How do I get to Key West?

Key West International Airport (EYW) occupies the southeast corner of the island along South Roosevelt Boulevard. The single terminal has one baggage carousel and three gates. You walk from the plane to the curb in about 3 minutes. American Airlines runs daily nonstops from Miami (55 minutes) and Charlotte (3 hours). Delta connects through Atlanta 2-3 times per day. United operates seasonal Newark service, November through April. Silver Airways flies 50-minute turboprops from Fort Lauderdale. Winter peak fares climb 30-40% above shoulder months like May or September. A taxi from the terminal to Old Town costs $15-20 and takes about 10 minutes.

The real savings come from flying into Miami International (MIA) and renting a car. Fares to MIA from most US cities run $150-350 round-trip, often half the cost of booking direct to EYW. The Overseas Highway (US-1) connects Miami to Key West across the full Florida Keys chain, and the southbound drive tempts you to stop every 20 minutes. The Seven Mile Bridge near Marathon drops to two lanes above open water, the Gulf pale green on one side and the Atlantic a deeper blue on the other. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) sits a comparable distance from Key West and tends to run $30-50 cheaper than MIA on Spirit and JetBlue routes. Rental cars from either airport cost $40-80 per day. Mind you, parking in Key West runs $4-5 per hour at the garages on Grinnell Street, so 3 days of parking at $100-120 total eats most of the savings from the cheaper flight.

Key West Express runs a passenger ferry from Fort Myers Beach, 3.5 hours across the Gulf each way, at $95-165 one-way depending on the month. The ride stays calm in winter, but summer swells through the Straits of Florida pitch the 300-seat vessel enough to test even settled stomachs. Greyhound runs 1-2 daily buses from Miami's Bayside station for $25-55 one way, stopping in Marathon, with the full trip taking about 4.5 hours. The bus drops you on South Roosevelt Boulevard near the airport. To be fair, the ferry only makes logistical sense if you're already on Florida's Gulf Coast near Fort Myers or Naples.

Booking 2-3 months ahead matters more for Key West than for most US cities. The island's total room count likely sits under 5,000. Fantasy Fest in late October and Hemingway Days in late July fill every bed. The December-March snowbird stretch pushes hotel rates up 40-60%. April, May, and early November offer the best fare-to-weather balance, though September falls in hurricane season, so check National Hurricane Center forecasts before locking nonrefundable tickets. Current temperatures hover near 28°C with 80% humidity, and the warm salt air at EYW fogs the inside of your sunglasses within 30 seconds of stepping off the plane.