Cheap Car Rental in Key West

Car Rental in Key West: Florida’s Island Dream

Key West is a popular Floridian island found in the Straits of Florida, which is at the bottom of the Florida Keys. The island itself is only 4 miles long and a single mile wide, making it a small yet convenient area to visit and in which to live. Originally, the island had some salt lakes on its eastern side, but in the 1950s many of these were filled in to enlarge the size of the island, creating more space for housing.

What to See In and Around Key West

For the most part, people stay in Key West to enjoy seaside pleasures such as sailing, snorkeling, sunbathing, swimming, and more. The area has many clean beaches to enjoy and some good stretches of ocean; Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is one such point to enjoy and is located on the west side of the island. Additionally, this area offers fishing, which is spectacular in these crystal-clear waters. However, there are some other very interesting and oft over-looked sites that are well worth a visit.

Mallory Square for example, is located at the north of the island and is the perfect spot to watch the sunset. There is a free arts festival that starts every day at around two hours before the sunset. This is a great time to meet other people, mingle with the locals and enjoy a range of local cuisines. Another popular spot is the Harry S. Truman Little White House. The house was built in 1890, was used as a naval command during the two World Wars and was later used by President Truman as his holiday home. Since then, many other presidents have vacationed at this spot, making its name even more apt.

Other places of interest include the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens, if you like a little bit of nature, or the Ernest Hemingway Museum for some more history.

Cheap Car Rental

There are different options when it comes to renting a car in Key West. These are based on the type of car you are looking for, the length of stay, pick-up point and the time of the year you choose to visit. Prices of cars can range from $25 through to $40, though prices will vary depending on the aforementioned factors. The prices below give a good indication of the sort of prices you are looking at and are priced for cars rented for a week.

• Kia Rio (economy class) - $29 per day
• Ford Focus (compact class) - $30 per day
• Hyundai Elantra (intermediate class) - $32 per day
• Chevrolet Cruze (standard class) - $34 per day
• Chrysler 200 (fullsize class) - $35 per day

To get the most accurate representation of price for your own personal travels, please use the convenient search function at the top of the page. Here you can input preferred dates, location and car-class to tailor the results to your needs. The site also compares cars from a number of companies in order to give you the best deal possible.

How to Find Low Cost Auto-Rentals

When it comes to getting the best budget car-deal in Key West, it is important to note when the peak times are. Florida is most popular in the hot summer months, and car prices reflect this, often being as much as $40 per day. Visiting in the winter months, on the other hand, can see car prices drop to as little as $24 per day.

There are also pick-up points throughout the city, and these also have a bearing on the price. Picking up from Key West Airport or Key West Downtown, for example, means a rate of $24, whilst grabbing a car from Key West Airport Offsite costs $28. It should also be noted that it is sensible to return the car to where you picked it up, as this will not incur the fee that would result otherwise.

Booking for periods of a week or more will also reduce the car rental cost, often quite significantly. Cars rented for three days or fewer often have prices around $29 per day, which is vastly different to the $24 per day offered for a weekly rental. If you can be organized, booking ahead will also stand you in good stead, particularly in those much sought-after high seasons, as cars can get snapped up relatively quickly, with the same car varying in price up to $7.

Rules Of The Road

1. Florida is in the USA and, as such, all driving takes place on the right side of the road
2. The same road rules apply here as they do in other states, including rules at intersections and pedestrian crossings, as well as rules regarding school buses
3. Everyone in the car must wear a seatbelt
4. Parking in Key West is on-street and metered
5. Drinking and driving is prohibited