Land at Miami International and you are still 160 miles from Key West. They are some of the most scenic miles in America, and how you cover them shapes the whole first day of your trip. There are four realistic options, and the right one depends less on budget than on your group size, your luggage, and how much of your vacation you want to spend standing in line.
This guide walks through each option honestly, from a company that drives the route every week.
Option 1: The connecting flight
The 55-minute hop from MIA to Key West International (EYW) is the fastest option in the air. The catch is everything around it: a layover that often lasts longer than the flight itself, a second boarding on a small regional jet with limited carry-on space, and summer weather holds that ripple through the Keys.
It suits solo travelers and couples with light luggage. For a family or a group of six with checked bags, both the cost and the stress climb quickly. If you do fly through, a scheduled EYW pickup makes the last mile the easiest part of the day.
Option 2: The shuttle bus
Scheduled shuttles run daily from MIA to Key West, and they are the cheapest option. You will share the vehicle with strangers, work around the timetable rather than your flight, and make multiple stops down the Keys. Plan on five to six hours in practice.
That works fine for a flexible solo traveler. It is harder on a group, since several fares add up fast, and if your flight lands late the next departure may be hours away.
Option 3: The rental car
Renting gives you freedom, and the Overseas Highway is a bucket-list drive. The trade-offs are real, though: the airport rental counter after a long flight, Miami traffic before the scenery starts, and four hours of concentration for whoever drives. Parking is the part most people forget. Key West hotels commonly charge steep daily rates for a car you will barely use on a two-mile-wide island.
If you plan to explore the Keys extensively on your own schedule, renting makes sense. If the car would only make one drive each way and then sit in a hotel lot, you are paying for more than you use.
Option 4: The private transfer
A private Miami to Key West transfer tracks your flight, meets your whole group at the MIA curb with a name sign, and delivers everyone to the door of the hotel or rental about four hours later. One vehicle carries up to 14 people and all the luggage, the stops in Islamorada or at Seven Mile Bridge are yours to call, and nobody in your party spends the first day of vacation driving.
Split across a full vehicle, the per-person price regularly compares well with shuttle fares, without the timetable. It is the option built for groups, and the one we would recommend for a wedding party, a family trip, or any crew of five or more.
How to choose
- Traveling alone, light bags, tight budget: shuttle bus.
- Couple, carry-ons only, tight schedule: connecting flight plus an EYW pickup.
- Planning to road-trip the Keys for days: rental car.
- Group of four or more, luggage, one itinerary: private transfer, one vehicle, door to door.
Whichever way you lean, decide before you land. Standing at MIA baggage claim at 9 p.m. comparing all four options on your phone is the only plan that never works out.
