Valparaiso Fort Walton Beach Airport
This airport is located on Eglin Air Force Base. It is used for both military and commercial flights, but not private aircraft. When asking about flights, be careful not to confuse it with Fort Walton Beach Airport (1J9), which is actually a small privately owned airport with a turf landing strip. Using the airport code, VPS, will eliminate possible confusion.  This airport is small and easy to navigate. There are six departure gates and two luggage carousels. The airport is serviced by five airlines: American Eagle, Continental, Delta, Northwest and US Airways. There are direct flights from Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Memphis and Tampa. Business hours are 4 am until midnight (or when the last flight leaves).  If you have some extra time at the airport, there is free wi-fi in the terminal and art exhibits featuring Florida artists. Making your rental car reservations online in advance can help make your trip smoother. There are a number of rental car agencies at or near (with free shuttles) the airport.
Once you pick up your car, you are just over an hour from Panama City Beach. Whether you decide to fly into Panama City or Fort Walton Beach, it is nice to know how to get to your hotel or vacation home. Before we leave, we like to print directions from the airport to the place we're staying. If you use Mapquest, you don't need the address of the airport. You can simply enter the airport code (VPS or PFN). There are not a lot of eating options at the airport, so if you have a little extra time on your way home, try the Boathouse Restaurant in Niceville. It is a good place to eat with a waterfront view and it's close to Enterprise. Return from Fort Walton Beach Airport to Transportation
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Valparaiso Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) is also known as Northwest Florida Regional Airport and Okaloosa Regional Airport. It is only about 50 miles from Panama City Beach. Since the cost of flights can vary greatly, we generally find it is worth checking flights to both cities.
If you made a reservation with Enterprise, you can use the reservation center courtesy phone near the luggage carousels to call for a shuttle. It was a wonderful experience for us. When we got off the shuttle, the paperwork was ready for us. By the time we'd signed the papers our luggage had already been loaded into the rental car!
