Florida Keys + Everglades — 7-Day RV Trip From Miami

There’s a moment on the Seven Mile Bridge — no land in sight, turquoise on both sides, the old railroad trestle running parallel like a ghost — when you understand why people rent an RV just to drive US-1 to its end. The Florida Keys and Everglades stitch together the most distinctive week in American RV travel: the country’s only living coral reef, a highway that island-hops to Key West, and a river of grass full of alligators. This is the 7-day loop from Miami — with the one booking rule that decides whether you sleep at Bahia Honda or a parking lot.

What does the trip look like at a glance?

Seven days, about 400 miles, one highway to the end of the country, best run November through April.

• Launch: Miami, FL (MIA or FLL airport)
• Distance: ~400 miles round trip
• Recommended class: Class C under 32 ft (Bahia Honda caps at 32; some sites smaller)
• All-in budget: $2,900-$3,700 for two people
• Best months: November–April (dry season, low bugs, no hurricanes)

The one thing to book first

Florida state parks open 11 months ahead for residents and 10 for non-residents — and that gap is where out-of-state visitors lose Bahia Honda. The Keys’ best state-park sites (Bahia Honda’s Buttonwood, Bayside, and Sandspur loops; John Pennekamp; Curry Hammock) release through floridastateparks.org and are gone within minutes for winter dates. If you live out of state, count back ten months from your arrival, set an alarm for 8 a.m. Eastern, and be logged in early. Miss it, and private parks — Boyd’s on Stock Island, Sunshine Key near Bahia Honda — are the fallback at resort prices.

Day-by-day route

Day 1: Miami → Key Largo

Pick up the rig, provision in Miami (the Keys mark everything up), and drive US-1 south to Key Largo. Spend the afternoon at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park — the first undersea park in the country — on a glass-bottom boat or a snorkel trip over the reef. Camp: John Pennekamp (~$43) or a Key Largo private park.

Day 2: Key Largo reef day

A morning reef trip if you skipped it, then the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center and a slow Islamorada afternoon — this is the diving-and-fishing heart of the Upper Keys. Camp: Key Largo.

Day 3: Key Largo → Marathon

Drive the Middle Keys, stopping at Robbie’s to feed the giant tarpon and the Islamorada Hurricane Monument. Set up near Marathon and catch sunset at Sombrero Beach. Camp: Curry Hammock SP (~$43) or a Marathon resort.

Day 4: Marathon + the Old Seven Mile Bridge

The Turtle Hospital or Dolphin Research Center in the morning, then walk or ride out the Old Seven Mile Bridge to Pigeon Key, the little railroad-era work camp stranded in the Gulf. Camp: Marathon.

Day 5: Marathon → Bahia Honda → Key West

Stop at Bahia Honda State Park — the beach that lands on every Keys postcard — and walk the old bridge span for the view down the island chain. Then roll into Key West for the Mallory Square sunset celebration and a Duval Street evening. Camp: Boyd’s or Leo’s on Stock Island (~$90-$150).

Day 6: Key West

The Hemingway Home and its six-toed cats, the Southernmost Point photo, the lighthouse, and — if the weather cooperates — planning a Dry Tortugas ferry day (ferry-only, and worth it). Camp: Stock Island.

Day 7: Key West → Everglades → Miami

Drive back up US-1 and cut west on the Tamiami Trail to Shark Valley, where the tram loop rolls past sunning alligators, then finish the 45 minutes into Miami to return the rig. Camp: trip ends.

What does it cost all-in?

About $2,900-$3,700 for two — and in the Keys, the campsite, not the rig, is the budget driver. Our July 2026 pull of 3,398 live listings put the national rental median at $150/night; a Miami Class C runs a bit above that, but a private Lower Keys resort site can cost more per night than the motorhome. Treat these as a research-date snapshot.

Line item	Amount
Class C rental: $185/night × 7	$1,295
Booking fees + insurance + cleaning	$400–$550
Fuel (400 mi @ 8 mpg @ $3.55/gal)	$178
Campgrounds (state park ~$43, private Keys $90–$150)	$475–$700
Activities (reef trip, tram, Hemingway Home)	$150–$300
Food, dining, propane	$500–$800
All-in, 7 days	$2,998–$3,823

One Keys-specific line to confirm before you book: many rental companies charge a salt-spray cleanup fee of $50-$150 on return. Our RV rental cost guide covers the rest of the method.

Which RV class fits the Keys?

A Class C, 25-28 ft — big enough to live in, short enough for Bahia Honda’s cap.

Class	Florida Keys fit
Class B under 22 ft	Fits every state park, including the smaller Bahia Honda sites
Class C 24-32 ft	The sweet spot — Bahia Honda, Pennekamp, Curry Hammock all work
Class C 32-35 ft	Bahia Honda restricted; private resorts fit
Class A 30-40 ft	Private RV parks only — locked out of the state parks
Travel trailer under 28 ft	Works well for a stationary base if you have a tow vehicle

What goes wrong down here — and how do you handle it?

The Keys’ hazards are heat, timing, and a single road.

• No Bahia Honda site: fall back to Calusa in Key Largo or a Big Pine Key private park, and day-trip the beach.
• Hurricane season: June-November carries real cancellation risk — travel insurance is close to mandatory.
• Gators on the Tamiami Trail: they cross US-41 at dusk; slow down.
• One road, one speed: the Overseas Highway backs up fast — build slack into every drive time.
• Salt everywhere: confirm the cleanup fee up front and rinse the rig before return if you can.

Bottom line

The 7-day Keys and Everglades loop is the most distinctive RV week in the East — turquoise water to the end of US-1, then alligators on the way home. Go in dry season, book your state-park site the day your window opens (10 months out if you’re from away), run a Class C under 32 feet, and expect the campsites to cost more than the rig. See our Florida state guide, Miami city guide, and — if you’re bringing the dog — the pet-friendly rental guide.