The weather is completely miserable in the Northeastern United States these days, which is why it is very exciting that we will be flying south in a little over two short weeks to visit the Florida Keys. Since I personally put a lot of planning into this trip, I thought I would share with you all what my plans are, and possibly review how they all went after the end of my trip.
Let's start with our flight plans.
The entire reason we chose now to fly south to the Florida Keys was that Frontier airlines was having a great sale on tickets to Miami. They are expanding their service area and were offering some pretty good pricing. For two roundtrip tickets to Miami, it cost us $316.00, which was definitely in our price range. I do have some reservations about flying Frontier. They are a discount airline, and I am well aware that they charge for bags, and any other extras. It’s a less than a 3 hour flight, so hopefully we will be able to pack very light, and deal with a a little less cushy flight to get us where we’re going. Frontier charges for both carry-ons and checked bags, but you are allowed 1 free personal item, which can consist of a back pack as long as it can fit under the seat in front of you. We are planning on packing a few outfits and minimal extras in these, and hopefully not having to pay the extra fees.
Another way we’re saving is to fly into Miami instead of Key West. There is an airport in Key West, but it is way more expensive to fly into. So, instead of flying into to Key West, we are flying to Miami, and renting a car and driving through the keys.
Our Rental Car
I stressed for a long time over what rental car to get, and what company to go with. We really could not afford the $500 dollars or more a week the big name companies were charging, so again, we went with a discount carrier. I again read some online reviews, and found that Advantage seemed to be the least evil of the discount carriers in the Miami airport, so I booked through them. American Express offers some cheap rental car coverage options as benefit to their cardholders. All you need to do is enroll in the plan of your choice, and then use your American Express card to book your entire car rental. I even booked our one for this trip through the American Express website. If you’re a card member, I would check out these specifics when planning your next trip, it could save you some money.
Motels and AirBnb
Now that we have our transportation down, let’s talk about where we’re staying. First, we decided to stay in multiple places. We spend 5 nights in Florida, and we will be staying at four different places while we’re down there. This isn’t a bad thing, because we will have the rental car. I believe there is no cheap way to stay in Key West, especially if you do not book a year in advance apparently! Our method will be a combination of motels and AirBnb sites. If you haven’t tried AirBnb before, you’re not alone! This is our first time trying it, and I don’t know if I would feel comfortable trying it if I wasn’t travelling with my partner. We’ll be at two hotels, and two AirBnB’s. AirBnB’s tend to be cheaper, more unique private rentals. You can rent an entire home, apartment, or just a private room and sometimes even a couch! If you’re interested in trying AirBnB click here and get a $25 AirBnb credit! (Full disclosure: I receive money as well when you book a trip or host a traveler, which I see as a win-win for everyone!) You can also rent out your apartment or rooms while travelling for some extra cash! If you’ve ever used AirBnb before, leave a comment below and let me know about it. I’ll be sharing a comparison between the hotels and AirBnb sites upon my return.
Have you ever travelled to the Florida Keys before? Leave me some thoughts below to help guide me on my trip! I’m interested in what you have to say!
Keep on travellin’!
(Image Credit: goldcardkeywestreviews.com)