Any Key West, FL tips?

[riu girl]

Have any Canadians been to Key West ? We (me, DH, DD12, DS9) are planning on spending a week there (staying at Sheraton Suites) later this year and am interested in family friendly attractions/cost saving tips/etc.

Thanks

 

[Cdn Friends of Pooh]

We've been to the Florida Keys numerous times ... this website is a good place for you to start.

You didn't say how you were getting to Key West (flying or driving) , but if you are driving, there are tons of sights along US 1 which, if you stop at them all will take you forever to get to Key West (it's normally about a 2 hour drive or so from Key Largo to Key West depending on traffic if you don't stop along the way).

As for things to do in Key West, there are various museums and tours you can take, but be prepared, there is a cost for almost every tour/museum (usually around $12 to $15 per person for an adult).

You should also plan on taking in the nightly sunset ceremony at Mallory Square - there are performers and vendors, and of course the great Key West sunset.

There are different charters you can take for snorkeling and fishing, and of course tons of places to shop.

One small word of caution - Key West has very much the "party" atmosphere with bars everywhere, and the nightlife on Duval Street is very much adult oriented in the evening.

Hope this helps somewhat.

 

[braydensmom]

Oh Duval Street....

word to the wise, dont go around halloween unless you and your husband are looking to "spice" up your relationship lol.

 

[Valjean13]

If you drive to Big Pine Key, you can walk the trails and look for the Key Deer. They are supposed to be quite friendly, although the 3 we saw ran away when we got too close. Close to there is Bahia Honda State Park, it has a nice beach and there are snorkel boat trips a few times a day. Book in advance to guarantee a spot, the boats do sell out. Both these are about a 45min drive from Key West.

As a previous poster mentioned, if you are driving down through the keys the drive is beautiful, and you'll probably want to stop along the way. Also, if you are into fishing, you can fish for free off dozens of bridges along the highway. We saw hundreds of people doing that. Even adding the cost of a license and fishing gear, you still save a LOT of money over doing a fishing charter. And many restaurants will cook your fish for you for $10-15.

I'd also recommend a sunset sail while in Key West. They take you past Mallory Square. Some are all inclusive booze cruises, while the cheaper (and more family friendly ones) are BYOB.

Finally, if you are driving from the Miami area, it's worth your time to spend a day in the Everglades (depending on the time of year you're going). The alligators alone are worth it! If you are flying into Key West then the drive would be too long for a day trip.

 

[Sue M]

Thanks for asking this, we are going to Key West for a couple of nights in August, while in Ft. Lauderdale, before heading up to Cocoa Beach & WDW. We're staying at the Sheraton Suites too. Do you have CAA? We booked on their web site & looked under Hotel Specials. If you have CAA they have a free breakfast special.
I heard the Conch Train is a fun way to tour downtown.

 

[riu girl]

SueM,

We booked the "birth year rate". It works out to being $199 for the first night and $65 (DH was born in 1965) per night for the next two. Thanks for the CAA info. I will do a comparable and see if we can get a better rate this way. I think the breakfast buffet is $15 pp so this might be a better route. I wonder if kids eat free with paying adults?

I have been reading about the Conch train vs. the trolley on tripadvisor (key west forum) and I think we will go with the trolley since you can "hop on and off" as much as you want for the entire day vs. the conch train is simply a 90 minute guided tour.

Have fun in August.

 

[hockeyplayer]

There's a place that I think is called Monty's. It is a place with a bunch of picnic tables under a roof, where you can order snacks (nachos, burgers, etc.) and drinks. The nice thing about it is there is a nice sized swimming pool there that you can use for free as long as you occasionally come out of the water and order something to eat or drink. We sat around the tables snacking and drinking for a few hours with friends while the kids went swimming, so everyone was happy.

 

[Sue M]

SueM,

We booked the "birth year rate". It works out to being $199 for the first night and $65 (DH was born in 1965) per night for the next two. Thanks for the CAA info. I will do a comparable and see if we can get a better rate this way. I think the breakfast buffet is $15 pp so this might be a better route. I wonder if kids eat free with paying adults?

I have been reading about the Conch train vs. the trolley on tripadvisor (key west forum) and I think we will go with the trolley since you can "hop on and off" as much as you want for the entire day vs. the conch train is simply a 90 minute guided tour.

Have fun in August.

We are paying $143 with CAA discount and free breakfast. So that would be $286 or it works to be $251 on the birthday deal. But if the Buffet is $15 a day, then it really works out the same for us, as we are only 2. Me and daughter, 23. Not sure about the kids, as I didn't look into this!
Thanks about the trolley tip, I hadn't heard about that. I thought you could get on & off with the Conch train too.
Have a good time.