How to use the starter
A useful week is still short.
The chooser does not make up a route. If a combination has a template, that is the primary link. If it does not, the page says so and offers the closest skeleton we already publish, plus a day kit when the scarce piece maps to one.
- Pick the nights you have. Choose a weekend (2–3 travel days) or a week at first-timer pace (about 5 travel days).
- Name the scarce constraint. Pick what the trip hangs on: a reef boat, fishing, a park or camp, Dry Tortugas, an Old Town walk, or none if you are just driving the chain.
- Pick where you want to be. Choose the Upper Keys, the drive down the chain, the Mid and Lower Keys, or the Key West area.
- Open the skeleton, then customize. Open the template or day kit, load it into the trip planner, and cut or move stops. Confirm each source before you treat a listing as a reservation. The skeleton does not book the trip.
Practical questions
Before you treat a match as a booking
Does the trip starter book rooms, boats or parks?
No. It points at a week template or a day kit that already exists on KeysCompass. Those are starter skeletons of directory listings. Rooms, ferry seats, campground sites and charters are still arranged on the operator’s own site.
Where is a matched trip stored?
Matching itself stores nothing. When you load a template or add a day kit, the stops go into the trip planner on this device, in browser storage. We do not keep a copy in an account. Clearing site data removes the list. Use the planner’s share link if you want the same stops on another device.
What if my combination does not have a perfect template?
The page says so and links the closest skeleton we already publish. It does not make up a new itinerary, a rating, a schedule, a phone number or a price.
Is this match a paid ranking?
No. Organic directory order is not sold on KeysCompass. A match is a reading of nights, one scarce constraint and a region against skeletons we already publish. Featured labels elsewhere on the site are enhancements only.
Can I share the choices?
Yes. The chooser writes nights, constraint and region into the page address. Reopen that link to see the same match. It is not an account and not a booking.