also, thanks for the congrats on the anniversary. Thanks to this forum, my husband and I have gotten tons of great travel advice that has helped him develop an appreciation for travel, which has made our marriage that much better!

Hi Katharine,

My husband and I just went to Key West last month for a wedding and really enjoyed it. We, too, flew into Fort Lauderdale and did the drive ourselves. It wasn't bad, but it can be kind of slow, so just be prepared for a good 4 four drive.

We stayed at the Mermaid and the Alligator Bed & Breakfast. I would highly recommend this place. The grounds are amazing - one of the owners, Dean, is a horticulturist and needless to say has a green thumb! We stayed in the Papaya Room, which was a little small but still very nice. But, we did have the opportunity to tour a few other rooms in the main house which were much larger and stunning. The B&B has also has small dipping pool. They were very accomodating and helped us rent bicycles (which were great) and organize a snuba diving trip. We had friends who stayed at the Galleon Resort, the Hyatt Resort, and another B&B, The Heron House. We heard good things from them about all 3 of these locations.

As far as beaches, there are two main beaches - Smathers Beach and Fort Zachary Taylor Beach. We only went to Fort Zachary and thought it was lovely. But, it is small and very rocky, so water shoes would be a good idea. Yes, these beaches do not rival the BAhamas or Jamaica, but the water is a beautiful acqua blue and the temperature was pretty warm.

Duval street was a lot of fun - tons of shops and fabulous restaurants. There is certainly a lot to do. We were only there 4 days and 3 nighs, and would have liked one more day to do a few more things. We had friends who stayed in Marathon, another Key, and they really enjoyed that as well.

We did eat at a great restaurant Blue Heaven. I would absolutely recommend it. We also ate at Hot Tin Roof in the Ocean Keys Resort (which is also beautiful) and Mango's on Duval Street. Everything was very good.

Have a wonderful trip to Key West or where ever you chose to go. Happy Anniversay too!

Tresura

You should be able to get a car rental for much less....I just rented a mid-sized car (not a convertable though) for 5 days in Miami through Priceline and paid $24 a day. Just make sure you use a credit card that includes your CDW insurance and you'll save a lot of $.

Margy

Hi Katharine,
You need to shop rentals- there is a tremendous variance in prices.
If you plan on staying in Key West, then dump the car. You do not need it in this town- you can re-rent or even look into flying back. We usually drive down, fly back to FLL or whatever airport you are connecting out of.
I think you should look at the drive down as part of the adventure, not simply getting there. Let the road unwind, enjoy the transformation from key to key. It is long, but often lovely.There is a little detour that you can make and stop at a great place for lunch...I will look it up and post again.
As an aside many hotels/B and B's will pick you up if you drop the car at the airport. Otherwise figure 20-25 for a cab, they are really expensive.

Blue heaven is a must, great breakfast, lots of local color. Pepes is our favorite dinner spot- try it, you will not be sorry!

Hi again,
Ft. Zachary Taylor is the beach I was thinking of and, as another poster mentioned, it is rocky. Be sure to wear shoes, even into the water if you go there.

We did not go out to the Dry Tortugas but instead did a snorkeling trip with a local company in KW. I believe we just used the phone book to call around to a few different operations for times, prices, etc. We showed up to the appointed dock, paid our money at the office and off we went. There were probably 10-12 other people on this boat too, plus the captain and first mate. The captain took us out to the reef and we snorkled there. It was gorgeous!

As others have suggested, keep looking around for better car rental prices. My husband and I often use hotwire or priceline for great rates, but we sometimes also get good rates directly from the car rental companies themselves. Your prices may be high b/c you are looking at a convertible. If you want to save some $, consider a mid-size car instead.

I had heard about Bahia Honda beach but we didn't get around to going there. The first 1/2 of our week in KW was beautiful and sunny. The rest of the week was incredibly rainy--a tropical storm moved in--so that limited some of the things we wanted to do. We still enjoyed our trip, though, and are glad we went. It certainly wasn't a "beach" trip in the traditional sense but I'm glad we went. With all the rain, it was good that we were in KW. If we had planned to sit on a beach the whole week, we would have been out of luck.

