Pensacola to New Orleans drive: Time, distance & best stops
The best road trip stops on the Pensacola to New Orleans drive are Mobile AL, Biloxi MS and Honey Island Swamp Tours. The distance from Pensacola to New Orleans by car is 203 miles, with a 3h4m driving time.
Planning a Pensacola to New Orleans road trip itinerary
The Pensacola to New Orleans drive takes you from the western end of the Florida Panhandle to the most intoxicating city in Louisiana.
The westernmost city on the Florida Panhandle, Pensacola is home to a major US Naval Station. But for most visitors, interest will lie in the white sand beaches and barrier islands.
Top Pensacola activities include nighttime kayaking with colourful LEDs lighting up the kayaks, and dolphin-watching cruises around the bay.
Other ways of exploring include downtown food tours, ghost and graveyard tours, guided pub crawls, Segway tours and sunset cruises.
For beachside Pensacola accommodation with great guest reviews, take a look at the Pensacola Beach Resort and the SpringHill Suites Pensacola Beach.
New Orleans resolutely refuses to feel like any other American city. From the raucous hedonism of Bourbon Street to the European-influenced charm of the French Quarter, New Orleans is mesmerizingly unusual to hang out in.
Top New Orleans experiences include French Quarter food tours, haunted pub crawls, jazz cruises aboard the steamboat Natchez and cemetery walking tours.
For other attractions, try the National WWII Museum, the Vue Orleans observation deck and the urban enslavement tours at Hermann Grima House.
Pensacola to New Orleans distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Pensacola to New Orleans is 203 miles. This makes for a driving time of around three hours and four minutes. The bulk of the drive is along the I-10.
The best stops on the Pensacola to New Orleans road trip are Pensacola FL, Mobile AL and Honey Island Swamp Tours.
Pensacola to New Orleans drive: Mobile AL
The Alabama Gulf Coast port city of Mobile has a perhaps unexpected party spirit. This is best explored in the bars, or at the Mobile Carnival Museum.
You can also head on board the USS Alabama battleship or visit the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. The latter includes a ship simulator, where you can have a go at steering a ship through the Gulf.
Mobile experience options include a downtown food tour and a wildlife kayaking tour.
Top Mobile accommodation picks include the personality-packed Fort Conde Inn and the riverside Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza.
Best stops between Pensacola and New Orleans: Biloxi MS
Biloxi on the Mississippi coast is best known as a casino destination, but there’s plenty to keep non-gamblers interested. The Biloxi Lighthouse opened in 1848, and is now open for public tours. The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum covers the region’s history, and looks at just how big a business fishing is. You can also take a cruise on one of the schooners moored outside the museum.
Also in Biloxi is Beauvoir, the lavish home of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. The mansion is open for tours.
Excellent value Biloxi accommodation options include the Palace Casino Resort and Hotel Legends.
Pensacola to New Orleans road trip attractions: Honey Island Swamp Tours
Honey Island Swamp Tours in Slidell LA takes visitors out onto the Honey Island Cypress Swamp. On board the boats, you’ll get commentary from guides who really know the swamp ecology.
It’s mainly about the wildlife spotting, however, and there’s a strong chance of seeing several species here. These include herons, egrets, deer, wild hogs, raccoons, otters and – of course – alligators.
More Pensacola road trips
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More New Orleans road trips
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