Fort Lauderdale to the Keys

We are leaving out of Fort Lauderdale cruise port. Will it be possible to get a tour to the keys as a precruise tour?

We are leaving out of Fort Lauderdale cruise port. Will it be possible to get a tour to the keys as a precruise tour?

You would be better off renting a car and DIY....and consider spending the night as it's quite a drive for just a turn around.

We do it every time.

The first time we picked up a rental car and stayed two nights at Hampton Inn in Key Largo, driving down to Key West and back on the same day, but realised that it was a long drive for just a couple of hours in Key West, and decided to stay in Key West on future visits.

The second time, we drove down to Key West where we stayed for four days, visiting Hemmingway's house and the various other sights and stopped at Key Largo on the way back north from where we drove to Port Everglades on the morning of the cruise. (We chose Key Largo as it is the most northerly key and avoids the risk of an accident on one of the bridges - which have been reported to close the road for anything up to six hours - delaying us on the return journey north.

We then discovered that, as passengers arriving on incoming international flights (from the UK) to MIA, it makes much more financial sense to book through from LHR to EYW (with a no additional cost overnight stop in MIA) and enjoy the wonderful views of the bridges, from the port side of the aircraft, as one flies south.

FWIW for any UK readers of this thread. Compared with the cost of simply flying into MIA, flying on to EYW costs around $50 pp more for an international economy ticket and around $400 pp LESS for an international business class ticket.

So even if one is flying in economy, booking though to EYW makes excellent sense as it saves the cost of renting a car - plus fuel and tolls - for the drive south and also avoids any hotel car parking fees, for a car you will not use during your stay in Key West. (You could of course avoid the car parking charges by handing the car in at the end of the journey south and take out a new rental for the return north).

If you go down the path of flying south, I would still drive back up from the Keys, or at least to Key Largo, the day before the cruise to avoid the risk of being trapped by an accident on one of the bridges.

Our itinerary has developed and been refined over a number of years and, on our next visit we will be flying in to MIA, the week before our cruise and stay overnight at MIA.

(We always go for staying overnight as we are international arrivals and have to clear immigration at MIA which can sometimes take a seriously long time. Also given the choice of trying to make a three hour transfer to a domestic flight in order to fly down to Key West in the dark and arrive at 22.00 with our bodies telling us it is 03.00 doesn't make sense to us when we can have a night's sleep near to MIA and then fly down the Key West at around 11.00 next day with no difference in air fare).

We will then stay four nights in Key West before picking up a two day rental car for the journey back north to Fort Lauderdale where we will probably meet friends for dinner the night before the cruise, having broken the journey north at Islamorada.

IOHO not only is driving through the Keys a 'bucket list' item but visiting the Keys is something to be enjoyed on a regular basis. Quite simply, it's a different country to the rest of Florida.

So to reiterate. yes it can be done, but not as a pre-cruise tour. Much easier to arrange it yourself.

We are leaving out of Fort Lauderdale cruise port. Will it be possible to get a tour to the keys as a precruise tour?

How many days prior to the cruise are you thinking about?

There are a couple companies offering the bus ride down and back. All in one long day or they offer hotel packages. I forget the names but you can Google them.

If you have at minimum a couple days, it is a neat place to visit. We took our time driving to Key West making two different overnight stops before our 3 days in Key West. The drive down offers nice stops and attractions you won't get by a bus tour.

Thank you for the info. I didn't realize Key West was so far. We usually do a three day stay before a cruise to tour the area. I don't know if we want to spend that much time going south. I really want to see Key West.

Thanks again.

Thank you for the info. I didn't realize Key West was so far. We usually do a three day stay before a cruise to tour the area. I don't know if we want to spend that much time going south. I really want to see Key West.

Thanks again.

3 1/2 - 4 hours each way. If you really want to see Key West you need a minimum of 2 days, 3 is better.

Two days is a bit rushed, but it can be done. That is what we did the first time when we stayed two nights at Key Largo, and drove down to Key west and back on the same day, which gave us just a couple of hours in Key West, but we did get to enjoy the spectacular drive.

Three days is much better, particularly if the price of flights from Albuquerque to Key West is similar to ABQ to MIA/FLL meaning you can skip Miami.

If you can't skip Miami, then depending on your time of arrival in Miami I would drive down to Key Largo or maybe even Islamorada / Marathon, on the afternoon / evening of your arrival in Miami and then onto Key West on the morning of the second day arriving in time for lunch and spend the second night in Key West.

Don't try to drive north from Key West on the day of the cruise as it is very easy for US-1 to get blocked by an accident. Instead drive back north to Key Largo in the afternoon of the third day and again stay at Key Largo.

Then on the morning of the cruise leave the hotel in Key Largo after breakfast and drive to the port.

If you can advance your departure to four days before the cruise starts, so much the better as this will mean you can have two nights in Key West.

The real issue with any driving trip to Key West is the speed limits.

There is strict enforcement is certain areas. Those have a speed limit as low as 35 MPH.

Much of the trip is 45 MPH.

A good day trip is leave the mainland before sunrise and return after dark.

Too, if there is any kind of accident on the route, it can stall you for hours.

Last year we arrived around 3pm in Miami ( from UK) then picked up car hire ( Mustang convertible- the only way to drive the keys) drove down to Key largo

stayed two nights ( hotel next to the African Queen)

Drove down to key west

stayed two nights, loved the sun set at the top end of Duval street with the live music and bars

drove back up to fort lauderdale and stayed over night close to the port for our cruise back to the Uk on 1st May 2016

its a long drive back form Key west since the speed limits are low.