Key West from Fort L

[h-sar]

We have 5 days post cruise in FLL after Christmas. Have been to Key West once on a port stop and would love to return. Is it doable in a day? We have a rental.

[capriccio]

We have 5 days post cruise in FLL after Christmas. Have been to Key West once on a port stop and would love to return. Is it doable in a day? We have a rental.

 

It is doable but you will spend all day driving; it is about 4 hours in each direction and that is assuming no accidents in the Keys. If an accident blocks the only road (overseas highway/route 1) all bets are off on how long it will take.

[Dancin85]

Is it doable in one full day, if you stay somewhere in the Keys overnight?

 

My tentative plan....very tentative. Arrive FLL on Feb 24 at noon, have a car rented prior to, stay with friends in Boynton Beach that evening. It is a Tuesday. Weds morning leave early for the Keys. Take our time. Explore. Stay somewhere in the keys Thursday night.

 

Get up early heading back to return car and board the Caribbean Princess about 2ish.

 

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[capriccio]

Is it doable in one full day, if you stay somewhere in the Keys overnight?

 

My tentative plan....very tentative. Arrive FLL on Feb 24 at noon, have a car rented prior to, stay with friends in Boynton Beach that evening. It is a Tuesday. Weds morning leave early for the Keys. Take our time. Explore. Stay somewhere in the keys Thursday night.

 

Get up early heading back to return car and board the Caribbean Princess about 2ish.

 

Sent from my BNTV600 using Forums mobile app

 

That should work. Just remember that Boynton Beach is about 30 miles north of FLL so tack on some extra time for the trip south. I would err on the side of caution on the return trip and leave at daybreak to get back to FLL just in case there are any traffic problems (it is no exaggeration that the highway can be tied up for hours by one accident). Aim to get to Port Everglades around 11 am when check-in starts - then you have a few hours leeway.

[jeslimin]

I would leave VERY early in the AM for your trip south. Feb is prime snowbird season and the roads will be packed. Drive down on the Turnpike to the Sawgrass expressway which will turn into I 75 south. take that to the turnpike extension and straight to Homestead and Florida City and US 1.. You will miss the worst of the traffic that way. We were involved in an accident on a bridge in the keys once and closed the road for 4 hours. The worst traffic will be on the return heading into Miami from the keys that next morning:eek:

[ducklite]

IMHO it's kind of crazy to consider doing this as a day trip. Why not spend a couple of days in the Keys? It's at least a four hour trip from Fort Lauderdale, and if there are any delays it could quickly turn into an eight hour trip. Even if there is no traffic problems, you'll still spend as much time in teh car as you do in Key West.

[h-sar]

An overnighter it is! Thanks for the info, everyone. :)

[JohninDC]

Try to eat once at El Siboney in KW - casual, family owned Cuban place I have been enjoying for decades. :D

[BlueHerons]

We have 5 days post cruise in FLL after Christmas. Have been to Key West once on a port stop and would love to return. Is it doable in a day? We have a rental.

 

An overnighter it is! Thanks for the info, everyone. :)

 

Make sure you can still find a reservation. It is peak season and the hotels sell out well in advance.

[capriccio]

Try to eat once at El Siboney in KW - casual, family owned Cuban place I have been enjoying for decades. :D

 

I second this recommendation!

[Corfe Mixture]

Last year we did Key West pre-cruise on a day trip from Key Largo and we didn't really have long enough to see it, so this year we are going back for four days, staying at a hotel we spotted last year.

 

We are staying one night at Key Largo on the way south, then four nights in Key West before coming back up to Fort Lauderdale for the last night before our cruise.

 

Based on our day trip of last year, our recommendation would be to stay at least a couple of days in Key West - one day is not long enough, and, although we are breaking our journey south at Key Largo, this is because we are flying in to Tampa and have an airboat trip booked at Everglades City.

 

We are not, however, breaking our journey back north and you can certainly do Key West to Fort Lauderdale quite leisurely, and with a break for lunch, in a single day.

