Is it possible to drive a motorhome to Key West?

Yes. The Overseas Highway connects the mainland to Key West and is typically traveled by RV. The main concern isn't the road itself, but finding a spot: campgrounds in the Keys are few and far between and book up months in advance during peak season.

How long does it take to get from Miami to Key West?

About three and a half to four hours without stops, but the actual travel time is usually longer: the road is single-lane for much of the route, with low speed limits, local traffic, and bridges. If you’re traveling in an RV, allow even more time.

What's the best campground in the Keys?

Bahia Honda State Park, for its beach and the view from the old bridge. It’s also the hardest to get into: demand is high year-round, and there are few available spots.

Can a large motorhome drive through the Keys?

You can drive on the road, but some campgrounds have length restrictions, and in Key West, it’s difficult to maneuver and park a large vehicle. For this itinerary, a compact or family-sized vehicle opens up many more parking options.

Is it possible to visit Key West in one day from Orlando?

Not in a way that's really worth it. It's about 500 km (310 miles) just to Key Largo, plus another two to three hours to Key West. The itinerary calls for four to five days, usually combined with a visit to the Everglades.

What if there's a hurricane during the trip?

Between June and November, this is a real possibility, and the Keys are the most vulnerable region in the state: parks close, and the highway may be evacuated by order of the authorities. During this period, a flexible itinerary and travel insurance are essential parts of your planning—they’re not optional.

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Key West by RV: The Overseas Highway, Campgrounds, and What Nobody Tells You Ahead of Time

There are 42 bridges over turquoise water. In some spots, you can’t see land on either side—just the road and the sea—and it feels like you’ve taken a wrong turn and driven right into the ocean. Spending the night in Bahia Honda, with your RV just a few meters from the water, is the kind of night the family will talk about for years to come.

Why does this place work as a motorhome?

Almost every Brazilian takes a day trip to Key West from Miami: a seven- to eight-hour drive in a single day, just to take a photo at the southernmost landmark and return exhausted. The road—which is supposed to be the best part—becomes an obstacle.

In a motorhome, the logic is reversed. You sleep along the way, swim where the water is most beautiful, and arrive in Key West without rushing. The trip becomes the journey, not the destination.

It’s also the stretch with the best balance of distance and scenery in all of Florida: not many kilometers, but plenty to see out the window.

The Overseas Highway, Section by Section

Key Largo: the gateway to the Keys and a popular diving spot. John Pennekamp is the first underwater park in the United States, featuring a glass-bottom boat for those who don't want to go in the water.

Islamorada: a fishing village, restaurants overlooking the sunset, and the chance to see tarpon at Robbie's—a must-visit spot when traveling with kids.

Marathon: halfway along the route, with Turtle Hospital, and the Seven Mile Bridge just beyond—the most photographed stretch of the road.

Bahia Honda: the most beautiful beach in the Keys and the best campground along the way.

Big Pine Key: the Key deer, miniature deer found only there. Slow down—vehicular collisions are the leading cause of death for this species.

Key West: the end of the line, with the 90-mile marker to Cuba, Mallory Square, and the historic district within walking distance.

Where the RV Sleeps

Bahia Honda State Park is the destination: campsites practically right on the sand, crystal-clear water, and a view of the old bridge. It’s the most popular campground in the state, and securing a spot is the real challenge of the trip.

There are private campgrounds along the road, which are generally more expensive than the Florida average and vary in amenities. In the Keys, land is scarce, and that’s reflected in the price.

During peak winter season, accommodations sell out months in advance. There’s no last-minute Plan B in the Keys: if there’s no room, the only option is to head back to the mainland.

Size restrictions — the detail that makes or breaks the trip

Some campgrounds in the Keys have vehicle length limits, and some are quite restrictive. Large RVs greatly limit the available spots in an area where there are already few options.

For this itinerary, a compact or family-sized RV opens more doors than a premium model. Check the campground’s size limit before choosing your RV, not after.

Maneuvering and parking in Key West are difficult for large vehicles. The usual practice is to leave the RV at the campground and take a bike, bus, or small car into downtown.

Day-to-day life

Day 1: Leave the mainland early, stop in Key Largo, and spend the night in Islamorada or Marathon. This is a short leg on purpose, so as not to spend the first day on the road.

Day 2: A full day in Bahia Honda — the beach, snorkeling along the shore, and the old bridge at sunset.

Day 3: Key West—no RV in downtown. Walk through the historic district, watch the sunset at Mallory Square, and head back to the campground.

Day 4: Take it easy on the way back, stopping at a place you missed on the way there.

With children

The water in the Keys is shallow and calm along most of the beaches, which is great for small children. The sand is coarser than that of the Gulf, and there are sections of rock and coral: water shoes will do the trick.

Turtle Hospital in Marathon offers a guided tour featuring turtles in recovery—it’s suitable for all ages and explains the problem of ocean trash better than any lecture.

Feeding the tarpon at Robbie's pier is the activity that yields the most photos and is the most frightening when you first dip your toes in the water.

Dry Tortugas, accessible by boat from Key West, is the most impressive full-day excursion in the region—and the least suitable for children who get seasick, because the crossing is long.

Best season

From December to April: dry weather, calm seas, and the best visibility for snorkeling. It’s peak season, with high prices and campgrounds booked up well in advance.

Hurricane season runs from June through November, and the Keys are the most exposed part of the state. Traveling during this time is less expensive, but it requires some flexibility in your itinerary and keeping a close eye on the daily forecast.

May and early June usually offer the best balance between price, weather, and availability.

How much does it cost?

