Miami & the keys or Miami & the gulf coast??

[Overthemoun]

Has anyone done either or both and can recommend? We’re just going for a week. Happy with beaches but would also like to explore too. We will have a car.

id love some tips, please!!

You’re only going for a week?

One week stay in Miami - the beaches are amazing there

10 days plus - drive down the keys

Yes just a week. Whereabouts if we were to stay in Miami?

I’d do one night in Miami (not a fan) and then drive across on the I-75 to Naples. It’s only about 2 hours.

Naples is absolutely gorgeous and has fabulous beaches. It’s easy from there to visit Marco Island and Sanibel and Captiva.

I have been to Miami Keys, lots of fun and amazing to drive. I wouldn’t say it was a beach destination as the islands are mostly rocky outcrops. It’s better for site seeing, wildlife and nightlife.

The drive down to Key West is lovely but very, very long. Our kids were bored when we did it.

My initial thoughts were nights 1 & 7 in Miami with the 5 nights in between somewhere else. I’ve been looking at fort myers/sarasota or islamorada/marathon. They both look great and I can’t decide!

i had hoped that the drive would be interesting down to the keys but I suppose kids don’t see it that way.

Naples is a bazillion times nicer than Fort Myers and about a 30 minute drive.

Thank you 😊

There is so much to do in Miami - stay mid beach and go to the beach. You can walk, cycle etc all along the beach path. South beach is great to explore tho expensive and noisy to stay. Little Havana, boat trips, art galleries etc there’s loads to do. Islamorada is lovely to explore and you get good seafood but not many places to swim.

Is Miami expensive everywhere in terms of eating out etc? I’ve seen good value apartments to rent if renting for a whole week by golden beach but other reviews seem to say that Miami is really expensive when you’re there.

I’ll be hoping the exchange rate carries on in our favour.

I don’t think Miami is expensive. Even the places on south beach are pretty reasonable.

Nothing wrong with going to Florida for just a week. We've done it lots of times.

We do a week often.

I would definitely recommend Gulf Coast over the Keys. Head to Captiva Island. It’s idyllic.

Thank you both, all good tips!

Agree with PP, Keys is great but beaches aren't all that (lots of other stuff to recommend it). The drive isn't that long though - 3 or 4 hours. Would stay a week in Miami.

Yes, I found it expensive to eat out there (generally paying $3-400 for a meal for four) - I'm sure you could do a mix of self-catering, fast food chains and the odd treat restaurant and that would bring the cost down. Obviously it's cheaper in Little Havana than Coconut Grove.

Don't forget to go to Everglades - it is a surprisingly quick drive from Miami to Flamingo which is on Gulf Coast

It’s cheaper to eat in Miami as so much choice. Tho there are some very high end places so there is something for every budget. Keys is pretty expensive due to it being fish etc