What is the best way to drive from Panama City Beach to the Keys?

We would like to drive to the Keys in three days where is the best locations to stay.?

Panama City Beach (Florida) Florida Keys (Florida)

3 Answers

answered first by

RosalieAnn

Whether it is the 'best' way might be debated and depending on where you want to end up in the Keys, but if I were doing it and wanted three evenly spaced days of driving, I would start in Panama City Beach and take US 98 along the coast (you could have lunch on Saint George Island) and stay someplace around Gainesville the first night. Then take I-75 down by Tampa via Sarasota Fort Myers and end up in Naples (Florida)for the second night. Then cross Florida, stopping off at the Shark Valley Observatory Tower entrance to the Everglades, and drive down to Key West

Comments (2)

Delbert
Thank you for your quick response. I said in the original question three days. Would 5 days be better to see more along the way? Our intent is to go to the southern end of the Keys and stay there two or three nights.

RosalieAnn
For each section of the trip you could spend a day more - Ford Myers has Edison's house, and Sarasota has the Circus Museum. And also there is Sanibel Island and Estero Park (the place where the Flat Earth people lived). On the first section you could go to Tallahassee and visit the Old Courthouse and there are other things near there. I avoided Orlando because it is expensive and crowded.

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Panama City Beach (city)
Saint George Island (city)
Gainesville (city)
Sarasota (city)
Fort Myers (city)
Naples (Florida) (city)
Shark Valley Observatory Tower (attraction)
Key West (city)

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answered by

Claudia from New York City

Stop in Tampa for the first night. I suggest staying at the Hampton Inn and Suites Tampa - Ybor City Downtown, located at the historic center of Tampa, close to interesting sites and restaurants. The complimentary pre-scheduled Ybor City/Downtown streetcar (photo below) stops in front of the hotel. Parking at the hotel is $10 per night.

Then drive to Key West the next day. We did it within 8 hours with one pit stop. Take I-75 from Tampa toward Naples, take exit 23 to merge to US27S to Florida Turnpike S and Ronald Reagan Turnpike to US 1.

I stayed at the Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel.