Key West Transfers: Private Car, Driving, or Flying?

There is exactly one road off Key West, and everybody uses it. US-1 — the Overseas Highway — runs about 187 miles to Fort Lauderdale and roughly 160 to Miami, most of it two lanes with a 45 to 55 mph limit and no realistic way to pass. However you travel, budget about four hours to FLL and three and a half to Miami, more on a Sunday afternoon when the weekend crowd heads back up the Keys.

That single-road reality is what makes the transfer decision interesting. You have three real options.

Option one: drive yourself

A rental car gives you freedom to stop at Bahia Honda or grab lunch in Islamorada. The downsides are concrete: one-way drop fees between Key West and mainland agencies, fuel, and the fact that you personally drive four hours of mostly two-lane road after a vacation week. Traffic accidents on the Overseas Highway can close the only route entirely — if that happens two hours before your flight, there is no alternate.

Option two: fly out of EYW

Key West International has direct service to a handful of hubs, and connecting through Miami or Atlanta works. But small-airport fares run high, weather delays hit small aircraft first, and baggage limits pinch anyone traveling with dive gear or golf clubs. For a family of four, two seats’ worth of savings on a mainland departure often pays for the entire ground transfer.

Option three: a private transfer

This is the run we know best. A chauffeured car picks you up at your Key West hotel or rental, and you ride — sleep, work, watch the water on both sides of the Seven Mile Bridge — while someone who drives this road weekly handles it.

A quick comparison for a party of two with four bags:

Factor	Rental car	Flight from EYW	Private transfer
Door-to-door time to FLL	~4 hrs + return/drop	3-5 hrs with connection	~4 hrs
Luggage limits	None	Airline rules	Sedan 3 bags, SUV 6, van 14
Price certainty	Drop fees vary	Fares swing	Fixed quote
Effort	You drive	Two check-ins	None

What the trip costs

At 187 miles, Key West falls beyond our standard fare bands, so it is priced as a custom fixed quote — request one at /book/ with your date and party size. The quote is all-inclusive: fuel, tolls, waiting time, and gratuity. The price you see at booking is the price you pay, which matters on a route where rideshare availability in the Lower Keys is thin and unpredictable.

Vehicle choice matters more here than on short hops. Three passengers with carry-ons fit a sedan; a group with a week of luggage wants the SUV or the Sprinter. The fleet page lists exact bag counts per vehicle.

Timing notes from the dispatch desk

• For a morning flight out of FLL or MIA, leave Key West at least six hours before departure. Marathon and Key Largo each add friction in season.
• Cruise passengers connecting to PortMiami should read our Miami cruise port taxi and limo tips — boarding windows are stricter than airline check-in.
• Heading up the coast instead? The Miami Beach ground transport guide and our Miami to Naples transfer guide cover the two most common onward legs.

One road in, one road out. The trip rewards whoever plans it best.