Nestled along the Florida panhandle, Panama City Beach is a long, narrow strip that stretches over 13 miles along the Gulf of Mexico. Having a vehicle during your visit gives you greater access to key areas, autonomy, and reduced commuting time. While the city does operate the Bay Town Trolley, the trolley has either limited or no service on holidays and doesn’t operate on Sundays or late at night. Panama City Beach car rentals ensure that you’re not restricted by public transportation and that you have the flexibility to travel on your schedule.
If you’ve secured a car rental in Panama City Beach, you can collect it at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (PFN). At the airport, there are several rental car companies present, including Alamo, Budget, Hertz, Enterprise, and Avis, to name a few. Desks for the rental companies can be found on the right and left of the terminal as you exit the building. The parking garage is directly outside across the West Bay Parkway.
When heeding navigation guidance in Panama City Beach from your rental car’s GPS, you’ll want to have a clear sense of the major expressways. Two primary roads run along the coast of Panama City Beach: Old State Route 30, which is also known as Front Beach Road, and US Highway 98, which is also known as the Panama City Beach Parkway and sometimes referred to as State Road 30-A. Both Front Beach Road and the Panama City Beach Parkway run east and west across the island area and both connect Panama City Beach with Panama City. Take care to yield to pedestrians along the Front Beach Road, as it’s an active crossing for beachgoers.
Since car rentals in Panama City Beach are a great way to access various parts of the beach-side town, rentals tend to be a popular option. There are only two major roadways and the streets can become quite congested, particularly around rush hours, between 6:30 am and 8:30 am, and 4 pm and 6pm. During peak vacation times, like holidays and Spring Break, if you’re visiting spots in Panama City Beach, you may want to aim to get to your destination earlier in the day, before the traffic gets too heavy and parking spots fill up. During off-peak seasons, like mid-autumn, you’ll find less crowding.
25% of our users found rental cars in Panama City Beach for C$ 66 or less
Book your rental car in Panama City Beach at least 1 week before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Supplier choice rental cars in Panama City Beach are around 34% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in Panama City Beach
Some car rental companies in Panama City Beach which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Thrifty, Avis and Dollar
On average a hire car in Panama City Beach costs C$ 70 per day.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest rental cars were found at Dollar (C$ 180/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest rental car price was found at Dollar 6300 West Bay Parkway 32409 (20 kilometers from city center).
The average gas price in Panama City Beach is C$ 5.77 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a gas tank costs between C$ 69 and C$ 92, depending on the car size.
Supplier choice (Class Special Car or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in Panama City Beach.
The only car rental company onsite at NW Florida Beaches airport is Hertz.
Car rental companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from NW Florida Beaches airport to off-airport locations include Dollar and Hertz.
A Supplier choice car rental in Panama City Beach costs C$ 31 per day, on average.
A Compact car rental in Panama City Beach costs C$ 47 per day, on average.
In Panama City Beach, cars are most frequently rented at Dollar 6300 West Bay Parkway (20 km from city centre ).
On average a rental car in Panama City Beach costs C$ 493 per week (C$ 70 per day).
On average a rental car in Panama City Beach costs C$ 2,111 per month (C$ 70 per day).
Since Panama City Beach is tailor-designed for outdoor adventure and sun, you may find that SUVs are suitable for your trip, since they tend to offer additional cargo space and legroom. However, if a convertible is an available option, you may want to rent one to soak up some more sun along with your drives.
Across the United States, drivers can expect residential areas to have speed limits anywhere around 25mph to 35mph, and the same is true in Panama City Beach. You can expect Front Beach Road to have an average speed limit of about 40mph and, because Panama City Beach Parkway is a highway, you can expect the speed limit to be between about 55mph and 65mph.
There are several parking lots along Front Beach Road that provide direct access to the beaches. The variant lots offer various levels of accommodations—on the far east of Panama City Beach, you’ll find smaller lots that have free parking, but no restrooms. For more amenities, try close to Shalimar Beach, where you’ll find larger parking lots with well-maintained restrooms, or by public beach access #64, where you’ll find wooden steps and walkways available to improve accessibility. These spots are also free.