lbi

Am thinking of a ride from Savannah to Key West in January. Camping and some motels. Any thoughts would be appriciated

ClydesterD

Can you be more specific?

spinnaker

Some may disagree but the keys don't seem like a whole lot of fun for a tour. Too many tourists on a busy road.

mev

I did that ride the other direction (Key West to Savannah) what will be 20 years ago over Christmas/New Years week 1994/1995. I stayed along the coast and had some moderately busy roads then and suspect they've only gotten busier since then. Expect it can still be done though if you can find a way to travel through interior of FL, you'll have less busy roads and also avoid as much of the occasional day with strong off-shore winds.

Two reasons I was going South to North: (1) it was first of a sequence of rides I did in 1995 that went: Key West to Savannah to Atlantic City to Boston to Yarmouth to Halifax and (2) this first one gave me some flexibility on destination since I took Amtrak back and figured I could board in Jacksonville FL or Savannah GA or Charleson SC depending on how far I got on my allotted time.

Here is trip report of that trip as well as other parts up the Atlantic Coast: https://www.mvermeulen.com/bicycle.coast

rwpshaw

+1. The roads are very busy from central Florida south, especially The Keys, that time of year. Also, most places are booked. Lots of crazy northerners in a hurry to go relax.

Worknomore

I cannot comment on riding Ga but I have spent the past 3 winters all over Fl. I have found that A1A is one of the better roads for cycling. Traffic is slower, and a fair portion of the road has decent paved shoulders. More interesting too with many towns and beaches to pass thru. Central Fl is my least favorite part of the state. I have passed thru some towns there that give me the willies.

Bicycle365

(2012 veteran of this ride *see profile pix) I would highly recommend using the Adventure Cycling Association route for this trip. It is as others have said it is *very* busy in spots (with dirty but decent sized shoulders) and this ACA map route avoids as much of those sections as possible. It is the Atlantic Coast Route sections 6 and 7, The Savannah spur on section 6 connects to Statesboro and the rest of the route, or you could find your own way to intersect it further south. If you go this method be sure to get the latest addenda from ACA as they constantly update the facilities and notes.

Bassmanbob

I live on the Treasure Coast (about a 2 hour car ride north of Miami and about 90 minutes south of the Kennedy Space Center). Be prepared for weather that can be in the 70s, down to the 30s in January or February. We don't get a lot of rain in those months, so that's a big plus.

Have fun and I can give you some restaurant recommendations near me.

Ed702

There's some good information in the Rails-to-Trails Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail article.

garysol1 

Lots of bad information concerning riding in the Keys. I have ridden the length of the Keys countless times in the past few years and have found it very enjoyable every time. At this point there are either side roads that parallel A1 or paved walks/bike trails that cover maybe 75% of the entire route from Key Largo to Key West. Everytime I do the ride I find that there are more sections of bike trails being completed and opened. 7 mile bridge is one section where you have to ride the shoulder of the road. With that said the shoulder is 4plus feet wide and is not an issue. Have fun and enjoy. I will be doing the ride again the first week in November.

tarwheel 

I second the recommendation for following the Adventure Cycling route. Here is a link to their website:

Adventure Cycling Route Network | Adventure Cycling Association

john5214

I'm in Flagler Beach. Slow traffic on A1a here....C'mon down.....

DeadGrandpa

How are you going to get back, and have you given thought to finding a touring buddy, or do you prefer biking solo?

MassiveD

Where does one stay while riding the keys, it can't be a great place for stealth camping. Any time I left the road, I cam across big gators. Come to think of it there were some places where your presence might not have been immediately detected. There was one nice state campsite we visited, but we had to book months in advance.

garysol1 

There are plenty of campgrounds and state parks that offer tent camping. I prefer the credit card route myself and stay in the cheapest motels I can find. There are still many cool old school Florida motels scattered along the route that are surprisingly affordable.

Walter S

I toured the keys a couple years ago. There are several state parks and other campgrounds. Easily found on google maps. They fill up, but it was my experience that anyplace would find a spot for me if I showed up mid-afternoon or later, explained I'm traveling by bicycle and just need a small place to put my tent.

When you hear "we're full" try to look a little vulnerable and in need of help - worked for me consistently throughout the keys and south florida, except that Miami is full of very rude and intolerant people. Don't go there if you can avoid it.