I'm in NC and planning a trip down to some blue water and nice beaches for spring break, with my girlfriend, her roommate, and a couple of friends. MY idea was to drive to Miami (where we can stay for free for a night or two with a friend) and then fly to Nassau for ~$150, but other people are of the view that we should just go to the Keys because presumably they'll be about the same thing, minus the cost of the flight.

Pros, cons, tips, whatever. A little bit about us: We like to drink, go out, and be amongst other young people (in our early 20s), but we aren't huge party animals (i.e. Panama Beach). I think we're all looking for a beautiful beach and some fun places to explore. I kind of want to rent a catamaran too...

School me...

1/21/2010 11:17:22 AM

Come on guys, we're in our 20's

1/21/2010 11:19:52 AM

key west >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Nassau

1/21/2010 11:23:44 AM

Costa Rica

1/21/2010 11:28:14 AM

1/21/2010 12:16:46 PM

the only key worth going to for more than a day is Key West but thats just as expensive and its like 120 miles from Miami. this is also the only key that does feel like you're in another country or in the bahamas.

1/21/2010 12:32:01 PM

yeah if youre going to the keys you pretty much have to go to key west. The drive is long and the hotels/food are just as expensive as the bahamas, but the scenery is nice, the water is warm and clear, and the sushi is absolutely amazing.

If it were me I would fly to the Bahamas and explore some of the smaller and less popular islands (with a boat) in the chain but that may not be fun for you guys.

1/21/2010 12:38:50 PM

just fly from rdu to the bahamas itll cost you about the same as it would to drive to miami and then fly. nassau is the shit

1/21/2010 12:40:48 PM

My vote is for Key West, especially for Spring Break. It is a long (but beautiful) drive down to the bottom of the Keys though.

1/21/2010 2:31:14 PM

^Make that a BRUTALLY long drive. Driving on I-95 from NC to Miami will make you want to slit your wrists. But once you get past Miami, it's quite nice.

1/21/2010 3:05:07 PM

It's a long drive, but Panama City was a shit ton of fun 4-5 years ago...lots of hot girls and plenty of bars...must be 21+ to have a great time (at bars at least)

1/21/2010 4:36:44 PM

Im going to key west next weekend.

Either way you shouldn't drive from NC. round trip to ft. lauderdale from RDU is ~100 bucks a person. Then it's only a 4hr drive to Key West. RT to the bahamas is only like 240. Better to spend the money and not spend two full days driving.

If you want to go out and be around other college kids for spring break, you're better off in the bahamas. Key West is a much more laid back place even during spring break.

1/21/2010 5:44:53 PM

Also if you're going to Key West I advice not being a homophobe

1/21/2010 5:49:55 PM

Key West is $Texas. I went freshman year and w/o paying for a place to stay I spend a ton of money. We even tried to cook meals but groceries were just as expensive as eating out. We did stay on Sunset Key which was

1/21/2010 6:18:48 PM

Yeah I heard about Key West being pretty gay, but I don't really mind being around that as long as it's not directly affecting me in any way. I'll be there with a couple of girls anyway.

I don't mind a long drive... We did NYC for new years; I drove nonstop (other than gas) the whole way there and back, and it wasn't too bad. If we go to the Keys (and yes, that pretty much means Key West) we'll spend the night in Miami with a friend and do the rest of the drive on a second day. Also, as for the expense... My best friend is going with us and he works for Hilton, so hopefully we'll be getting his ridiculous discount on a hotel.

I would love to fly, but money is a limiting factor here... Trying to keep it under $400 total for 5 days to a week.

1/21/2010 10:22:13 PM

Has anyone here been recently to Key West and all the beaches been open? I've been to K.W. twice now and all the beaches have never been open. There's always some kind of bacteria scare so the state park is the only safe beach and it costs like $5 to get in.

1/21/2010 10:27:26 PM

Quote :

"We did NYC for new years; I drove nonstop (other than gas) the whole way there and back, and it wasn't too bad."

The Key West drive from Raleigh is much worse than the drive up to NY imo.

1/21/2010 10:30:09 PM

^^I'll let you know at the end of Feb

1/21/2010 10:43:20 PM

@wolfpackgrrr

Any reason in particular other than the fact that it's longer?

1/21/2010 10:52:24 PM

It's just painfully boring between Raleigh and Jacksonville. "Oh look a field. Oh look another field. Oh look 20 bajillion billboards for South of the Border. Aaaaaaaaand we're back to fields."

1/21/2010 10:55:39 PM

I've actually driven as far as St. Augustine in one run before.

And, you're right. But I'll live.