Oh, we had our anniversary dinner at Blue Heaven and it was delicious! I had a little chicken attack my purse while we ate, but it just seemed to be part of the atomsphere and was quite funny. I really don't think we ever had a bad meal in KW. The food is great.

I was just looking at some things for another person...

Snorkeling / sailing/ kayakng trips...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g3...ing.Trips.html

Breakfast...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g3....Key.West.html

Happy hours...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g3...ppy.Hours.html

Pjk

Thanks so much for all those links. I may have just been talked out of a B&B, and may look for a regular inn, so we can enjoy all those breakfasts! I'm starting to get a little worried about food in general, though, as I'm allergic to all seafood and fish. I'm sure I can find some other good things to eat, though, and at least my hubby will be in seventh heaven with all the seafood!

Try B.O.'s Fishwagon for both of you...

B.O.'s
on the corner
CAROLINE & William
Key West, Florida

FRIED GROUPER
Grilled FISH SHRIMP
Scallops BBQ PORK
conch fritters chicken
Black beans and rice
BURGERS french fries
steak and cheese CHILLI

Pretty Girls!

And across the street is Pepe's which serves seafood as well as turkey dinner every Thursday.

Pjk

Blue Heaven is great for breakfast. We ate there several times on our trip. For dinner, make reservations at Michael's. The filet al forno is amazing and the chocolate volcano cake is to die for. You have to order the cake with your meal, since it takes a while to make it. Michael's is probably our favorite restaurant ever.

http://www.michaelskeywest.com/

What is the dress code for Michaels? What is the dressiest clothes we will need to bring for dining out in KW? I guess better to think of this now, than when packing the night before : )

Michael's didn't really have a dress code that they enforced. When we called, they told us casual. They understand that you are on vacation and who on vactation wants to pack dressy clothes. I wore a skirt with flip flops when I went.

Michael's is Key West formal....no tank tops.

I love sitting out at the bar and having the fondue and some cocktails.

Another option for the rental car is to rent the convertible in FLL....take your time driving down. The next day rent some bikes for the rest of the trip, throw one, or even both into the convertible (top down of course) and just bike home along the bike path from the airport. It's an easy flat ride to anywhere.

Good news! I booked the flight this morning on Southwest. We moved the trip up to the last week of May, due to work conflicts, but got a good fare. We're arriving on Monday and leaving on Friday. Now, we're deciding a few of the remaining transportation details.

To get there, I believe we're going to take the advice of folks here and rent a car in FLL, then drop it off once we arrive in KW.

For the return trip, we're still debating three options.

A) Rent another car and drive back-big drawback is another long trip in the car, although this is our cheapest option.

B) Fly the small plane back on Friday, then fly out of FLL. The problem with this is the timing. Our flight leaves FLL at 655pm, and the timing of the KW-FLL planes don't match up too well. We've thought about taking an AM flight, checking our luggage at the airport, then heading to the beach via taxi for a few hours until our evening flight.

C) Fly to FLL on Thursday evening and get a hotel. Spend Friday morning and early afternoon on the beach, then head to the airport for our flight. We figure we can leave our luggage at the hotel until we're ready to go to the airport. The only drawbacks to this plan are one less night in KW and the hassle of changing hotels.

My husband is leaning toward the last option. Flying will be about $200+, compared to the $50-75 or less to rent a car, but we're willing to trade $$ for time. Any suggestions or advice?

Thanks again!

I'd take option B, but with the morning flight on Friday to get another night in the Keys.

Happy Anniversary Katharine!

You said you are allergic to fish and shellfish--there is a wonderful Italian restaurant called Antonia's on Duval Street. I got married in KW last January and had my rehearsal dinner there. Very good pasta!

I had my wedding lunch at a restaurant called Bagatelle and the food there was excellent. Try to sit on the 2nd story porch! I had tuna, but others had chicken, which was good.

I am heading to KW for a long weekend (for our first anniversary trip)in a few weeks and can't wait! We are driving as we live in Miami. It is a beautiful drive.

On the way down, there is an artists village called The Rain Barrel on Islamorada that always has pretty things. It's at mile marker 86.7.

