Without a car, you can ride the bus, rent an LSV or a bike, walk, or book a rideshare. Bayway's route 7 runs along Front Beach Road for $1.50 a ride. Golf carts may not use Front Beach Road or Thomas Drive; a street-legal LSV may use roads posted at 35 mph or less.
Compare the optionsFront Beach Road · Photo: Royalbroil / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits
Do you need a car? Often not, if you stay near Front Beach Road and mostly go between the beach, Pier Park and restaurants: the bus, a bike, walking and rideshares cover that. For the state parks, day trips or many stops, a car is easier. Golf carts are banned from the main roads; LSVs may use roads posted at 35 mph or less, but not US 98 or Hutchison Boulevard.
Bayway bus, route 7
Where it goesAlong Front Beach Road, from the West End to Gulf Coast State CollegeCost$1.50 a ride, $4 a dayWhenSunday service only from early March to late NovemberGolf cart or LSV
Where it goesGolf carts: side streets, not Front Beach Road. LSVs: roads posted 35 mph or less, not US 98 or Hutchison BoulevardCostRental prices vary by company and seasonWhenRental companies set their own minimum age; ask whether your condo allows rented cartsBike
Where it goesShort trips; the city's 40-mile trail network links many city parksCostRental prices vary by shopWhenBikes may ride St. Andrews State Park's roads, not its boardwalksOn foot
Where it goesShort trips if you stay near the beach or Pier ParkCostFreeWhenDepends on where you stayRideshare
Where it goesDoor to doorCostFare shown in the app before you bookWhenThe airport has a rideshare pickup spotCar
Where it goesBest for the state parks, day trips and many stopsCostCity lots $2 an hour, $12 a dayWhenPay with the Passport Parking appSources: Visit Panama City Beach: getting around, City of Panama City Beach: getting around and low-speed vehicles.
Bayway is Bay County's public bus. Route 7 runs along Front Beach Road, and on weekdays, route 6 links Thomas Drive with Panama City Mall. When we checked on November 1, 2026, the timetables online ran to December 31, 2026, and we found no 2027 schedule.
Check the timetable for the last bus back before you head out; weekend buses run less often. There's no bus service on New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For times at your stop, call 850-769-0557.
Sources: Bayway: tickets, FAQ, route 7 and route 6 timetables.
Route 7, weekdays
WhereFront Beach Road between Winn-Dixie on the West End and Gulf Coast State CollegeGood to knowAbout every hour; current timetable runs to December 31, 2026Route 7, weekends
WhereFront Beach Road between Carousel Supermarket and Gulf Coast State College; no Winn-Dixie stopGood to knowAbout every 2 hours; current timetable runs to December 31, 2026Route 6, weekdays
WherePCB Transit Lane and Thomas Drive to Panama City MallGood to knowCurrent timetable runs to December 31, 2026Route 6, weekends
WhereGulf Coast State College to Panama City MallGood to knowCurrent timetable runs to December 31, 2026Sundays
WhereFirst Sunday in March to last Sunday in NovemberGood to knowNo Sunday buses in winterThe city treats golf carts and low-speed vehicles (LSVs) differently. A golf cart is built for golf and can't go faster than 20 mph. An LSV has four wheels and a top speed between 20 and 25 mph; the code refers to the federal LSV safety standard (49 CFR 571.500) and Florida's LSV law (§ 316.2122).
Inside the city, golf carts may drive on streets that were in the city on September 8, 2005, except on the main roads listed below. They may cross those roads only at marked crossings. Drivers 18 and older need a valid government photo ID; drivers under 18 need a learner's permit or a driver's license.
The city's own LSV page says an LSV may only use streets posted at 35 mph or less. It may not use Panama City Beach Parkway (US 98), Hutchison Boulevard (Middle Beach Road) or any road over 35 mph. The driver needs a valid driver's license on hand, and the LSV must be titled, registered and insured. Drivers must wear seat belts and use child car seats when the law requires them. Ask the rental company for a permitted route from where you stay, and check that the vehicle has the city's sticker or medallion.
Source: City of Panama City Beach: low-speed vehicles.
For a rented LSV or other rented "amusement vehicle", the city requires a driver's license valid on Florida's public roads. The driver has to be named on the rental agreement, carry a copy of it, and carry the safety brochure dated and signed that day.
In unincorporated Bay County, golf carts may only use roads the county board has designated, not on numbered US, state or county roads or roads over 30 mph (with narrow legal exceptions), crossing them only at marked crossings, and only from sunrise to sunset. They're banned from sidewalks and trails.
Sources: city code chapter 22 (§§ 22-05, 22-100, 22-107, 22-108), Bay County code chapter 24 (§§ 24-58, 24-59).
The city's three paid lots cost $2 an hour up to 6 hours, $12 a day or $84 a week; pay with the Passport Parking app or website, using the zone number on the signs. Of the city's public parking, only these three lots allow overnight parking; no sleeping in vehicles, no RVs or trailers. Hotels set their own parking rules and fees.
