Pensacola

Introduction

Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and has a little over 50,000 inhabitants, though the total metropolitan area is much larger.

Weather

The climate of Pensacola is humid subtropical, with short, mild winters and hot, humid summers. Typical summer conditions have highs of 32-34 °C and lowsof 23-24 °C). Afternoon or evening thunderstorms are common during the summer months. The hottest temperature ever recorded in the city was 41.1 °C on July 14, 1980. The average high in January is 16.2 °C, and the low is 6.0 °C, though freezing temperatures occur on an average fifteen nights per season. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was -15 °C on January 21, 1985. Snow is rare in Pensacola, but does occasionally fall. The most recent snow event occurred on February 12, 2010. The city receives 1,630 mm of precipitation per year, with a rainy season in the summer. The rainiest month is July, with 204 mm, with April being the driest month at 99 mm. Pensacola's location on the Florida Panhandle makes it vulnerable to hurricanes. Major hurricanes which have made landfall at or near Pensacola include Eloise (1975), Frederic (1979), Juan (1985), Erin (1995), Opal (1995), Georges (1998), Ivan (2004), and Dennis (2005).

Getting There

By Plane

Pensacola International Airport (PNS) offers flights to the US cities of Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Memphis, Charlotte, Washington, D.C., Tampa, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale.

Bus route 63 services the airport every sixty minutes on weekdays, beginning at 6:10am and ending at 5:10pm. On weekends, bus route 63 arrives every two hours, beginning at 8:10am and ending at 4:10am.

An alternative could be to fly into Mobile, Alabama, but check if it is more economical.

By Car

By car, Pensacola is located about three hours west of Tallahassee and three hours east of New Orleans via I-10, and three hours south of Montgomery via Hwy 29 and I-65. Interstate 10 travels east-west through Pensacola, and is the easiest way into the city.

By Bus

Greyhound offers bus services.

Getting Around

By Car

Many international rental companies have a wide selection of rental cars and these include Hertz, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, Enterprise, Budget and Alamo/National. Most companies will require you are at least 25 years of age, although younger people might be able to rent cars at slightly higher rates and with some insurance differences as well. A national driver's license is usually enough, but an additional international one is recommended. Also note that it usually costs more to include lots of other extra things. For example extra drivers, GPS, the first full tank, SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance), PAI (Personal Accident Insurance, usually covered already at home), road assistance/service plan, and drop-off costs for one-way rentals.
If you want to book a car, it is recommended that you book your car before arriving in the USA. This is almost always (much) cheaper compared to just showing up. Also, try and book with a so-called 'broker', which usually works together with a few or many car rental companies and can offer the best deal. Some examples include Holidayautos, Holidaycars and Sunny Cars. Some of the cheapest deals to book from Europe, includes Drive-USA, which also has a German version.

For more information and tips about renting cars and campers, additional costs, insurance, traffic rules, scenic routes and getting maps and fuel it is advised to check the USA Getting Around section.

Sleep

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The US Postal Service is very good and well priced mail system. There are big and small post offices in Key West. If wanting to send a letter or postcard it is best just to leave it in a blue mail box with the proper postage. There are also private postal services like FedEx, UPS and DHL.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website