I just checked prices on Hotwire for a convertible - pick up at FLL on the 26th and return to FLL on the 30th and the rate is $274 total (taxes included). We go to Key West every year and rent (Through Hotwire) at the airport, keep it for the duration and return it at the airport. We don't use the car while in KW, but we have never had any trouble parking it for the week (free, on a side street) and it is the cheapest option.

The drive is completely doable - under 4hours - though we fly in/out of Miami. With a PM flight on the Friday I think that keeping the car and driving back makes the most sense. Bahia Honda and Islamorda Fish Company are both worth stopping for - though I go to the fish company for...wait for it...fish! And you won't want to do that! Having the car both ways should give you ample time to visit the beach in FL.

We always stay at Heron House (www.heronhouse.com), which is a B&B a few blocks off of Duval - gorgeous grounds, private pool, great breakfast and happy hour inlcuded.

Last time we did the Sebago Island 'Ting day trip to snorkel and kayak and I would highly highly reccommend this (thanks Peter K for teh recco!!)

Lots of places to eat that offer more than fish - BO's Fish Wagon included (my favourite dive in KW!!)

Have fun!

FWIW I'll be there for my usual May trip, IIRC 5/17 - 5/24. May is almost always a great time to go.

Pjk

I just had to give my two cents. I agree with kireland - renting the car for the duration of the trip is the way to go. That's what we did when we went last year. We didn't do the convertible - and quite frankly didn't miss it. Free parking on side streets was easy to find.
Like kireland, we also stayed at the Heron House and loved it. It's close to Duval, but still quiet. Oh, and they serve breakfast in the morning and drinks and snacks in the evening (also it's adults only).

Sorry hijack the original poster - but wanted to say that places seem to booking up extra fast this year. Just called yesterday to book Heron House for our annual visit and it is fully booked the week we plan to go (Mar 15-22)! Now looking at Island City House or maybe renting a place in Truman Annex. Any suggestions/feedback are welcome.

Thanks!

This is another place that gets very good reviers but, again, high season is until Easter so get cracking...

http://keywestharborinn.com/

Pjk

kireland, I don't know if this would interest you, but we loved The Marquesa - close to Duval, but still quiet, with a great pool and nice service. It's a little pricey though.

The drive from Miami to Key West was the most horrific trip we've ever taken in our lives. We hope to never have to repeat it again. If you like sitting in a car for hours on a one lane road behind very slow moving vehicles, you'll enjoy it immensly. Otherwise, I'd recommend flying into Key West.

The drive can be bad - an accident on a two lane highway with no alternatives or weekend ruch hour traffic - but we've never had a problem. The OP said they would be arriving on a Monday and departing on a Friday so they shouldn't have traffic to contend with. Methinks ths last poster had a bad experience, but it isn't the norm.

We drove on a Monday in May, not during a holiday, and it was still really bad. Not traffic, just slow and seemed to take forever. Once you've seen the ocean for the first 10 minutes of your drive, you really don't need anymore. From now on, we're flying in to Key West.

Thought I'd follow up... I ended up renting a car each way to drive from FLL to KW. Flights were $600-700 for both of us vs. $136 for convertibles both ways. I know the drive is iffy, but costwise, we just couldn't justify the difference.

I booked the Sun Room at the Mermaid and the Alligator. So far, our dealings with them have been wonderful!

We're going to spend all four nights in KW. Depending on how we feel the last day, we may leave early and stop at Bahia Honda on the way to FLL.

I'm really looking forward to the trip!

topping as this is being discussed.

As long as you bumbed this, I just got back from a trip to Key West and wrote some impressions and discoveries:

The first is that this was one of the best trips in the last two years and there are several reasons.

1. The weather was just about perfect and I hope everyone who is down now and who will be going down soon will have as good conditions. Mornings were coolish with little humidity and the afternoons got hotter and hotter. Perfect for sitting on the beach and for going out to the reef to snorkel and kayak and then relax in the water. I don't think it rained from 5/17 - 5/25.