1/21/2010 11:03:40 PM

Key West.


I was there for a week during March last year. Fucking insane. Gorgeous weather, gorgeous beaches, and gorgeous women everywhere. Drinks weren't that expensive - there's places in Raleigh that charge more on an average friday night - and there's a good mix of age groups so you don't feel like an absolute creeper when you're trying to score some 'tang (which you will, unless you're completely socially disabled).


We were lucky enough to have a buddy in the Coast Guard who was stationed there, so we didn't have to worry about a hotel, but our flight was $130 round trip to Miami and we rented a crappy car that we didn't use at all except for the drive down and back.


My suggestion would be to rent a car for the drive down, and turn it in, and arrange a return rental car to get back to Miami on the day of your flight. You DO NOT need a car on Key West. It's small enough that you can walk EVERYWHERE. If you're a lazy shit, you could rent scooters or bikes instead of walking. I would advise against that, however. Every single day I was there (5) I saw AT LEAST 2 serious injuries to bike/scooter riders, and heard plenty of stories from the locals. The roads are hard enough to navigate on car, and people zoom around on the 2 wheelers and end up flying out of blind intersections and into oncoming traffic.


Like Golovko said, if you're a homophobe, then Key West might not be your preferred destination, however. It is the second most popular place in the country for gays next to San Francisco. I don't have any issues with it, and to be honest I didn't even see anything strange. They keep to one area of Duval Street, from what I was told.

1/21/2010 11:05:12 PM

^^ Yeah, not saying it isn't doable because it definitely it. I've done the NYC runs plenty of times and thought it was no big deal but was ready to torch my car after driving down 95

1/21/2010 11:13:06 PM

Hahaha well at least it won't be my car. I drive a Mini Cooper that's less than comfortable on the highway, so IF we go and IF we drive, I'm sure we'll take my girlfriend's civic, which is what we took to NYC.

1/21/2010 11:23:41 PM

Just FYI according to google maps:

Driving directions to New York, NY
504 mi – about 7 hours 52 mins

Driving directions to Key West, FL
957 mi – about 16 hours 4 mins

1/22/2010 9:19:52 AM

I went to Nassau with some friends three years ago for spring break. Most fun trip of my life! Girls everywhere, fun clubs and bars, great shopping and restaraunts etc.. It's definately not a family place and may not be the nicest accomodations, but it is a damn good time. We did several booze cruises, snorkeling cruises and dance events and still came out at like $900 bucks total for the week. That includes flights, souvenirs, food, drinks... everything. Go to Nassau, you won't regret it.

1/22/2010 6:19:36 PM

We drove to Ft. Lauderdale and cruised to the bahamas for spring break...it was okay but really, it would have been just like being in Florida except you can drink at 18 in the bahamas so we were "legal" there.

Also, the DRIVE SUCKED SO BAD.

1/22/2010 10:36:48 PM

New Smyrna Beach, FL

1/22/2010 11:21:26 PM

do you need a passport now to go to the bahama''s? I haven't been in a while, but for some reason I feel like you do


and I don't think you nneed one for the keys- so that might be a deal breaker

1/23/2010 11:48:20 AM

^makes a good point. You do need a passport for the Bahamas now.

1/23/2010 12:00:19 PM

Quote :

"and I don't think you nneed one for the keys"

hahah. since it is part of florida, i would hope not.

1/23/2010 1:15:02 PM

Quote :

"hahah. since it is part of florida, i would hope not."

back in the 80s, the border patrol set up a road block on US 1 to stop people and search for drugs, so key west made a mock-secession from the united states and called themselves the conch republic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch_Republic

[Edited on January 23, 2010 at 1:59 PM. Reason : obviously they're part of florida and you don't need a passport. but i'm just sayin ]

1/23/2010 1:58:30 PM

If you haul ass to key west from Raleigh it's 15 hours. There's a good 6 hours of that time that you can't speed up or avoid. In comparison, I've made NYC in 7.5 hours. It is a LONG drive, and you are gonna spend 200+ bucks just on gas, plus lose two days of your vacation.

Restricted: Sunset key costs 600+ bucks per night to stay on, so cry me a river about the place being expensive. You should get groceries on your way, not once you get there.

I'll be down there next weekend, so I'll report back on the beaches et. al

1/23/2010 3:19:07 PM

Key West. My vote. Hands down.


Duh.

1/26/2010 1:09:14 PM

Better idea, road trip down, and rent a yacht (sailboat) for the week.




Just don't think "Hells Yea, CUBA!!!"

1/26/2010 3:10:05 PM