Why You Should Skip The Rental Car On Your Next Trip To Key West Florida

Life is pretty laidback in Key West. "Conchs," as the Bahamian locals are known, love their warm weather and swaying palm trees. Locals can wear flip flops all year, and when a town has over 300 bars, you're never far from a Cuba Libre (a version of rum and coke). Key West gets an average of 260 sunny days each year, so the last thing travelers want to do is sit in traffic. Luckily, there's no reason to drive yourself around the island, let alone rent a car.

Outside of traffic, you may wonder why you shouldn't rent a car in Key West. Isn't Florida full of highways? Aren't Floridians some of the least-active walkers in the United States? What's the point of the 113-mile Overseas Highway, which connects all the Florida Keys with a series of elevated bridges, if you aren't going to drive your car there?

Well, Florida is a big and diverse state, and in tiny Key West, you don't really need to operate a motor vehicle. If you like, you can fly directly to Key West International Airport, which services 21 direct destinations across six airlines. The island is 4 miles long and 1 mile wide, so you could casually walk its perimeter in a single afternoon and still have time before happy hour. If you're in a hurry for some reason, taxis and ride shares are common here. Ditching the car is one easy way to visit Key West on a budget.

Key West is ideal for beach-cruising — that is, wandering the many public beaches and enjoying the scenery — as well as beach cruisers, the comfy upright bicycle. The town almost seems designed for blissful cycling, with its flat streets, slow automobile traffic, and consistently beautiful weather. There are many businesses that rent bicycles, most of which are easy to ride and have little baskets affixed to the front. When the pavement is this level, a single-speed bike will do the trick, and you can zip from Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park (in the far southwest) to Poinciana Plaza (far northeast) in about 20 minutes, plus any point in between.

There are lots of other way to get around town as well. You can borrow an e-scooter from Lama Mobility, which should get you almost anywhere on the island in a matter of minutes. Old Town Trolley Tours makes a slow loop around town, and ticket holders can hop on and off at their convenience. You can even cruise the streets in a golf cart, thanks to the aptly-named Southernmost Golf Carts. Key West is a favorite destination for Bike Week, when thousands of motorcyclists roll through town. You can even pedal into the sunset, thanks to a fleet of local hydrobikes.

Perhaps the best way to explore Key West is on your own two feet. Most people gravitate toward Duval Street, the main corridor for shopping and nightlife. Duval Street is about 1.25 miles in length, but it has received the tongue-in-cheek nickname "the longest street in the world," because it connects the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean. These blocks are packed with souvenir shops and rambunctious clubs, many of which are proudly geared toward LGBTQIA+ communities, and the action really ramps up during Spring Break, when thousands of college students pour into town.

Key West has more than margaritas, though. Visit the Ernest Hemingway House & Museum to see where the beloved novelist wrote many of his masterpieces (and kept his quirky six-toed cats). Browse fine art at the beautiful brick Key West Fine Art & Historical Society. If strolls and bicycle jaunts don't satisfy your outdoor spirit, here are 10 adventurous things to do while visiting Key West. Not one of them will require a driver's license.