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Best time to visit

Alabama
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15 posts
3 reviews
7 helpful votes
Best time to visit
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Was planing to visit Key West this Christmas Week (26-30).I've been told it will be too crowded at this time of year .. Is this true..? When is the best time to visit Key West..?

Dunedin, Florida
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19,014 posts
8 reviews
13 helpful votes
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My personal favorite is November. Still low season rates. The weather here in the midwest is getting awful. Still warm in Key West. And all the restaurants have reopened after that late summer/early fall vacation.

That said, I don't think there's a bad time to visit. I've had a good time every time I've been down.

Florida
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10,821 posts
83 reviews
114 helpful votes
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Christmas week is one of if not the busiest week for Key West. My favorite time is the first 2 weeks in Dec. Things are slow, everything is open, hurricane season is over, the humidity is low and the weather is beautiful.

Key West, Florida
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4,605 posts
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It depends on your definition of 'too crowded'. There's not a time (except in front of Sloppy Joe's bar as the big Conch Shell is lowered at midnight on New Years) that to me, it's been 'too crowded'.

I've always been able to get around town, enjoy the nightlife and generally have a great time. The Conch Shell thing is the exception. Made a terrible mistake my first New Years eve of trying to get from upper Duval to SWB by walking through that mass. From Rick's Place on Duval, across from Sloppy Joe's to Last Flight Out on Greene, it took 45 minutes of pushing, shoving and generally fearing for my life from the crush of people.

Other than that, Duval and Key West will be what it'll be.

Pjk
Plainsboro, New...
Destination Expert
for Key West
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44,030 posts
151 reviews
231 helpful votes
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My favorite time is May. It seemd that I've always hit great weather in May and it has not been so crowded that I worry about needing to make a reservation at Blue Heaven or Pepe's, for either breakfast or dinner, or waiting an hour at El Meson de Pepe. There is no guarentee about what the weather will be like at anytime, but in several trips in November I've had both a week of good weather and an entire week of bad weather, bad enough that the water-related activites, snorkeling, sunset sails, were either canceled or couldn't get a minimum number of people to go out.

Pjk

Alabama
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15 posts
3 reviews
7 helpful votes
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Hey, thanks for all the inputs....My wife and I have decided to make res. at Best Western on Simonton St. for a few days BEFORE Xmas...I'm a walker, so the Navy Lodge is too far out... I'll post how everything went when we return in late Dec. Thanks again...Larry

Florida
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10,821 posts
83 reviews
114 helpful votes
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Thats great!! You will love it. Thats a wonderful time to visit.

Cape Canaveral...
Destination Expert
for Key West
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9,239 posts
36 reviews
36 helpful votes
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For me, the best time to visit is whenever I can get there! I like Key West when it's crowded and crazy, and I also like it quiet and laid back. Of course, off season rates are always nice, too, though. ;)

South
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545 posts
3 reviews
13 helpful votes
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We will be down during that time and even though we have rented a car to carry us from MIA to KW, we plan to park that thing for most of the trip. The exception will probably be going to Bahia Honda for a day.

I found walking the best way. Even a few miles just doesn't seem that long given all the interesting places to stop along the way.

Good shoes helps and if you can rent a bike. I had blast riding around on a bike. My local friend had your basic bike with basket on the front. Felt like a kid all over again.

Last time 2 trips to KW have been in the middle of May. I liked that time of year. Not too hot, and not too crowded.

I am looking forward to seeing Palm Trees wrapped in Christmas lights. It will be a real trip for someone from TN!

Fort Lauderdale...
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249 posts
4 reviews
26 helpful votes
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Cruisemom, I was going to say "anytime after 5 pm", but you sorta beat me to it.

Consider the question from this perspective........ I was there for FantasyFest and I actually never couldn't (double negatives are perfectly proper) get into any place I wanted to go. Sure, it was "crowded" but it is amazing just how well this little dead coral outcropping absorbs and distributes people. By Sunday night at 8pm, it was a ghost town anywhere but the first few blocks of Duval.......only Louie's, with only half of their tables occupied, said they were too busy for immediate seating.........lol!

I can't possibly imagine that with a little forethought and a couple of advance reservations, that any other week of the year would be the least bit of a problem.

Los Angeles
2 posts
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Happy New Year, Everyone! I am thinking of taking my kids (teenagers 14 and 15) to Key West for their spring break April 12 through the 18th. Is that a good time? How is the humidity? They don't "party" much, at least when I am awake... Thanks in advance for the heads up.

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