2. The Pier House is refurbishing the garden view rooms so I was given a complimentry upgrade to a harbor view junior suite. It was one of the rooms I've been coveting all these years. Two queen-sized beds so I could spread out my stuff and a giant veranda which was big enough for a table and four chairs, a lounge and a drinks cart. It was also covered and had a ceiling fan! At night I could sit on the lounge, put a glass of wine on the cart, and listen to the music from the piano bar. It also had a set of sliding glass doors on the harbor side and on the other side so I could open both at night and enjoy the cool breeze.

The construction is due to go on for another six months so I don't know what will happen if you book a garden view room for that time period. I expect I'll get another upgrade in July.

3. Various meet-ups. Met Simkeith and the Mr and Mrs Deanrae and Mr and Mrs PJ507 and other people whose name I either didn't catch or whose names I've forgotten. The two best meet-ups were at the Green Parrot one afternoon and at the Magic Bar at the SWB one evening. Remind me to tell you about Mark and my bicycle ride back to the Pier House afterwards. I did go over to the tiki bar at the Ocean Key Resort twice and mey KWAL. If you haven't gone over to meet him yet, he is the nicest guy and takes time to chat while tending bar. As soon as I get some photos developed I'll show you who to look for, but he has a name tag as he probably forgets who he is.

Several discoveries.

1. Captain Haig on the way in from a fabulous trip asked how people had heard about Danger Charters. One or two mentioned TA and he asked, if they had had a good time, to post a few words in a review. This shows how important TA has become to the businesses in Key West. I was told that many of the crews of the trips lurk on the boards. So, and you all know this, be generous with your praise, and fair with your concerns.

2. I finally went back to the Banana Cafe for a breakfast and it was fantastic. They make filled crepes along with other breakfast items, and if you can make it there, try out La Super or La Formidable. (I think that should be Le Super) I was so impressed that I walked down there for dinner, moules maronieres, and was not disappointed. I was going to do a review but they are moving one half block farther south and so will wait until that opening in June. They lost their least and so are moving

3. Someone asked about chocolate so I noticed a new-to-me place at 411 Petronia, Better Than Sex, a desert restaurant.

4. Lazt Dog Rentals (kayaking) has opened a store on Front Street and natch I can't find the address. But I got a contact, Jen Berry, (305) 293-7634. They run a 2 hour ($35.00) and 4 hour ($60.00) guided kayak tour, and will rent kayaks ($20.00 / half day), and my understanding is that they will pick you up at the store on in Key West and take you to the starting mile marker. I don't know if this is new.

5. There is now an Indian restaurant on Duval, almost to the end on the Whitehead side - The India Restaurant. Mike Mongo says it's good and it smelled good as I passed by.

6. Croissants de France on Duval is now serving dinner. This is new to me. I didn't even know they served lunch.

7. The See Key West magazine has changed quite a bit; it's almost a small, squarish glossy rather than the older oblong one. No more free drinks at Alonzo's or the Half Shell and the map is now inside rather than a fold-out, and there is now a calendar of events. I have several if anyone needs one, but they are still available all over the island. But there is now an associated See Coupon Bokk good for the Florida Keys. *This* is where the coupons for free drinks is at.

And a coule of wierd things.

1. There were two powere outages last week, something I've never seen before. I've never heard Key West so quiet - AC was off, fans were off, blenders!! were off, music was off. It was kind of refreshing. Everyone wanted to know "Do the taps work?"

2. One of the seaplanes sank! It apparently developed engine trouble, made a sea landing, and the passengers were taken off. Then, while bein towed, the tow rope caused it to turn sideways and the floats filled with water and it sank. Rides to the Tortugas are still being done.

3. And someone burned down a section of Smathers Beach. Honest. Years ago the sand from the beach would blow inland and cover the sidewalk, so they build a 4 foot retaining wall and to anchor the sand planted sand grass. I used to watch a worker water each individual plant every morning until it took root. Because of the dryness, a flicked ciggie ignited the vegatation and burned about a 1/4 mile stretch of this. But almost unbelievably, green shoots are poking back up.

4. I did an entire week in Key West without going to Kelly's for a margerita. Weather was so good that I stayed on the beach at the Pier House until much later in the day and so when I was done I made a Bee-line to Alonzo's or the Half Shell for my drink.

I almost cried while packing to come home. Keys disease for sure.

Pjk