Car Rental in Jacksonville

While Jacksonville is a sprawling, modern city – with all the benefits that brings – it’s also taken the time and care to preserve its more interesting neighborhoods. Due to its size, driving is the best way to get around. The coast and beaches are a 30-minute drive, so you can easily combine the best elements of a city break and seaside vacation.

Florida driving rules are similar to the rest of the US – speed limits vary by area and road type, the driver and passengers must wear seatbelts at all times, and you can’t use your phone while driving. There is a minimum as well as a maximum speed limit on some routes. On interstates with a top speed of 70mph (112km/h), you should drive at a minimum of 50mph (80km/h). Limits drop inside urban areas, and on local roads in school districts can be as low as 10mph (16km/h).

The main route passing through Jacksonville is the I-95, which runs north to south from Florida and connects many of state’s major sights, resorts and cities. Head south for Daytona Beach, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Or drive north for to cross the state lines into Georgia. If you’re planning a road trip, the same route continues all the way to Philadelphia, New York and Boston.

Circle the outskirts of Jacksonville on the I-295, which acts as a beltway, crossing the St. Johns River in the south. Much of the city has a grid system, with Route 1 cutting through the middle and linking with the I-95. Parking in the city is easy with a combination of garages and metered street parking.

Jacksonville is the place for a fulfilling and varied vacation. Throw yourself into the city streets, riverside walks studded with restaurants, its historic districts and wonderful museums. Then, when you want to truly enjoy that famous Floridian sunshine, drive a little east to the beaches of the gorgeous Atlantic Coast.

A river runs through it

It’s hard to escape the river in Jacksonville – St. John’s divides the city as it comes in from the south, before turning east and heading to the ocean.

The city makes a show of it, with an abundance of venues to eat, drink and chill out next to the water. Stroll along just over a mile of boardwalk, gazing at the city skyline. It’s especially atmospheric at night when the lights reflect in the water, and regular firework displays light up the sky.

From tiny acorns…

Over the bridge, on Riverside Avenue, lies the fascinating Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. The collection spans thousands of years and includes stunning work from famed American artist Norman Rockwell. Its Meissen Porcelain collection – delicate China made in Germany in the 17^th century - is world-renowned, while the landscaped gardens are a bonus, with English and Italian-style areas, arbors, reflecting pools and the stately old Cummer Oak at its heart.

That’s not the only tree in town, however. The Treaty Oak, estimated to be 250 years old, covers hundreds of feet in shade. Its name is misleading, but has a great story attached. The ‘treaty’ between Spanish settlers and Native Americans, which was supposed to be signed under its branches, is a fabrication cooked up by a local journalist to save the tree from being felled by land developers.

The coolest coast

While many of Florida’s beaches and resorts can get a little hectic – especially around Spring Break – there’s a more relaxed vibe about Jacksonville’s beaches. The string of alluring sandy stretches includes Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Jacksonville Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach. The latter - and southernmost - of these beaches feels the most upscale. It’s surrounded by golf courses – including the famous Sawgrass - and the residences of the area’s most wealthy.

Jacksonville Beach is the busiest, with lots of watersports, places to eat, beach volleyball and a great sense of fun. If there’s too much going on, you’re only a very short drive from Neptune and Atlantic beaches, which are more serene. Those who want a laid-back vacation head here. The sand is soft and warm, the surf spectacular and the sunsets even better.

Car rental in Jacksonville will let you explore the cultural sights of the city before heading out to relax on the area’s famous beaches. Follow the Floridian sunshine in your Hertz car rental.