Questions on Trolley shore excursion in Key West

Greetings. We're planning shore excursions for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Equinox, leaving from Miami on Feb. 10, and we have some questions on a particular excursion, the Key West Old Town Trolley, which makes 12 stops within 1 hour 30 minutes. We called both the main Celebrity number and the Shore Excursions number, but both places knew nothing more than what the web site says, which isn't much. Our questions are:

1. Is this a hop on/hop off type of thing, where you can get off and back on at multiple stops, and continue on the trolley to the next stops?

2. Is it just one trolley that goes around just once and waits a few minutes at each stop for everyone to get back on, or does just one trolley go round and round among the stops, or are there multiple trolleys?

3. If multiple trolleys, how often do they run? So if you do get off at a stop, how long does it typically take for another trolley to come along to take you to the next stop?

4. How far do you have to walk to get to the start of the trolley tour, or does it start at the pier, and does it bring you back to the pier at the end?

5. How late in the day do the trolley(s) keep running?

Thanks for any help or advice. Paul and Robyn

Greetings. We're planning shore excursions for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Equinox, leaving from Miami on Feb. 10, and we have some questions on a particular excursion, the Key West Old Town Trolley, which makes 12 stops within 1 hour 30 minutes. We called both the main Celebrity number and the Shore Excursions number, but both places knew nothing more than what the web site says, which isn't much. Our questions are:

 

1. Is this a hop on/hop off type of thing, where you can get off and back on at multiple stops, and continue on the trolley to the next stops?

 

2. Is it just one trolley that goes around just once and waits a few minutes at each stop for everyone to get back on, or does just one trolley go round and round among the stops, or are there multiple trolleys?

 

3. If multiple trolleys, how often do they run? So if you do get off at a stop, how long does it typically take for another trolley to come along to take you to the next stop?

 

4. How far do you have to walk to get to the start of the trolley tour, or does it start at the pier, and does it bring you back to the pier at the end?

 

5. How late in the day do the trolley(s) keep running?

 

Thanks for any help or advice. Paul and Robyn

It is the traditional type HOHO. You're much better buying a discount ticket online. It's a very short walk from the pier to the street trolley stop. Here's their web site which should answer your questions. https://www.trolleytours.com/key-west?phta=kwtrolley&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9IT71LLD1wIVFbjACh2y6wSwEAAYASAAEgJOQvD_BwE#home-section

There are several trolleys running constantly until 4:30pm every 30 minutes or so.

It is the traditional type HOHO. You're much better buying a discount ticket online. It's a very short walk from the pier to the street trolley stop. Here's their web site which should answer your questions. https://www.trolleytours.com/key-west?phta=kwtrolley&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9IT71LLD1wIVFbjACh2y6wSwEAAYASAAEgJOQvD_BwE#home-section

 

There are several trolleys running constantly until 4:30pm every 30 minutes or so.

Thank you!

There are two Hop ons in Key West. One is a tram and the other a “trolley”.

Google Key West tours or tourism

Best is once you are on to take the complete tour around to see everything and then get off where you want to spend more time on the second time around.

I have found that most of those HOP Ons are usually very crowded and once off it is difficult to get back on because they are full. Most times you spend more time waiting than it would take to walk to where you are going.

Happy cruising 🌊🛳🇺🇸🌅

There are two Hop ons in Key West. One is a tram and the other a “trolley”.

 

Google Key West tours or tourism

 

 

Best is once you are on to take the complete tour around to see everything and then get off where you want to spend more time on the second time around.

 

I have found that most of those HOP Ons are usually very crowded and once off it is difficult to get back on because they are full. Most times you spend more time waiting than it would take to walk to where you are going.

 

Happy cruising

This is true. One is a typical HOHO run by Gray Line and the other is called the Conch Train and I think (but not sure since I've not done it) it's a tour that takes you all around but you don't get on and off. If this is incorrect, I apologize and am certain someone will correct me. :) I have taken the HOHO and it's excellent...stops at the Truman White House, Southernmost point, Hemingway House, etc. I would also agree that you are better off buying tix on line ahead of time and there can be a wait for them especially if there's more than one ship in town. (We weren't on a cruise when we visited Key West)....if you're physically capable of walking, all of the things I mentioned are reasonably close together and there's loads of restaurants, bars, shops and other places to take a break for a bowl of conch chowder. :D

.

The Conch one we took thru the cruiseline was a narrated tour..stopped at Southernmost Point for photos....but can't recall any other stops.

We purchased our tickets through Celebrity when there was a 72 hour sale on excursions. The Old Town Trolley is a hop on hop off trolley that covers the entire area, not just the downtown area.

You can gather more details on their website: https://www.trolleytours.com/key-west/1-day-tour

Entrance to a small museum was included. We found it very interesting.

Last time Inc Key West we hired an electric golf trolley type thingy.

It was about 99 dollars and was brilliant fun. We could get ahead of the trolley so we’re always first so no lines.

They offer a pick up drop off at the port.

We booked in advance but there were some available at the pier.

Last time Inc Key West we hired an electric golf trolley type thingy.

It was about 99 dollars and was brilliant fun. We could get ahead of the trolley so we’re always first so no lines.

They offer a pick up drop off at the port.

We booked in advance but there were some available at the pier.

