[StarfishKey]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

U leave your car at the ferry in Ft. Myers. Once u r in key west buy a ticket for the trolley and u can see the whole place. Car rental? Why?.

Figure in the cost of gas, the 6 hours each way on the road and it comes out as a bargain.

I did not know you could leave your car at the ferry terminal, so it seemed like one would have to rent a car for the portion of the trip prior to the ferry. But I don't know that I personally would want to leave my car at the ferry terminal for days at a time anyway, especially one loaded with gear from a multi-state road trip... I would be concerned about what kind of security they have. I hesitate to do that at airports too, and I would tend to trust an intl airport more than a local ferry company.

For those who have hybrid cars such as myself, the cost of gas is practically nothing - I only have to fill up once every 450 miles. And, I happen to love road trips. But the idea of not having to drive, and getting to be on the water, can be tempting.

I assume if you're parking at the ferry you have to pay per day, like at an airport, for the security, right? So that also needs to be factored in to the budget-conscious. If they don't have any security and it's just a parking lot, I would never in a million years leave my car there for multiple days. The money and stress I'd be out for a break-in or theft would be a lot more than the road trip.

Anyway, it's good to have more options to choose from. I had heard about ferry service to KW from the West coast, but forgot about it.

[Sandsam]

Originally Posted by Jkgourmet

DH and I are spending two weeks in Cape Coral (canal front home with dock and pool) in June and want to visit Key west prior to CC. We will be driving from Raleigh, NC. We are senior citizens. We were thinking of two nights and three days in the keys.

I started to look at hotels and was SHOCKED at the prices of lodging in what I thought was low season in the keys. I'm also wondering if staying in a place outside if key west might be a better fit for us, given that we're not at the Margaritaville age anymore.Maybe do a day trip to key west and stay farther north - like Marathon or Key Largo??

Thoughts, suggestions, are most appreciated.

If you are looking for a "Key West" experience, then I think you need to stay in KW. Immerse yourself in the city. The only way to enjoy the uniqueness of the area is to be there. Watch the street shows. Enjoy the restaurants. Notice the architecture. Plan on walking or taking the bus around town. It's $4 an hour to park anywhere.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for a place to get away and relax, then don't bother with KW. It's a long drive to get there, and it's a cramped busy place. Islamorada is a gorgeous island. Find a nice hotel or B and B, and appreciate the beauty.

I think they are different experiences!

[Roscoe Conkling]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

This. Wife and I stayed at an awesome B&B on Truman Ave. I believe it was the Chelsea House. Pricing wasn't bad, and we never had to use our car.

Yup,stayed here too and the price was reasonable.There are a few of them on this street of big old Key West houses.
And if the OP wants to save a little more money I'd recommend the legendary Happy Hour at Alonzo's.

Happy Hour

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

U leave your car at the ferry in Ft. Myers. Once u r in key west buy a ticket for the trolley and u can see the whole place. Car rental? Why?.

Figure in the cost of gas, the 6 hours each way on the road and it comes out as a bargain.

Good suggestion SH
Certainly makes for another option.Three and a half hours on the boat and you are there ,refreshed and ready to explore Key West rather than arriving exhausted from driving 6+ hours in the car.
Official Website of Key West Express
And to address StarfiskKeys concerns,As the op is staying nearby i doubt they would leave all the stuff in the car when parking at the ferry terminal,in fact if close enough could just take a taxi to the ferry.

[FloridaHappy]

DH and I went to Key West last fall and stayed at a B&B, Knowles House on Eaton Street. It's an old conch house. Very nice people running it. Our room was small, but clean. Fresh towels, etc., every day and nice breakfast bar along with snacks and drinks available in the evenings. It seemed a bit expensive, but our stay included passes to most of the attractions in Key West, including a sunset cruise. Bed and breakfast in Key West & Key West inn, Knowles House While you're there, you need to take in the sunset at Mallory Square at least once. There are different performers there and it's free (except for parking).

[jambo101]

Never tried it but as you only need a bed for the night as you'll be up and about all day a hostel might be an economical alternative to a hotel room.
http://www.hostels.com/key-west/usa

[StarfishKey]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Never tried it but as you only need a bed for the night as you'll be up and about all day a hostel might be an economical alternative to a hotel room.
Cheap Key West Hostels - Search all Hostels in Key West at Hostels.com

I have been to plenty of hostels, some great, some not. I personally would not recommend staying at the hostel in KW. It is one of the cheapest options on the island, and thus by far the noisiest and full of the least desirable people. Think Spring Break with shared rooms. This is where all of the rowdy young people who can't afford to stay in Key West otherwise stay. Plus hostels have a tendency toward issues like theft. I can't imagine 2 senior citizens being happy on bunk beds in a room shared with 2 other strangers, in a hostel full of loud and drunk 20-somethings. They do have an option to rent single rooms, but the price is no cheaper than several other motels in KW that have good reputations, are in the same general vicinity, and are likely to be significantly quieter. Places like El Patio, and at times Southwinds Motel, cost the same. And for that matter, so do a range of options in any Key north of Stock Island. I really don't see spending $120 for a college dorm-like environment. If you're going to spend the money, you should at least have a nice time and feel like you're on vacation, and get some actual SLEEP. Plus you should be able to leave confident that you will still have all of your belongings.