Edited November 25, 2014 by Corfe Mixture

[fireofficer5]

I'm in Key West now.

I drove from door to door in exactly 4 hours, using Krome Av.

I left Monday at 3 PM and arrived at the hotel at 7 PM.

178 miles in total. No rest brakes.

 

On thing to think of, driving after dark is not fun. There are no city lights

to give any views of the water after dark.

 

Plus there a lot of low performance drives going to and from the Keys.

Edited November 26, 2014 by fireofficer5

[fireofficer5]

oops....

Edited November 26, 2014 by fireofficer5

[royalcruz]

You'll get there in only 4 hrs if you take the turnpike all the way to the end. A good place to stay is Curry Mansion Inn. They'll serve you an omelette breakfast on the porch (included) before your drive back in the morning. It's a family-run bed & breakfast. The rate includes a self-guided tour of the museum, wifi, breakfast, parking, all-you-can-drink at happy hour, and it's in the middle of town one building off Duval St.

[ducklite]

The problem getting to Key West isn't the Miami area traffic. That's easily manageable using Google Maps in your smart phone to avoid major traffic jams, etc. The problem is when you get into Route 1 where there is no other option and are behind a line of slow moving vehicles when you are unable to pass, and this goes in for 30-40 miles at a stretch several times. It can add hours to the trip. The last time I drove down I was ahead of schedule until I got to Key Largo. From that point it took me 6.5 hours. SMH

[royalcruz]

The problem getting to Key West isn't the Miami area traffic. That's easily manageable using Google Maps in your smart phone to avoid major traffic jams, etc. The problem is when you get into Route 1 where there is no other option and are behind a line of slow moving vehicles when you are unable to pass, and this goes in for 30-40 miles at a stretch several times. It can add hours to the trip. The last time I drove down I was ahead of schedule until I got to Key Largo. From that point it took me 6.5 hours. SMH

 

I've never experienced traffic jams in the upper or middle keys on US1...only in Miami/Kendall between the end of I95 and the start of the Keys every time (which is completely avoided by the turnpike), on Card Sound Rd going north, and arriving at the main island in Key West. I understand this can happen on holiday weekends, if there is a traffic accident, and during evacuations though.

The lightest traffic is during the weekdays. Maybe I've just been lucky, as I've only driven down about a dozen times.

Edited November 26, 2014 by royalcruz

[ducklite]

I've never experienced traffic jams in the upper or middle keys on US1...only in Miami/Kendall between the end of I95 and the start of the Keys every time (which is completely avoided by the turnpike), on Card Sound Rd going north, and arriving at the main island in Key West. I understand this can happen on holiday weekends, if there is a traffic accident, and during evacuations though.

The lightest traffic is during the weekdays. Maybe I've just been lucky, as I've only driven down about a dozen times.

 

My last trip was a few weeks ago on a Wednesday afternoon. Hardly rush hour, a holiday, or a weekend. I think you've been lucky. By the way, I was coming in from the west coast, 75 to 821 to 1, no traffic other than a wee bit at the interchange with the Dolphin Exp. Didn't slow me down though. What did slow me down were half a dozen trucks towing boats at 5-10 mph under the speed limit from Key Largo to Marathon, and then slow moving snowbirds from Big Pine Key to Key West.

[BlueHerons]

I've never experienced traffic jams in the upper or middle keys on US1...only in Miami/Kendall between the end of I95 and the start of the Keys every time (which is completely avoided by the turnpike), on Card Sound Rd going north, and arriving at the main island in Key West. I understand this can happen on holiday weekends, if there is a traffic accident, and during evacuations though.

The lightest traffic is during the weekdays. Maybe I've just been lucky, as I've only driven down about a dozen times.

 

I think you've been really lucky Sharon! One horrible time we were stuck in traffic because of an accident and the car behind us hit us because they were rubbernecking not paying attention.

 

My parents live in Key West in Season and four hours is the best time I think it has ever taken me.

