Wondering how do you get to Key West and the Florida Keys? Whether by car, plane, or boat, getting there is part of the adventure! You can hit the road for a classic Florida road trip with stops at top attractions, best bars, and historical sites.
If you are in a hurry, you can catch a plane from many major airports. If adventure is on your mind, the Key West Express ferry service will have you there by lunchtime.
As Florida residents who have made the trip by car, plane, and boat many times, we can tell you it is always an adventure and never boring on the way to paradise.
Getting To The Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a hundred-plus long string of islands that protrude southwesterly from Florida just south of Miami. While the islands are easy to find, only a handful of the 1700 islands are inhabited.
Many of the Florida Keys have names, whether occupied or not. Yet, just five get most of the tourist traffic and recognition. The most popular Florida Keys are:
- Key Largo
- Islamorada
- Marathon
- Big Pine Key
- Key West
While you can drive to all five of these major keys, only one has an airport and ferry terminal.
It should be noted that you can also get to the Florida Keys by private boat. Many people come from the Atlantic coast and the Gulf Coast by boat.
Another way people reach the islands is by cruise ship. Several days a week, cruise ships arrive at Key West’s cruise port and a few hundred to a few thousand disembark for a day on the island.
Rarely, do cruise ships spend the night since the locals do not want cruise ships to interfere with sunset at Mallory Square near the port.
Driving to the Florida Keys and Key West
We believe the best way to explore the Florida Keys is by automobile. We love taking a road trip to the Florida Keys and Key West. You can drive the Overseas Highway through some of the most beautiful scenery in the Sunshine State.
Entering the Florida Keys at Key Largo, you immediately know you are entering another dimension where the clock slows down and life gets a little easier. People in the Keys have a world of their own.
When traveling by car, you will see many fellow travelers from Florida. Even people from nearby Miami head to the Florida Keys for relaxation.
The Florida Keys have become so popular that tourists from Orlando, who spend a couple days at Disney, make the trip to the Florida Keys from Orlando.
Our drive from Tampa to Key West for the Annual Super Boat Races takes about 7.5 hours. We enjoy every part of it, including the trip through the Everglades.
Even Spring Breakers visiting Fort Lauderdale make the couple hour drive to the Florida Keys as part of their vacation.
Don’t fear the drive to Key West through the Keys – fear never seeing things like the seven-mile bridge, the Sportfishing Capital of the World, and the one-of-a-kind Key Deer in Big Pine Key. All of these treasures are along the road.
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