How to Get Around Key West

For a typical first-time trip centered on Downtown and Old Town, you usually do not need a car.

For a trip based in New Town or Stock Island, or one that includes multiple outings into the Lower Keys, the answer becomes maybe — and sometimes yes.

Location is the deciding factor.

Not the size of your travel party. Not whether you normally rent cars on vacation. And not whether EYW happens to have rental counters next to baggage claim.

You're staying Downtown

This is the clearest no-car case.

Restaurants, nightlife, historic attractions, the waterfront and much of the visitor core are concentrated close enough together that repeatedly retrieving and parking a vehicle may be more effort than it saves.

You're staying in a walkable part of Old Town

The same principle usually applies.

Walking handles a large share of the trip. Taxis, rideshare or transit can fill the occasional gap.

You're flying into EYW and remaining on the island

EYW has taxis and Uber/Lyft pickup directly from the arrivals area.

There is little reason to rent a car solely for an airport transfer if you will not otherwise use it.

You're visiting on a cruise

No.

For a port call centered on Old Town, renting a car generally creates a new problem to solve rather than solving one.

You're staying in New Town

You can still manage without a vehicle, but walking becomes less useful as the default transportation method.

Whether a car is worth it depends on your property's location, parking setup and how often you expect to travel into Old Town.

You're staying on Stock Island

This deserves its own calculation.

The city's Key West Rides on-demand transit zone currently includes Stock Island, and rideshare/taxi remain options.

But if you intend to move repeatedly between Stock Island, Key West and destinations farther up the Keys, having a car can become much more convenient.

You are exploring the Lower Keys

This is one of the strongest cases for a vehicle.

A car gives you control over timing and makes destinations beyond Key West much easier to combine.

You do not necessarily need that car for the entire vacation, however. Depending on rental availability and cost, a one-day rental can sometimes make more sense than paying for a vehicle that sits unused for several other days.

Mobility, children or equipment change the equation

A visitor carrying substantial beach equipment, dive gear or young-child supplies may value a vehicle more than two adults traveling light.

Likewise, limited walking tolerance can completely change whether a Downtown accommodation is genuinely “walkable” for a particular traveler.

Transportation decisions should follow the traveler, not a blanket rule.

Key West has municipal garages, lots and metered parking, but much of the historic area also includes spaces reserved for residential permit holders.

The Old Town Park N Ride garage at Grinnell and Caroline operates 24 hours except during evacuations and provides a city parking option at the edge of the Downtown/Old Town area.

The important point for visitors is not the current hourly price.

It is that parking has a real cost in both money and time.

If your accommodation provides parking, use that as an asset. Do not assume the car has to accompany you every time you leave the property.

Walking

For Downtown and much of Old Town, this should be the baseline rather than the backup plan.

It costs nothing, eliminates parking and lets you actually see the historic streets between destinations.

Bicycle

Bicycles expand the comfortable range of a car-free trip considerably.

They work especially well for visitors who are comfortable riding in an urban/tourism environment and want more range than walking provides.

Scooter

A scooter can make short local transportation fast and convenient, but it should be treated as a motor vehicle, not as a bicycle substitute.

It makes the most sense for riders already comfortable operating one.

Golf cart

Golf carts can be useful for groups and for visitors who want an open-air local transportation option.

But renting a smaller vehicle does not make parking rules disappear. It is still something that needs to be legally parked.

Choose one because it fits your trip, not because you expect to park anywhere you want.

Taxi and rideshare

Particularly useful for airport transfers, occasional longer trips and evenings when nobody wants to worry about where the vehicle is parked.

Both taxi and rideshare service operate at EYW.

City transit

Key West operates fixed and on-demand transit.

The Duval Loop currently costs $1, while Key West Rides provides on-demand shared transit around Key West and Stock Island.

Transit is useful to know about even if it does not become the primary way you travel.

Keep the car — but give yourself permission not to use it.

A particularly practical setup is:

Drive to Key West, park at the accommodation, spend most Downtown/Old Town days walking or using shorter transportation, then use the vehicle again if you head up the Keys or leave town.

That gives you the benefit of having driven without turning every restaurant or museum visit into a parking exercise.

A bicycle can extend your range while keeping stops flexible. It suits a group comfortable riding the intended roads and carrying little equipment. Fit, a lock, lights and storage at your accommodation matter more than choosing solely by the daily rate. Plan around the least-confident rider and a route everyone wants to use. A bike is less helpful when heavy luggage or a long wet-weather journey is the main problem to solve.

Scooters suit confident riders who value a compact vehicle; a cart-style rental can keep passengers and beach gear together. Both require a realistic route and parking plan. Vehicle classes differ: a vehicle marketed as a golf cart is not automatically the same as a street-legal low-speed vehicle. Use the provider’s requirements and official guidance for the specific vehicle, passengers and roads. Small dimensions do not mean permission to park anywhere.

Choose your base, map a typical day and identify the one journey walking will not solve. Then compare a suitable ride or rental for that need. Get Around brings the transport categories and existing operators together. Start with Where to Stay if the daily distances still feel awkward.

Downtown hotel, mostly Old Town plans — Car?: Usually no

Old Town guesthouse, comfortable walking — Car?: Usually no

EYW → Downtown → EYW — Car?: No compelling need

Cruise visit — Car?: No

New Town stay — Car?: Depends

Stock Island stay — Car?: Depends / often more useful

Multiple Lower Keys outings — Car?: Usually useful

Mobility limitations or lots of equipment — Car?: May be useful

Driving down from mainland — Car?: Keep it, but don't necessarily use it daily

Do not rent a car because Key West is in Florida and you normally rent a car in Florida.

Rent one because your itinerary contains trips that are materially easier by car.

For many first-time visitors staying Downtown or in Old Town, that test produces a very simple answer:

Skip the rental, stay somewhere well located and spend the money and time somewhere else.