Are you planning a road trip to Key West with your kids? We compiled this list after having completed a homeschool co-op road trip down to Key West. It was absolutely fantastic and opened up our minds to what a road trip could be, not only a destination but a bunch of fun along the way. Use our tips below to plan the best Key West road trip with your kids.

Stops Along the Way

Be willing to make some of these stops, they’re absolutely worth the time to discover. First, Robert is Here. It is an incredible fruit stand and farm that continues to blow your mind the more you walk through it. Not only does it have charm and delicious food, it has unique food finds and a farm out back. It is welcoming and has such a great vibe, my kids ask to go back…it that’s not worth the time than I don’t know what is! My oldest and I loved the guac and all of my kids loved the ice cream.

Second is Mile Marker 88. It has the most beautiful view, a restroom if you need it, a small shop, and a restaurant. You do not have to dine to enjoy the view. We headed out on to the pier area just to be immersed by it all. Depending on the age of your kids, you can sit and enjoy a full meal and view but if you have younger kids, it may be a quick pit stop (still worth it).

Third is the giant lobster at The Rain Barrel. While you can’t miss it (trust me) here is the address just in case: 86700 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036. It has shop, boba tea hut, and a lobster dining area. We only stopped for the photo but I wish I had actually gone in and explored more.

Fourth is Robbie’s of Islamorada. It is the coolest, funky, all-in-one tourist stop. There are photo-ops, dining/bars, jet ski rentals, clothing shops, a bead shop, and normal tourist items for sale. There was also a food truck that had ice creams, drinks, and other treats. But the cool part was just how funky it was and how there were actual artists there showcasing their work. Look over the cheap tourist stuff and enjoy the local artistry.

Fifth is the 7 Mile Bridge. It is a stunning view from the top but don’t skip the bottom area. There are picnic tables if you need to stop and eat, but you can peak over the sides and look for sea turtles (we saw one!).

Sixth is the Mile Marker 0 and Southernmost Point in Key West. Find parking away from Mile Marker 0 and walk over, then head to the buoy at the Southernmost Point in the U.S. We enjoyed both of these stops and they make great photo ops. The post office across the street from the mile marker 0 is the most expensive parking, again, don’t park there.

Driving tips

There are many gas stations along the way and surprisingly gas was not expensive on the islands. It was actually cheaper on most islands than it was in Miami, so keep that in mind. The one thing about driving is that there aren’t a lot of quick stop restaurants along the way. Many are cool dining experiences (hello seafood) that aren’t chains. Because my kids don’t enjoy that, we opted for our snacks and a stop at Subway.

A lot of it is single lane driving as well and on the islands you go the speed limit, like the exact speed limit. We saw multiple speed traps and cars pulled over, they take their speed limit seriously. Be patient and enjoy the drive.

Sanity Savers

I was the sole driver on this trip so I needed to make sure I could focus on the road the entire time and not have to cater to the kids. Some of the best purchases were a case of water bottles, a battery bank, and a book on Audible. We listened to a book while they also played on their tablets, the water was handy since we didn’t make too many stops outside of the touristy places.

Here is a curated list of our favorite snacks and entertainment for when we take a road trip and some of our must-haves for travel. By shopping our Amazon storefront you’re able to support this content at no additional cost to you.

Thank you for checking our our guide for a Key West road trip with your kids, come back to read our guide on what to do IN Key West with your kids.