Some people will be into this option, and clearly that hostel is frequently booked up, but I don't see it being a good choice for the OP. It might work though for others who are likely to be reading this thread. But if you want a single room, I personally would look elsewhere. I see no reason to be there when for the exact same price you could be in a non-hostel environment. Hostels can be really great, especially in quiet sleepy areas. But hostels in busy party towns are kind of a nightmare, and are in my mind usually not worth it. In KW, if everything else is not already booked up, I see no reason to stay there, since it's not actually cheaper than other motels.

***One thing vacationers to Key West need to realize too is that the island has some very strange rules around reserving hotels rooms. Typically, in other parts of the country, you make a reservation for free, and then if plans change for some reason and you have to cancel you can do so all the way up until something like 6PM that same day. But in KW, you need to ask AHEAD about their cancellation policy. Most lodging there will actually charge your credit card for one night's stay plus taxes just to reserve, and if you are going to cancel you have to do so anywhere from a FULL MONTH IN ADVANCE to one week in advance, and even so you may lose your deposit. If you don't cancel that far in advance, you might be charged for the entire stay. So consider if you have car trouble and it delays your road trip, or there is an illness or family emergency, etc. If the Keys gets a hurricane watch with tropical storm conditions, and you don't want to risk the drive, but it never develops into a hurricane that hits KW, the hotel will not allow you to cancel or refund your money. They will only do so if KW gets a storm that leads officials to call for mandatory evacuation - and you're never going to get that warning a full week in advance anyway. Read the hotels' cancellation policy carefully, because it is likely very different from what you are used to seeing elsewhere, and you might get stuck paying a lot of money for a vacation you never even got to take. ***

[jambo101]

Just thought the potential for some inconvenience might be worth saving $200-$400 dollars for a one night stay .

[StarfishKey]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Just thought the potential for some inconvenience might be worth saving $200-$400 dollars for a one night stay .

It's fine to have an extra option, but where are you getting the numbers from? It seems clear you've never tried budget travel in Key West.

On a random day in June, when OP plans on being in Key West:
Key West Hostel: $129
El Patio: $120
The Palms: $143
Albury Court: $144
Southwinds: $159
Douglas House: $159
Ibis Bay: $169


The hostel isn't even the cheapest option, and it's not much difference from many others. If the OP was "blown away" by these prices, perhaps KW is not for her. They don't seem like very high prices to me for a hotel on a tiny island in a very in-demand vacation location. Granted none of these are fancy, but they fit the chill island vibe that many people come with where they just want an affordable place to stay near the action.

On other Keys islands:
Parmer's Resort: $139
Seashell Beach: $79
Sombrero Resort: $99
Banana Bay: $119
Coconut Cay: $160
Kingsail: $109
Tropical Cottages: $125
Blackfin: $129
Siesta: $100
Sea Dell: $119
Sea Cove: $89
Bayside Inn: $102
The Pelican: $99
Sunset Cove: $135
Rock Reef: $143
Kings Kamp rooms: $65

If the OP did any research at all, she saw all of these prices, and found they were way too high for her, unless everything cheaper was already booked up on KW itself and then she just never did any more research for the other islands.

That's why I'm suggesting she not go to Key West. If $120/night is way too much money, then KW is totally unaffordable for her anyway. How woould she possibly enjoy anything there, when all the food and activities are equally expensive?

There are a ton of options throughout the Keys for the low $100s, or even less - far more than I listed. Fewer are available of course if you wait until just a month before to book. But if $120/night is shocking, then maybe it's better to stay closer to home. Or, the OP's standard for a hotel is on the fancy side, in which case, yeah, the prices will be very high, but again then I stress that Key West is not the place for affordable resort accommodations. Some other Keys are a bit cheaper for nice hotels. But none of them are actually cheap, if you want something fancy.

[jambo101]

my link in post 17 gives hostel prices from $40 to $70 per night, a quick search of hotel rooms in Key West Start around $250 and easily can go up to $400+ per night.