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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Key Biscayne
Give Key Biscayne one full day, two if you want beach time: Crandon Park and Bill Baggs Cape Florida are the whole trip, and you sleep in Miami.
Key Biscayne is a four-mile barrier island 7 miles southeast of downtown Miami, reached only by the Rickenbacker Causeway. It is quiet and mostly residential, with two big parks, calm bay water and a lighthouse. Almost nobody needs to sleep here: the island is a day trip from Miami, and a car or a rideshare makes it easy.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Nov–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (heat, humidity, hurricane season)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $40–70 excl. bed · Mid $70–140 excl. bed · High $140+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Key Biscayne Police non-emergency 305-365-5555
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–7 |
| Beachside sandwich or burger | $14–22 |
| Sit-down dinner, main course | $22–40 |
| Beer, draught | $7–10 |
| Rideshare, downtown Miami to Key Biscayne | $20–35 |
| Bike rental, half day | $15–30 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $10–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MIA · Miami International
- About 30–45 min by car to the Rickenbacker Causeway toll plaza; longer in rush hour
- FLL · Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International
- About 45–60 min by car
Typical fares
- Rickenbacker Causeway toll, car
- about $2 each way
- Bill Baggs Cape Florida entry
- $8 per vehicle with 2–8 people; $4 single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle; $2 pedestrians, cyclists and extra passengers
- Crandon Park parking
- $5 weekdays, $7 weekends
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A car or rideshare is the practical option: the island is 4 miles long and the parks sit at opposite ends. A Metrobus route crosses the Rickenbacker Causeway to the island. Inside Crandon Park and Bill Baggs you walk or bike; both parks rent bikes and beach gear.
See and do
Known for
- Crandon Park beach
- Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
- Cape Florida Light
- Calm bay water and bike roads
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Miami | Car or rideshare over the Rickenbacker Causeway | 20–40 min |
| Miami Beach | Car or rideshare via the MacArthur Causeway | 30–50 min |
| Coral Gables | Car or rideshare via US-1 | 25–40 min |
| Florida City and the Keys | Car south on US-1 | 1–1.5 h |
Sleep
- Key Biscayne village centre (Crandon Blvd)
- Walkable to shops and restaurants; the only real base on the island, and the priciest.
- Miami Beach or downtown Miami
- Cheaper and better connected; 20–40 min by car to the island, so treat Key Biscayne as a day trip.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Where is the beach? | Where is the beach? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| One ticket, please | One ticket, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- The Rickenbacker Causeway charges a toll each way by car.
- Parking fills by mid-morning on weekends and holidays; arrive before 10:00.
- Bill Baggs closes at sundown and the gate is enforced.
- Summer heat and strong sun: bring water and shade, and watch for rip currents on the Atlantic side.
Key Biscayne is a low-crime residential island and safe by day. The real risks are sun, heat, rip currents on the Atlantic side and traffic on the causeway: lock the car, keep valuables out of sight and swim near lifeguards.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Key Biscayne yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Crandon Park beach
- Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
- Cape Florida Light
- Calm bay water and bike roads
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Miami-Dade County Parks — Crandon Park: www.miamidade.gov/parks/crandon.asp
- Florida State Parks — Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park: www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/bill-baggs-cape-florida-state-park
- Wikivoyage: Key Biscayne, revision 5247668 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5247668
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Key Biscayne
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Key Biscayne Police non-emergency305-365-5555
No embassies on the island; consulates-general are in downtown Miami and Coral Gables.
US emergency number is 911 everywhere; no separate police or ambulance numbers.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/key-biscayne). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.