Airlines will fly into and out of Key West, but you'll be on a puddle-jumper. An alternative is to fly into Miami or into Fort Lauderdale (about 30 miles north of Miami) and drive down to Key West (Miami -> Key West, about 150 miles; Ft. Lauderdale -> Key West, about 180 miles. Locals say that if you drive down, you can spend 4 - 5 hours making the trip because of all the great places to stop along the way.

Don't be concerned about flying into Miami and competing for the Orange Bowl crowd - the game is not scheduled until January 4, 2005. Besides, we'll have more fun anyway!

If you fly into Miami, you can also catch a shuttle service directly to Key West. A couple of choices are the Keys Shuttle and the Greyhound Keys Shuttle (1-800-410-KEYS).

Once you arrive, it is not mandatory to get a rental car (but the airport has plenty of cars!) The Wyndham Reach has a free shuttle from the airport, is on the beach and is walking distance to downtown Key West. The Grand Key Resort has a free shuttle service to Downtown, the airport, their private beach and several marinas. Also the entire island is only 8 miles long, so nothing is far away!

Other travel options on the island are the electric cars (tiny, but adorable! and who wouldn't want to rent from the same company as "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan!) and scooters, that can be rented by the hour, or by the day - here is a full listing. The best part is that many vehicles come in classic Caribbean colors. We rented a  bright yellow Geo - what a sweet ride! The only bad part is that parking is limited, especially in Downtown, but we were always able to find a spot in one of the parking garages.