Loving this idea so thanks for posting 👍

I live less than two hundred miles north of Key West and have visited often--both by car and by cruise ship; eight or ten times total--along the way... And I've done The Conch Train [tram] or Trolley during most of those visits; both have been big hits with visiting friends/cruise mates [particularly those who are "first-timers"] and either is a great way to become acclimated/get one's bearings [we tend to walk "Old Key West"/Duval Street/Mallory Square after]...

The biggest difference between the two [best I recall, both are "hop on/hop off"] is that The Conch Train [open air] route concentrates on "Old Key West" [with fewer stops; perhaps four/five] whereas the Trolley [a jitney] covers the entire island [with more stops; about fifteen]... Selection of one versus the other really depends upon what one wants to see; most come to explore historic "Old Key West" [The Conch Train is the more popular and the one I've most often used] but your personal mileage may vary... As I remember--and things surely may have changed/my memory may be bad--narration aboard The Trolley is recorded and narration aboard The Conch Train [i last did it two years ago] is live...

Both run multiple vehicles simultaneously with frequency varying by demand/tourist load... And both are readily accessible--a few blocks--from where cruise ships typically dock near Mallory Square...

I'm returning to Key West on 3 December while aboard Equinox and will again do The Conch Train with five cruise friends... While an earlier poster noted that one can book either [they tend to price out the same] at a discount [i've done so many times in the past] via the web relative to Celebrity's tour price [when available to me], that was not the case--I looked last month--for our upcoming trip [and we did not book during a Celebrity sale; it's still priced the same way today]...

Suggest that you visit the websites for both, decide which is more appealing to you in terms of content and style, check for discounts [perhaps they were suspended for a time in Irma's aftermath], and compare direct advance-reservation pricing to that offered by Celebrity to aid your decision...

Either way, you'll have fun!

I live in Key West - I can;t comment on what the ship offers but there are actually 3 Trolley options:

Conch Train

Old Town Trolley (owned by the same company as Conch Train) and

City View Trolley

Conch Train is the most known and the only one of the 3 that I have been on as one of my neighbors is a driver. It is open air so the worst option in bad weather and is focused on Old Town. City View primarily is Old Town.

Old Town Trolley has stops that go outside Old Town although I don't really see why a tourist would need or want to go there but that is up to you. I would just google each and see what looks best given the length, what you want and the price. I agree there is no need to do this through the ship unless they offer a deal which I doubt.

I agree there is no need to do this through the ship unless they offer a deal which I doubt.

As noted in my earlier post, I carefully looked at online pricing for both The Conch Train and Old Town Trolley back on 18 October before six of us booked The Conch Train [for the same "content" reasons that we have both suggested in our posts]... And I was truly surprised to learn that purchasing either tour through Celebrity--during the Equinox port call at Key West on 3 December--was a bit more cost effective than if purchased directly via the Internet [as I have always done in the past as the better alternative]...

The Internet prices for either The Conch Train or Old Town Trolley--both a month ago and today [i just looked again a few moments ago]--were and still are identical as follows...

• Non-Military Adults Under Age 62 - $28.30 per person
  
• Adults Age 62 And Older/Military - $25.47 per person
  

The Celebrity price for either The Conch Train or Old Town Trolley--both a month ago and today [i just looked again a few moments ago; we did not book during an excursion sale]--was and still is identical as follows...

• All Adults Regardless Of Age Or Military Status - $25.00 per person
  

While I suppose it is conceivable that Celebrity's pricing could vary during other port calls at Key West during the upcoming season, I know--no doubt about it--that booking through the cruise line was the better alternative for us... Half of my six person group is younger than age 62, half is older than age 62... Total savings in our case = $11.61 [about 7.5%; virtually all of it attributable to those not yet age 62]...

The price differentials have never been significant and would never make one wealthy--even when the ship's offering was the more expensive alternative in the past by about the same margin--but the difference does but a dent in the price of a slice of Key Lime Pie or a drink! It can pay to shop and compare regardless of intuition...

There’s a long thread about the trolleys on the Key West board.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

We staying in a hotel next to the entrance to key west island bridge, we caught the local bus into the town and got off at the main tourist area, we walked to watch the sunset, walked back to town and had a meal before walking back to to the hotel.

What I'm trying to say is key west is tiny and easy ( if able) to walk around we are over 50 , we will be in key west in december , on an equinox cruuse and will be walking around the main sites again, BTW there are not nany of them.

 

What I'm trying to say is key west is tiny and easy ( if able) to walk around we are over 50 , we will be in key west in december , on an equinox cruuse and will be walking around the main sites again, BTW there are not nany of them.

There may not be many but what there is is not to be missed like: the Truman White House; Hemingway House; Southernmost point of the U.S. (primarily a photo stop) and the nightly sunset entertainment and view is tons of fun (trained cats) and spectacular (sunset). Old Town is more like a place to just be rather than a place where you dash around trying to see everything....there's no place quite like it really.

We purchased our tickets through Celebrity when there was a 72 hour sale on excursions. The Old Town Trolley is a hop on hop off trolley that covers the entire area' date=' not just the downtown area.

 

You can gather more details on their website: https://www.trolleytours.com/key-west/1-day-tour

 

 

Entrance to a small museum was included. We found it very interesting.[/quote']

When did you ever find a 72 hour sale on excursions on Celebrity? Did notification come to you by way of an e-mail?