Miami for New Years and 1 week stay

I am planning to come over to Miami for New Year and would like to know if it is the best option is to stay at SoBe, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables or Biscayne? I love good food and enjoy shopping. Would it be a rush to drive down to Key West as I only have a week? How many days should I allocate for Miami to see the highlights and will 2 days be enough for the Keys?

Thanks

Miami for New Years and 1 week stay

Key West is 4 hours by car South of Miami, it will be fine to go down there. There is also a ferry that goes from Miami to Key West it costs about $100 and takes 4 hours if you don%26#39;t rent a car. Two full days 3 nights in Key West is good. One day to tour Key West, go to the museums and relax. And one day to take a dive/snorkel trip or a trip out to the fort. Key West does a nice New Years party which might be a thought if you want a little bit of a more relaxed place to celebrate New Years.

As far as New Years in Miami, where to stay. I probably wouldn%26#39;t suggest Coral Gables for what you need. Key Biscayne is nice, they have a fireworks show each year I believe, but not many shops or restaurants to walk to, I am not sure I would recommend it, unless you are looking for something cheaper or quieter.

Coconut Grove has some great hotels like The Ritz or The Sonesta or the Mayfair Hotel, shops, bars, clubs, comedy club and restaurants all within walking distance to one another. On Dec 31 usually, one of the funniest parades in Miami takes place in Coconut Grove, its called the King Mango Strut Parade, it actually has a website www.kingmangostrut.org. If you stay here I would make sure you rent a car, just in case you want to go to South Beach or to any other sights. Coconut Grove is more centrally located to things to do in my opinion.

SoBe is were all the parties will be, there are tons of bars, shops, restaurants, clubs, etc on the Beach. But the Beach can get pricey during that time. They do a fireworks show here and in downtown Miami. Out of the 4 choices I would pick Coconut Grove or SoBe.

Miami for New Years and 1 week stay

Doggiebus- thanks for the excellent travel information. Do you know how far the airport is to Coconut Grove and do you think 3 nights in Miami is enough or shall I skip the Keys and spend the whole week chilling out in Miami doing the sights and restaurants. Can you go to the beach at SoBe without staying there? What is the weather like in late Dec and early Jan

Depending on what time of the day you catch a cab (if its during rush hour traffic or not) it can take 20-40 minutes so it really depends.

Yes you can go to the beach at SoBe without staying there, many locals from Miami go to the beach there too.

The weather in Miami in in Decmber and January is nice. January can and usually is windy for some reason. Temp wise, it can be anywhere from the 60%26#39;s to 80%26#39;s F. It all depends on the cold fronts that make it or don%26#39;t make it. Last year in December we had 20 days above 80 degrees. So just check the weather report with one of our local news stations (Channel 4,6, 7, 10 news Miami, just google Miami Channel X news) before you pack.

As far as is 3 days enough in Miami, it all depends on what you plan on doing in Miami. I think you should plan a day trip out to the Everglades National Park if you have never been. That time of year is the best to go, just because if its cooler the alligators and birds are out where you can see them, sunning themselves to stay warm. Come back relax and have dinner in Coconut Grove if you plan to stay in the Grove. Maybe another day to Viscaya in the morning, lunch at Tobacco Road in downtown Miami then maybe spend the afternoon next to the pool or the beach and then later that night dinner in South Beach then party at the bars/clubs on South Beach. So there is two days. It all depnds on what you plan to do or not do.

If you have never been to Key West, I would go, if you can give two nights at least if not 3 nights (two full days), this way you will not feel rushed. But only if you want a relaxing caribbean feel. If you spend New Years in Key West, they have to parties. One for the families and straight people and one for the gay men. As a straight person, I loved the gay men%26#39;s New Years Eve party. It was hilarious. This drag queen sits in a giant red shoe, and gets lowered to the street from the roof of a bar. It really is hilarious. If you want to be were the dance clubs are and trendy hotels and shops are all week, then Miami Beach might fit you better. So it rally depends on what you want.

Thanks, Doggiebus for your help and advice. I have looked at the Mayfair and the Sonosta and I may go for the Sonosta as the Mayfair%26#39;s pool is being refurbished. I hope I will get the flights and the rooms as I have to get the go ahead from my family with the booking and they are taking their time over it. Can you suggest any hotel website that you can suggest. Many thanks for your advice.

New years in KW is mega peak period. I tried to find accommodation a few months ago and gave up. Many hotels and inns were fully booked and others insisted on a 3 or 5 night minimum stay. So if you are looking to stay in KW you need to give yourself a week or so to find something and then move to Plan B

Plan B might involve staying in say Marathon (1 hours drive from KW) or maybe go to KW at the end of your week, ie a few days away from New Years.

But Miami itself is booked up for New Years so don%26#39;t hang about

Good luck

you cannot miss Key West its my favorite place in Florida, relaxing, and alot of fun!

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