 

Aside from the wreck, twice it has taken me eight hours each way. Ugh.

[cruises r us]

Looking forward to making the drive from Lauderdale to Key West for the first time post-cruise in mid-January.

It's been suggested we avoid the tolls as much as possible, since we'll be in a rental.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

[royalcruz]

I think maybe I've been lucky because I go to the Keys off-season...April to September.

[royalcruz]

Looking forward to making the drive from Lauderdale to Key West for the first time post-cruise in mid-January.

It's been suggested we avoid the tolls as much as possible, since we'll be in a rental.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

 

US1 from south of I95 to Florida City is hell, bumper to bumper for 1-2 hrs. We leased a car from Lexus of Kendall along that route a few months ago and it took us over 2 hours to get there from Ft Lauderdale in the early afternoon (NO car accidents or rush hour were involved). The only way I know around it is to take the turnpike, but maybe someone knows another route.

[Corfe Mixture]

Looking forward to making the drive from Lauderdale to Key West for the first time post-cruise in mid-January.

It's been suggested we avoid the tolls as much as possible, since we'll be in a rental.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

 

Answer is to choose your rental company carefully.

 

Dollar / Thrifty charge a fixed fee per day but you have to take it for the whole of the rental period, which is nice in that you know in advance how much it is going to cost, but is expensive if you are only going to make limited use of the toll roads.

 

National / Alamo have a system, where you pay a small fee for each you use a toll road, plus the toll charges,. This is much more cost effective if you are going down to the Keys, but the downside is that you get billed after you get home. The upside, however is that you do not need to make your decision in advance about using the toll roads, and you don't get hammered if, ,out of unfamiliarity, you accidently find yourself on a toll road.

 

Don't know about Hertz or Avis as we have only used Dollar and Alamo.

 

We are going down for four days next month and are using Alamo.

[bouhunter]

The problem getting to Key West isn't the Miami area traffic. That's easily manageable using Google Maps in your smart phone to avoid major traffic jams, etc. The problem is when you get into Route 1 where there is no other option and are behind a line of slow moving vehicles when you are unable to pass, and this goes in for 30-40 miles at a stretch several times. It can add hours to the trip. The last time I drove down I was ahead of schedule until I got to Key Largo. From that point it took me 6.5 hours. SMH

 

No way on an ordinary day any time of year will it take 6.5 hours Key Largo to KW unless it's for some specific reason like accidents, construction, maybe fantasy fest traffic, etc. That would be averaging 15 MPH.........:rolleyes:

Maybe there was some accident that bogged it down and it had cleared by the time you went through.

[bouhunter]

Answer is to choose your rental company carefully.

 

Dollar / Thrifty charge a fixed fee per day but you have to take it for the whole of the rental period, which is nice in that you know in advance how much it is going to cost, but is expensive if you are only going to make limited use of the toll roads.

 

National / Alamo have a system, where you pay a small fee for each you use a toll road, plus the toll charges,. This is much more cost effective if you are going down to the Keys, but the downside is that you get billed after you get home. The upside, however is that you do not need to make your decision in advance about using the toll roads, and you don't get hammered if, ,out of unfamiliarity, you accidently find yourself on a toll road.

 

Don't know about Hertz or Avis as we have only used Dollar and Alamo.

 

We are going down for four days next month and are using Alamo.

 

Yes. There's no reason to "avoid the toll roads", just check the sunpass website rental car section first. As noted above, some of the car company's have reasonable fees for using the toll roads. That's much easier than avoiding the best roads to save a few dollars.

[Corfe Mixture]

 

National / Alamo have a system, where you pay a small fee for each DAY you use a toll road, plus the toll charges.

 

Oops!! Missed the very important word DAY out of the original post meaning the original could have been incorrectly read as a 'standing charge each time you use toll roads plus tolls' when the system 'standing charge each day you use the toll roads plus tolls and you don't pay anything when you do not use toll roads.

 

Sorry for the delay in correcting, but I have been on a ferry (to France) and driving ever since I posted early this morning.