Expenses: daily camping fees, which are the highest in Florida in the Keys; state park entrance fees; gas, which isn’t much due to the short distance; and food, which is much cheaper when you cook on board—restaurants in the Keys are priced like a tourist destination.

Paid activities (scuba diving, Dry Tortugas, boat trips) vary the most in price. A day trip to Dry Tortugas for a family costs more than a night of camping.

What Almost No One Talks About

The distance can be misleading. It’s about 170 km (105 miles) from Key Largo to Key West, but the road is mostly a single-lane highway with low speed limits, local traffic, and bridges. Allow twice as much time as the map suggests.

On weekends and U.S. holidays, the drive back to the mainland on Sunday afternoon is slow—leave in the morning.

Mosquitoes and sand flies appear in the late afternoon in Bahia Honda, especially in the summer.

Sunscreen that harms coral is discouraged in the region; a protective T-shirt is a better solution.

A hurricane is not a remote possibility between August and October: the park closes and the highway may be evacuated. Travel insurance and a flexible itinerary are no longer a luxury.

How to Fit It Into a Trip to Orlando

It's about 500 km (310 miles) from Orlando to Key Largo—at least five hours—and another two to three hours from Key Largo to Key West. Trying to do that all in one day ruins the trip.

The best itinerary is a five-day trip, which almost always combines the Everglades and the Keys, since the entrances to the two regions are just over an hour apart.

For those who only have three or four days to spend away from Orlando, the Gulf Coast offers a beach experience comparable to what you’d find elsewhere—but with half the travel time.

When It's Not Worth It

Itinerary for less than three days: the road takes up all your time.

Large RV with no confirmed parking spot — the size restrictions are real.

High season without a camping reservation made months in advance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to drive a motorhome to Key West?: Yes. The Overseas Highway connects the mainland to Key West and is typically traveled by RV. The main concern isn't the road itself, but finding a spot: campgrounds in the Keys are few and far between and book up months in advance during peak season.
How long does it take to get from Miami to Key West?: About three and a half to four hours without stops, but the actual travel time is usually longer: the road is single-lane for much of the route, with low speed limits, local traffic, and bridges. If you’re traveling in an RV, allow even more time.
What's the best campground in the Keys?: Bahia Honda State Park, for its beach and the view from the old bridge. It’s also the hardest to get into: demand is high year-round, and there are few available spots.
Can a large motorhome drive through the Keys?: You can drive on the road, but some campgrounds have length restrictions, and in Key West, it’s difficult to maneuver and park a large vehicle. For this itinerary, a compact or family-sized vehicle opens up many more parking options.
Is it possible to visit Key West in one day from Orlando?: Not in a way that's really worth it. It's about 500 km (310 miles) just to Key Largo, plus another two to three hours to Key West. The itinerary calls for four to five days, usually combined with a visit to the Everglades.
What if there's a hurricane during the trip?: Between June and November, this is a real possibility, and the Keys are the most vulnerable region in the state: parks close, and the highway may be evacuated by order of the authorities. During this period, a flexible itinerary and travel insurance are essential parts of your planning—they’re not optional.

Guides

Camping at Disney in an RV: Fort Wilderness Explained for Families — You wake up in a pine forest, surrounded by the scent of the woods and the sound of birdsong. You walk to the pier, hop on a boat, and disembark right in front of Magic Kingdom. It’s the same park day everyone else experiences—only it starts in a way no one will ever forget.
How to Fit a 4-Day RV Trip Into a Trip to Orlando — The trip to Orlando is already booked: flight, hotel, tickets, outlet mall. This guide covers the logistics of fitting in four days in an RV in the middle of all that—when to leave, what to do with the rental car, what to do with your luggage, and how many days before or after visiting the parks.
Swimming with Manatees in Crystal River: How It Works, When to Go, and What's True — The water is crystal clear and stays around 22 °C (72 °F) all year round. You wade in slowly, without splashing your legs, and wait. A half-metric-ton creature appears from the depths, swims by a meter away, and continues on its way as if you weren’t even there. It’s two hours from Orlando, and almost no Brazilians know it exists.
Florida's Springs by RV: 22-degree water just an hour from Orlando — Crystal-clear water flowing from the ground, a constant temperature of around 22 °C (72 °F) year-round, a forest all around, and almost no Brazilian tourists. Silver Springs has offered glass-bottom boat tours since the 19th century, and monkeys come down to the water’s edge. It’s just over an hour from the parks.
The Everglades by RV: Sleeping at the End of the Continent, Among Alligators and Stars — Flamingo is located 61 km past the park entrance, at the southernmost point of the American continent. At night, there is no town, no cell phone signal, and no artificial light anywhere. A child raised in a big city often sees the entire sky there for the first time.
Key West by RV: The Overseas Highway, Campgrounds, and What Nobody Tells You Ahead of Time — There are 42 bridges over turquoise water. In some spots, you can’t see land on either side—just the road and the sea—and it feels like you’ve taken a wrong turn and driven right into the ocean. Spending the night in Bahia Honda, with your RV just a few meters from the water, is the kind of night the family will talk about for years to come.
Renting an RV in Florida: How It Works for Brazilians — What Changes When Renting an RV (or Trailer) in Florida: Documents Required for Brazilian Citizens, the Difference Between an RV and a Trailer, Where to Camp Between Miami, Orlando, and the Keys, the Best Time to Visit, and What’s Usually Not Included in the Advertised Price.
RV Trip in the U.S.: The Complete Guide for Brazilians — How a motorhome (RV) trip through the United States works: driver’s license requirements for Brazilians, types of vehicles, where to stay, how many miles you drive per day, how much it costs, and the differences between driving yourself and having the RV set up for you at the campground.