Traveling to/from Key West

Most thru-hikers will start their thru-hike at Key West, and hike North through the Florida Keys. While the Northern Terminus of a thru-hike of the Eastern Continental Trail could be either Cap Gaspé or L'anse-aux-Meadows, the only Southern Terminus is Key West. Travel to and from the Southern Terminus is quite easy, as it is right in town, and Key West has multiple transportation options.

By Air

Key West International Airport (EYW) is located on the actual island of Key West, just three miles (or a one hour walk) from the Southernmost Point, which serves as the Southern Terminus of the ECT. Though this list of flights into the island changes, as of this writing the list of direct connections is growing to include Chicago, New York City, Dallas, Houston, and many more. The most common route is Atlanta. The cost of a flight to Key West from a major American airport can be estimated to be close to two hundred dollars.

By Bus

Though US Highway 1 serves as the only road link to mainland Florida, there are several bus services which take this route to Key West. Though this is subject to change, as of this writing, both Greyhound and Flixbus offer this route, in addition to other regional and local companies. The cost of a ticket is normally twenty to thirty dollars, and the trip takes about four hours.

By Boat

The least conventional option would be to take the Key West Express ferry from Fort Myers (or Marco Island) on Florida's West coast. This four-hour trip will cost more than a hundred dollars, but is the only direct connection to Key West from the Florida mainland that does not pass through Miami.