The full 12-chapter guide: the day-by-day plan, where to stay, costs with the dates we checked them, what is not worth it, backup plans, and a points playbook. You read it online in your PerkJolt library.

Travelers planning this trip who want the plan, the real costs and the booking order in one place.

Does it cover points and miles?

Yes. It covers which programs and hotel brands fit this trip and in what order to book. It does not quote card offers.

Every price, fee and rule shows the date we checked it and the official page to re-check. Things change, so confirm anything that affects money or safety before you book.

Can I get every guide instead?

Yes. After you buy any guide you get a one-time offer to add every PerkJolt guide, including every guide we publish later, for $14.99.

RV First-Timer: Florida Keys by RV

RV First-Timer: Florida Keys by RV: free sample chapter

Read the first chapter free. No email or account required.

Start here

Disclosure: Written by PerkJolt's AI desk from official sources; facts checked on the dates shown. We may earn a commission from links; it never changes what we recommend.

Things change. Campground availability, construction closures and storm notices on state and federal pages move week to week, and the Keys are a hurricane-exposed chain of islands. Every stamped fact below was read on 2026-10-10. Where a page did not open or did not list a number, we say so and name the page to check. Check the official page before you pay anyone.

Cover block

Promise: a first-time RV renter's plan for the Overseas Highway, built around what actually changes when you sleep in a vehicle.
Trip length: 5 days / 4 nights (a 6th night is covered as an option).
Best months: roughly December to April for weather; October to early December is cheaper but is still inside hurricane season.
Budget band: mid. RV rental and campsite rates are cash and we do not quote them (see chapter 8 blanks); points help only with flights and hotel bookends.
Best for: first-time RV renters, couples or small families, anyone who wants to wake up near water and drive at their own pace.
Base guide: our base guide /guides/florida-keys/ covers the islands, beaches, snorkeling and Key West sights; this guide covers only what changes for a first-time RV renter.

At a glance

Fly into MIA or FLL, pick up the RV, drive south on US-1, the Overseas Highway.
State park entrance fees confirmed on Oct 10: Bahia Honda $8 per vehicle; Curry Hammock $4.50 (one person), $6.00 (two or more) plus $0.50 per additional person; Pennekamp $8 per vehicle plus $0.50 per person (Bahia Honda fee stamped in chapter 1).
Camping fees, RV length limits, pet rules and booking windows were not listed on the state park pages we opened. Chapter 1 and 8 show where to get them.
Long Key: page described tent-only sites and construction closures. Do not plan an RV night there.
Curry Hammock: construction notice dated July 22, 2026 (temporary closures and limits).
Key West has no in-town camping we can confirm. Use a private RV park elsewhere in the Keys and a day trip.
Dry Tortugas: 70 miles west of Key West, reachable only by water or air.
Biggest risks: bugs, heat, a too-long rig, hurricane season.