Pensacola requires a car for most purposes. The historic downtown is walkable, but the beach (10 km across the bay), the Naval Air Station (10 km southwest), and Fort Pickens (at the western end of Santa Rosa Island) all require driving or a taxi/rideshare. The Pensacola Bay Bridge connects downtown to Gulf Breeze and then to Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island.
ECAT buses provide public transport within the city, but services are limited in frequency and coverage. Rideshare (Uber, Lyft) is available and works well within the city. Bicycle rental is available near the beach for exploring the Gulf Islands National Seashore on Santa Rosa Island.