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The link to rent a car on Key West is HERE,
but you may wish to read a little further before you
decide to rent a car.
Key West is a small island. Most of the interest
lies along one road (Duval) about a mile long and
located on the south side of the island running north
south (the short axis). It is very likely that you
do not need to rent a car at all.
Parking is difficult in Key West. If you are not
staying at or have immediate business with a particular
place, someone will come scampering out of the underbrush
to tell you to move or tow you. It is eerie how they
seem to know!
Upon flying in, your hotel will probably be able
to pick you up and drop you off to and from the airport.
If not, cabs are really, really cheap. Getting your
luggage to your hotel room is the only time you will
need a car if you are not leaving Key West.
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Other options are available, are cheaper than
renting a car and are more appropriate to island
travel. Scooter and bicycle rentals abound.
You can always get from point a to point b with
ease. Even if you are out of shape, an easy
glide down Duval is no sweat (and no hills).
We saw plenty of seniors on bikes while we
were there.
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An army of scooters! |
Bike and scooter rentals
are inexpensive
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I took this picture of the rates for bike and
scooter rental at the "Scooter Hospital",
where Truman (Route 1) and Simonton meet. This
is a convenient spot as there is also a laundromat
and an internet cafe on this corner. It is the
next road north (about 80 feet) from Duval.
There are also trolleys, busses, and bicycle-powered
rickshaws.
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Another great idea is renting an electric car,
and there are plenty of these too. If your hotel
does not provide a recharging station, you can
leave your car overnight at one of many places
to do so. With the traffic on the island, you
are not going to go any faster than one of these
anyway, even if you rent a Ferrari.
Although rains on Key West are brief, an enclosed
EV will keep you dry. One sad note is that these
are presently MORE expensive than a conventional
car rental. Once competition settles in (as
it already is seeming to be), then rental cost
will go down below a gas burner.
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Electric Cars |
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One note about the Electric Cars is that they
are not allowed on North Roosevelt, the only
road where they are not allowed. This is where
the Travelodge, Radisson, Days Inn, Holiday
Inn, Marriott Courtyards, Comfort Inn, Quality
Inn, and Coconut Mallory are located. These
are still all on the trolley line, and cabs
are still cheap.
I have already mentioned the cab service, which
is fantastic. Cabs come to your door within
10 minutes of being summoned, and a ride from
one end of Duval to the other is a little under
$4.00 (be sure to tip).
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Sea
Kayaking on Sugarloaf Key |
With so many ways to get around Key West, why
would you rent a car? Perhaps you are planning
a trip north up Route 1 to get away for a bit?
Good idea! We took this pic doing some ocean
kayaking in the mangroves... absolutely beautiful!
Key West is good, but the other Keys have a
nice, slower island vibe all of their own. They
are an ideal place to see the 'real' Keys too.
Be aware that there are exactly 8 gas stations
on the island of Key West. |
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Finally, here is a tip... get the smallest car
you can rent. Smaller is better on an island!
Okay all you families, seniors, and adventurous
explorers! Here is your car rental link:
Key West Car Rentals
Here.
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