Pensacola International Airport (PNS) is situated just three nautical miles northeast of the central business district of Pensacola in Western Florida. It chiefly acts as a hub for domestic flights coming in from the Eastern part of the US.
Pensacola (Photo: Mason B / Unsplash)
Like everywhere else in Florida, renting a car is the best way to explore, especially around the Pensacola Bay area with its magical, sugar-white beaches. Luckily, all the major car rental companies are located next to the baggage claim section.
To pick out which of these deserve the top spots across three separate categories (Most Affordable, Best for Luxury and Best for Minivans), TravelMag.com have conducted extensive researches across all the agencies operating from the airport and come up with the following results.
Most affordable: National
Fortunately for visitors, a highly competitive market means that car rental rates tend to be slightly cheaper in Pensacola. Depending on the time of year, popular website www.rentalcar.com will throw up a variety of results: in May 2024, Hertz had the cheapest car rentals while later in the year it was Dollar. However, the one car rental company that consistently had some of the cheapest rentals and the best customer feedback was National. On our chosen dates, they had the Nissan Versa, Nissan Maxima and even a 7-seater Chevrolet Tahoe at under $100 per day. As well as receiving top marks for the condition and choice of vehicles, National was scoring an almost unheard of 10 out of 10 for pick-up times. Open: Monday to Sunday; 7am – 11.30pm.
Best for luxury cars: Dollar
In our search for the agency with the best selection of luxury cars, Dollar came out top. Among their selection of premium cars, there are Asian-produced SUVs and easy-to-drive sedans like the Chevrolet Impala and the Nissan Sentra. Dollar has a solid reputation throughout the US and is particularly renowned for its friendly service and the newness of their cars – an important factor in a state with such large distances between its points of interest. For those of you who prefer American cars, Dollar was leasing out the Buick Royal at an extremely reasonable $70 per day. Open: Monday to Sunday; 7am – 10pm.
Best for Minivans: Alamo
The Dodge Grand Caravan is one of the US’s most popular minivans and it’s no surprise to find so many of them to rent at PNS Airport. In this competitive category, almost all the car rental companies have prices starting at around $70 per day. For slightly larger groups, Alamo rents out the 8-seater Toyota Sienna. The only vehicle in its class offering an all-wheel drive, the Toyota Sienna has plenty of space and an easy-to-use sound system with standard Apple CarPlay and Amazon smartphone integration. Moreover, its V6 engine is one of the most powerful in the category. Daily rentals on the Sienna start at around $75 per day. Open: Monday to Sunday; 7am – 11.30pm.