Getting Here

 

Flights – EYW

  • Key West Airport (EYW) is a busy little airport that has grown beyond its current capacity. 
    • Don’t be surprised if you land and have to sit on the tarmac due to lack of available stairs. There is also construction underway for the overdue airport upgrade so construction delays may be more of an issue. 
    • When deplaning you will walk down stairs onto the tarmac and have a short(ish) walk to the terminal. 
    • Baggage claim can sometimes be an exercise in chaos - made slightly better (or worse?) as it is situated next to a very busy cocktail tiki bar. Bear in mind that due to the short runway and subsequent weight restrictions for the planes, most airlines limit the amount of checked luggage you can bring.
      • Great place for people watching
    • If you are renting a car, we recommend getting someone in the car rental line ASAP while you wait for luggage 
    • A much needed new airport terminal is scheduled to be ready in October 2024
  • Busiest domestic flight destinations (by # of passengers per year) that is useful for connections
    • Atlanta - Delta
    • Charlotte - American
    • Dallas/Fort Worth - American
    • Miami - American
    • Chicago–O'Hare - American, United
    • Philadelphia - American
    • Newark - United
    • Tampa - Silver
    • Washington-National, DC - American
    • Orlando - American, Silver
    • Boston - Jet Blue (seasonal in winter)
  • When planning to leave, there is not usually excessive security delays (especially if you have TSA PreCheck), but if you are leaving in the early/mid afternoon when multiple flights are slated to leave within a short period of time it can be unpredictable. Usually an hour pre-departure is more than sufficient if not checking bags. There is not much to do in the terminal–one restaurant pre-security, and one (very busy) bar that serves quick drinks and empanadas post-security. Admittedly this is usually a sad scene with too many sunburnt tourists crammed into a small space so if we have extra time we tend to sit in the pre-security bar until the last available moment. 

Car rental - KW

    • Highly recommend making a reservation in advance, as there can be a limited number of available cars especially during events and high season, and even then we've shown up before and still had a to wait a few hours to get a car. Most major car rental companies (Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, etc) have a location at the airport but make sure that pick-up is at the airport locations 
      • Beth and David once booked via Enterprise and accidentally booked at a downtown location instead of the airport - not a huge deal as there are Ubers/taxis, but it is easy to avoid by paying attention when making a reservation.
    • Be prepared for a potential hour plus long wait for car rental pick-up
      • Even at the best of times, bookings run on island time and labor shortages are impacting Key West just like many other places. 
    • Other options for vehicle rentals:
      • https://keywestjeeprental.com
      • https://turo.com (private car sharing service, like AirBnB)
      • There are several golf cart and mini-car rentals around KW - which work great for Key West as the speed limit is 30 mph in most places - but cannot be driven past Mile Marker 4 
    • Driving from KW airport – address to use for GPS
      • 59 Palm Drive, Key West
      • Auto-fill address normally shows up as “59 Palm Drive, Naval Air Station, Key West”
        • This address is CORRECT
    • Driving from KW airport – directions
      • It is a very easy and scenic 13 mile, 22 minute drive from the airport to our house
      • Turn left out of the airport onto S Roosevelt Boulevard - drive for 2 miles
      • Turn right onto Route 1 - and drive for 11 miles
      • Turn right onto East Circle Drive -  just after Baby’s Coffee 
  • PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY ON OUR QUIET KEY, AND WATCH FOR KIDS, DOGS AND ROOSTERS - MAX 15 MPH
    • After the park, take the first right onto Palm Drive
    • Follow the road as it goes over the canal bridge and bears left
    • Drive for a quarter mile and #59 is on the left
      • Gray house sandwiched between two turquoise houses
      • Dolphin mailbox

 

Flights - Miami (MIA)/Fort Lauderdale (FLL)

 

Driving from Miami

  • For anyone who’s visiting or lives in South Florida, a drive down to Key West can be a cost effective and scenic option to get to paradise. Flights are also often less expensive and with more options into MIA or FLL. 
  • It’s a 150 mile drive that takes three hours from Miami Airport - with the last 90 miles following the scenic Overseas Highway (mostly single lane)
    • Add an additional 30 miles and 30 minutes to the drive if coming from Fort Lauderdale
    • If there is an accident be ready to hunker down until the single lane is cleared. For this reason plan to take some snacks and drinks just in case. 
  • From Miami, take I-95 South to Florida State Road 836 West and go South on the Florida Turnpike, which leads to US-1 and the Overseas Highway
    • You’ll initially drive through the coastal part of the Everglades in South Florida before reaching Key Largo and the rest of The Keys
    • From there, drive over floating bridges and feel like you’re driving on water with nothing but the aquamarine ocean and the distant mangrove islands in view
      • Straight shot south to Saddlebunch Key, mile marker 15
    • The famous Seven Mile Bridge runs from mile marker 47 to 40
      • The original seven mile train bridge was built between 1909 to 1912 - with ruins visible from the road and able to be explored. If you want to visit the old bridge and visit one of the best beaches in the Keys, plan to stop for a bit at Bahia Honda State Park. 
      • The new road bridge was constructed between 1978 and 1982 - and you may remember this footage near the end of the movie True Lies
  • Places to stop for lunch