Do You Need a Car in Key West?

Living in Key West without a car is manageable but visitors may want to rent a car if they plan on adventuring through the rest of Florida Keys.
Written by Tiffany Leung
Reviewed by Brittni Brinn
While you can get away without a car when visiting Key West, getting a rental car would be a good idea if you plan to travel outside the downtown core to the rest of Florida Keys.
Planning to visit Key West but aren’t sure if you need a rental car? Don’t worry,
trusted car insurance broker
and comparison app
Jerry
can help. Let’s analyze if you need a car based on where you can get a rental, whether you need rental insurance, and where public transport can and can’t take you to help you decide! We even included a tip on how to save on your rental
car insurance
as well! 
Compare insurance quotes from 50+ carriers with Jerry in under 45 seconds
Compare insurance quotes from 50+ carriers with Jerry in under 45 seconds
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Where to get a rental car in Key West

If you’re visiting
Key West
for a short trip and staying in the Historic District Old Town area, you can easily get around by walking or biking. However, if you plan to explore the rest of Florida Keys, it would save on traveling time and make it easier to discover hidden gems if you get a rental car.
Key West has an abundance of rental locations, including at the Key West International Airport (EYW), making it convenient for travelers to pick up their cars. There are many rental companies to choose from so here’s a breakdown of what each company does best:
  • Best customer service and loyalty programs: Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Hertz, and National
  • Competitive discounts
    , unlimited mileage, and up-front payment incentives: Avis, Alamo, and Budget. 
While it may be tempting to get a larger vehicle, it’s more advantageous to get a smaller rental car in Key West—even if the rental office offers a free upgrade! The traffic around Key West can get congested with cars, bikes, and scooters, so a smaller car would be easier to maneuver the roads. Parking is sparse in Key West so you’ll have a leg up on larger vehicles when you find one with a tight squeeze—you can check the city’s list of
parking lots and rates
to help plan your trip.
You can also save on some travel costs as small cars are usually cheaper to rent. To keep your costs even lower, book your rental seven days before your trip. While this may risk availability, those who book far in advance can end up paying an average of 13% more than those who wait. 
If you don’t need a car every day and want more flexibility, you can look into alternatives like Zipcar and Turo, or Divvy bike rentals.
MORE: 7 ways to save money on car rentals

Do you need rental car insurance?

The rental desk will always offer you rental car insurance, but is it actually required to drive the car?
Here’s the good news: you can skip the rental company’s insurance if you already have your own full coverage auto insurance policy. In most cases, your
collision
and
comprehensive coverage
are also applicable to the rental vehicle, and your credit card will often offer free rental car insurance as well.
However, if you only have
basic liability insurance
on your policy—or if you don’t have any car insurance—taking the collision damage waiver (CDW) is a good idea. This will cover any collision damages and hidden costs, such as administrative fees, towing charges, loss of use to the rental company, and diminished value. 
MORE: How to avoid being unfairly charged for rental car damage

Do you need a car in Key West?

Whether you need a car or not in Key West depends on your travel plans and needs
With the island being only four miles long and one mile wide, most places are accessible by walking if that’s an option for you. If you are only planning to see the attractions, from Hemingway’s House to Red Barn Theatre, a car won’t be needed since they are located within walking distance of each other. Since parking is also sparse in Key West, you’ll also be less burdened without a car.
You can also easily get around Key West by bicycle—with easy access to plenty of bike stands near the attractions. We recommend planning and booking ahead if you have an itinerary to ensure a bike is available to you on the day. Some rental shops include Eaton Bikes, Key West Bicycles, and We Cycle Key West.
Key West has a modest public transportation system that can take you to convenient spots near major shopping areas and attractions. While you can get across the island and up the Florida Keys, getting a rental may be more advantageous if you’re venturing far from Key West. 

Where public transportation can take you

Believe it or not, you can get around Key West with the city’s free hop-on, hop-off, Duval Loop bus service. The service runs daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The blue-and-pink bus starts its route from the Grinnell Street parking garage near Caroline Street and has
18 stops from the north to the south side of the island
.
For those wanting to learn more about the history of Key West, there’s the Old Town Trolley. Buying a one-day Key West Tour ticket will cost $59.80 but grants you unlimited re-boarding, Key West attraction discounts, and easy access to popular locations. The 13 stops include:
  • Mallory Square
  • Truman Little White House
  • Historic Waterfront and Mac’s Sea Garden
  • Simonton and Green Streets
  • Duval Street and Crown Plaza La Concha
  • Bahama Village
  • Fairfield Inn
  • Roosevelt Station at Gates Hotel
  • Hampton Inn
  • East Martello Fort and Robert the Doll
  • Casa Marina Resort and Beach House
  • Southernmost point trolly stop
  • Truval Village
  • Angela Street Depot
The
Key West Transit System
will take you from the west to the east end of the island, which costs $2 per one-way ride, or $4 for a day pass and $8 for a seven-day pass. You will need to pay the driver the exact fare for all the options. The Lower Keys Shuttle will cost $4 one-way and can take you across the Florida Keys to Marathon.
Alternatively, rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are also available and can help you travel more distance in a shorter time and reach places the transit system doesn’t cover. 

Where public transportation can’t take you

Since Key West is so small, the Duval Loop, Old Town Trolley, and Key West Transit System are sufficient to reach your destinations on the island and most places are walkable from the designated stops. 
But what if you want to venture to other Keys? The Lower Keys Shuttle route has stops all the way to Marathon but won’t take you through each Key. If you plan to go Key hopping, you’re better off renting a car to reach those remote locations.
MORE: How to check for Florida road closures

How to save on car insurance in Key West

Car rentals and car ownership have one thing in common—car expenses that can add up fast. Thankfully, you can start cutting down those costs by downloading the
Jerry
app.
Once you have the app, just answer a few simple questions and Jerry will fetch you the best quotes from over 55 top-tier insurance partners—all in just 45 seconds! The best part? You won’t have to handle any paperwork to switch over since Jerry will help you do the rest.
Our users find an average of $800+ in savings on car insurance each year, and so can you!
“A super easy app for great savings. I gave them my information and got quotes from
Jerry
very quickly! Now I’m saving $108/month.” —Kiyoshi A.
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