Hi Everyone,

My husband and I are planning a trip to Florida next year. We want to fish and snorkel but also spend some time on the nicer beaches and experience some night life as we do like to party. I have seen people discussing the differences between South Beach and Key West. Should we try and do both while we are there? We are planning a 2 week stay in either May or June. Any advice as far as weather, and what to do whould be great. I was also wondering about flying into Miami or Ft>lauderdale from Seattle. Does it make a big difference in cost or time?

Thanks in advance!

Heidi

Yes, you have plenty of time to do both. Please don't miss the awesome waters in the Keys....it's beautiful and to snorkel there is wonderful. Key West doesn't have a beach...strictly rocks. Of course the beaches are very nice around South Beach/Fort Lauderdale area. We flew Southwest from Houston and i checked all flights into Miami and Fort Lauderdale...not much difference...i just heard it's so hectic in Miami. But have a great trip! We went in June and the weather was great. Showers now and then.

You will find nice beaches in South Beach but not in the keys. The keys will be better for fishing and boating. I would fly into whichever airport you get the better deal. While Ft. Lauderdale is easier to navigate, your airline may not service FLL so I would check both.

By all means split your time between South Beach and the Keys. I would even suggest a full day for touring the Everglades. I would also suggest a full day or so for Islamorda and you must get out over the water. You can rent a boat but make sure you are familiar with boating in the ocean. The keys are a tricky animal.

I would also make it a priority to spend time in Key West. Fascinating town with a lot of things to do.

By spending time in the keys and South Beach, you are packing for two different trips. South Beach will be trendy and the more skin the better. In the keys, all you need are shorts, flip flops, t-shirts, and bathing suit.

Lastly, unless you are a huge Hip Hop/Rap fan, skip South Beach over Memorial Weekend. It is Hip Hop Urban Beach Week.

If you have two weeks you would definitely have time to do both South Beach and the Keys. I have just got back from a two week break in Florida and, although it was a busy itinerary, managed to fit in the Keys, SoBe, Fort Lauderdale plus a few days in Orlando.

You could easily spend a week in the Keys including a few days in Key West. I would recommend snorkelling in the Key Largo area (John Pennekamp State Park has great access to the reef).

The Keys are very laid back (even Key West which seemed more of a party town than the other Keys with lots of great bars). SoBe is a good contrast to the Keys and you can take advantage of great beaches here and plenty of nightlife to keep you occupied in the evenings.

If you fly into Fort Lauderdale, you could also consider staying there for a little while. Again, there are good beaches and plenty of places to go out and enjoy yourselves in the evenings.

Thanks for the great advice! I am thinking now that May will be the time we will go. I am assuming Spring Break will be over by then? It is already extremely humid in May or is it tolerable?

How far is Islamorda? And does anyone have any suggestions as far as reasonably priced hotels/B&B's in SoBe and/or The Keys and Key West? What about Fishing? Any idea what it costs?

Sorry for so many questions, just trying to get an idea of what I am looking at as far as money goes, thanks!

Heidi

You can also snorkel in Key West by going out on a catamaran. There are several companies, but we have used Sunny Days three times, and have always enjoyed it. I did not particularly like South Beach, but I am not into trendy. I like the laid back atmoshphere of the keys, and love the feeling of Key West.

Two weeks is quite a long trip-- glad to see you're entertaining more than two places to visit! I know a bit about South Beach, so I'll address a couple of your questions there.

First of all, as already noted, it's six on on hand, half-dozen on the other regarding choosing between MIA and FTL. Go with the cheaper rate. I prefer FTL, as it's a lot easier to get into and out of, and I usually get good deals on American from southern CA. Don't know what you'll get out of SEA.

Second, regarding hotels-- define "reasonable". You'll find that in South Beach, "reasonable" rates equal "total dump" hotels. Although May should rightfully be a shoulder season, most hotels maintain winter high season rates to June 1. Then they plummet. You'll be hard-pressed to find a room at a nicer hotel for less than $150 a night. If you're willing to stay outside of South Beach, you'll save bucks on the room, but you'll definitely need a car. My first bit of advice: Settle on the room rate you want to pay, then we can suggest properties.

Duhhhh.... A little dyslexia on the airport codes-- Ft. Lauderdale is, of course, FLL.

I would say 150.00/night is the most we would wnat to spend. It seems that SoBe is more expensive, should we be able to find something nice in the Keys for less than that?

How far is Key West from Key Largo and other nice spots in the Keys? I guess I didn't realize there was a difference in Key West and the Keys........

Heidi

Key West is the tip of the keys...the last key, The Keys are well....all of the keys...too many to name...i..myself like www.limetreebayresort.com it's in long key (closer to key west)...take a look...it was renovated in 2001...so it's nice and good prices!

Key West is the beginning of US 1. So it's Mile 0. Islamorada is around Mile 85. Key Largo is very long - Mile 96 to 106. Assume you are going no faster than 45 MPH in calculating drive times.
South Beach is about an hour's drive to Key Largo (assuming non-rush hour, no accidents). Add 3-4 hours if you want to see the Everglades on the way. I second the idea to spend some time in South Beach, Islamorada and Key West. Three very different places.

Heidi, I'll chime in here and also recommend spending time in both the Miami area and the keys. I just did a quick Travelocity search of rooms in South Beach in May, and the prices don't look too bad. I didn't check a calender first and just 'made up' dates, so I didn't hit a weekend. The Blue Moon hotel has rooms for $89.00-99.00. We stayed there for a night last December, enroute to Cuba, and it was a very nice small hotel. One block from Ocean Drive and the beach. Parking in South Beach is expensive. I know there is at least one group of four hotels, although the names escape me now, that offer shuttle service to and from Miami International for their guests. If you're not planning on 'road trips' during your stay in South Beach, it might be worth taking the shuttle to the airport and back and waiting to rent a car until you're ready to leave Miami. I am definitely not trendy enough (or thin enough) to fit in well in South Beach, but the people watching is amazing. Great fun for a few days.

I confess to not spending enough time in the keys, always seem to be in a hurry to get to Key West.

As far as Key West goes, I would definitely recommend staying in one of the small hotels/B&B type places in Old Town, rather than one of the resorts. Many to choose from. KeyWestParadise.com has web sites for most of them.

Heading for Key West in four weeks. I can hardly wait. Fun, fun place to just hang out in.

I have first hand experience with both the Avelon and the South Seas (sister properties)in South Beach during shoulder season and both are under $100. The Avelon is right in the middle of the deco district and the South Seas is near Lincoln Road Mall, oceanfront and couple doors up from The Delano. Both are great for the money.

Been to Ft. Lauderdale, Key West and Miami South Beach. My absolute favorite was Key West. We stayed in Key West for a week and had plenty to do, need to check out Mallory Square and Duval Street for nightly entertainment. Another vacation we spent a week in Ft. Lauderdale which was very nice with great restaurants and entertainment and swimming, we spent one day in Miami South Beach it was an interesting and a fun trip but would want to spend a week. Not too far to drive from Ft. Lauderdale. We flew into Miami for our Key West rip then another small plane to the keys. We flew into Ft. Lauderdale for that stay.

Once again everyone, thanks so much for all of your great information and insight!

Heidi