Currently, we have no trains servicing the area. However, our nearby airports include:
The Pensacola Airport (code PNS) is currently the closest/fastest airport to The Mariner, at 45 minutes, depending on traffic. Shuttles are available to and from the airport if you don’t plan to drive.
The Mobile Regional Airport (code MOB) is about an hour and a half from The Mariner, also depending on traffic.
Current plans have flights coming closer to the area. The Gulf Shores Airport (formerly Jack Edwards Airport) is about 30 minutes from The Mariner. According to their news release, they are expecting to have inbound flights as early as March 2023. Keep checking back for updates!
Additional shuttle options to the area are available from the above three airports. Car rental companies are located on site at both Pensacola and Mobile airports – check individual companies for location details.
For the deal-shoppers, check out flights to the New Orleans Airport (code MSY.) It’s about a 3 hour drive from there to The Mariner. Sometimes, you can catch a deal to make it worth your while to rent a car and enjoy the scenic drive. Add a day or two and bookend your vacation with a stroll through the French Quarter.
From Mobile Airport – This route has a toll of $2.75, payable by cash or credit card. During the summer, there are two lanes of inbound traffic expanding to four or five lanes through the toll plaza, which then narrows to one lane across the Intracoastal Canal bridge, before opening up to two lanes turning left (east) and one lane turning right (west.) It looks a bit daunting, but it really is a faster route to the area, and moves faster than you think. If you have not been to the area in a while, Canal road has been widened to fives lanes total: two heading east, two heading west and one center turn lane. You will eventually need to be in the right hand lane to turn south towards The Mariner. You can check out toll plaza traffic cams on their website; scroll towards the bottom for live cam feed.
For a route without tolls, consider this option. It is a little bit farther, and you will still encounter beach traffic as you approach Perdido Key, but sometimes it may be the faster route. You will also pass Winn Dixie and Publix, which both have liquor stores attached, or you can back track a few miles to shop at Wal-Mart or Target, in Pensacola, Florida, which does not charge sales tax on groceries. (It’s 10% if you purchase in Orange Beach or elsewhere in Alabama.)
If you have the time, consider the Mobile Bay Ferry. It’s a bit out of the way, but if you’ve been flying or driving all day, the ferry is a wonderful way to begin unwinding and start enjoying the beautiful Gulf Coast. From I10/I65, it’s about 30 miles to the loading dock, a 40 minute ferry ride across to Fort Morgan, then a 50 minute scenic drive from there to The Mariner.