Fort Lauderdale to Key West

Fort Lauderdale = Take a water taxi on the causeway. See nice homes and stop for a drink or a bite at a restaurant on the water.

Miami = South Beach, Lincoln Ave, Key Biscayne… walking in Miami is just plain fun!

Everglades = Take an air-boat ride to see alligators up close and personal.

Key West = Getting there requires a beautiful drive via the 7 Mile Bridge. See Malory Square, Duvall Street, and the sunsets!

Quick Tips:

We found discount hotels in Fort Lauderdale and Miami via Priceline. For Christmastime in Florida, plan ahead. We paid /a day for an Enterprise rental car rented in Fort Lauderdale, and we even dropped at another location.

Key West hotels are very, very expensive. The Fairfield Inn is per night.

Best Way To Get Around:

Rent a car.

Well, the word "budget" is relative! We were there January 1st for 2 nights, and it was about $180 a night> It isn't cheap to stay here. The rooms were comfortable, and breakfast was good enough to get the day started. It is convenient, but a short drive--maybe 5 minutes--and you will get to Duval Street.

Next to a few fast-food restaurants. Avoid a room by the ice machine if you are a sensitive sleeper!!! The staff was nice and was able to change my room ASAP, so I was happy after that.

Plenty of parking, also.

This was actually my second time staying here. I think I enjoyed it more the first since it was summer and we were able to swim in the ocean.

It is in a very good location, as it does overlook the ocean. However, the hotel itself could use a serious renovation.

The furniture seemed way outdated and overall just old. Now, due to the usual deal we got via Priceline, it was reasonable, as I paid about $45 a night. My sister-in-law met us and had no reservations, and they had the misfortune of paying about $135 per night.

The positives were that it was one crosswalk away from the beach, close to a road you can take towards the mall, and near the water bus ride you can ride on through the causeways of Florida, which I will detail in another entry.

Overall, the hotel was okay for what we paid, but it needs upgrading and the staff wasn’t the friendliest, except the tour desk lady, who was helpful and found us a fantastic deal on a rental car.

We didn’t have a reservation, but get there early if you want the best view of the sunset! It is white-tablecloth dining, but at the same time, it is casual. After all, it is Key West. My wife had grilled fish and I had a shrimp appetizer. There was super service; good food; and, yes, sunsets as you watch the ships, boats, etc., sail by.

You can't imagine how many people flock to see the sunset. Make sure you and your significant other get a good spot early! All the cruise ships and tourists gather there, and you will see the famous entertainers do their thing as the most gorgeous sunset casts its orange glow on the square. There are many cafés and a great promenade to take a nice long walk along, too.

Wow, this is one of many reasons to make the drive from South Florida to Key West! The Keys in general are small strips of islands, some naturally connected by man-made bridges and some connected by Mother Nature...

Once you get to the final stretch of Keys, you will approach the famouse 7 Mile Bridge. It is a truly fascinating bridge, as you are suspended over the sea with breathtaking views of glistening water.

I have seen a lot of bridges, including Golden Gate Brooklyn and more, but this is truly a nice drive along this bridge... after you finish there, it is Key West!

This was the highlight of Fort Lauderdale. I mean, we discovered a whole new world on this side of Fort Lauderdale. There are many stops where you can hop on the "water bus."

The water bus is a convenient way to get around the Causeway, the inner waterway. The cost isn’t much; they have all-day tickets and a variety of prices, and it was a good way to see the unbelievable homes and condos that overlooked the water. We are talking Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. These were 10-million-dollar homes and very nice. You can make a stop, like we did, and go to the Las Olas area, which had boutiques, cafés, and restaurants. It is an upscale area for sure, and it’s worth spending time there.

We found out that the water bus even goes all the way to South Beach on certain days. Some stops have restaurants with a place for the boat to dock so you can have a bite to and then pick up from where you left off.

Really, don’t miss out on this!