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Car rental for a day in Curacao?


Snshyne
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Hi, hubby and I have visited Curacao on several occasions for weekly vacations however this time we are stopping in port for a day (8:00am-8:00pm) on a cruise. We would like to rent a car as we know our way around and know what sights we would like to see. I am having a problem finding a local company willin to do a daily rental. In the past we have used "Just Drive" and "Prins" however they stated they do not do daily rentals. I've sent many emails to D&D with no response. I understand there is Avis and Budget at the pier but I would rather support the local companies. Anyone have any ideas? We are open to suggestions! Thank you in advance!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am also interested in finding out more information about car rentals. I have never rented a car while at a port-of-call, and very rarely in general. I read some older threads in the Curacao board here, and several have used Avis, but with mixed results (car availability even when pre-booked, issues and road hazards/tire damage/dents, drop-offs/closing early, etc.). It doesn't leave a warm-and-fuzzy feeling.

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  • 3 weeks later...

We have been renting cars all over the world for about forty years and Curacao is no exception. We always rent from the Avis office located right at the Mega Pier (a 3 minute walk from the gangplank). DW and I are avid snorkelers and have explored many beaches on the island...some of which are over 25 miles from the port (hence we need a car). If you want a car...book in advance or you will likely be out of luck. If you decide to drive Northwest (towards Westpunt) its a good idea to take a bottle of water since you do get out into the countryside where there are not a lot of places to stop for food/drink. We love going to some of the beaches up near Westpunt since it is doubtful we will find any other cruisers :). The tours generally go the other direction in the more populated touristy areas.

 

As far as supporting the "local companies" I guess we all have our personal agendas :). But you might want to consider that all these agencies (even Avis) are quite local (they are simply franchisees). Our only "agenda" is being able to get a car, in running order, that is in a location convenient to the ship. I would also add that there is a lot more to Curacao then the normal tourist spots. The island is about 40 miles long....and most of the tourists stay in a very limited area..which is a shame.

 

Not sure about the issues with Avis closing early. Yes, they often are closed by noon because the port office is just a small satellite operation. One simply returns the car to the port, parks, and drops the keys in the slot. This is a pretty normal procedure we have used all over Europe and parts of Asia....and even at some US locations. But we do often suggest that folks that need "hand holding" or have various fears (accidents, getting lost, missing the ship, etc) simply stay on the ship or book a cruise line excursion (we are stockholders and like to share in the profits).

 

Hank

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Try this one.

 

https://www.curacao.com/en/directory/plan/transportation/rental-car/

 

Here you can find valuable info for all of you interested in visiting Curacao.

 

I truly hate that link :). Why? It simply lists all the rental car agencies on the island (it is a pretty large island). One would have to do a lot of clicking to find out what we already posed......,that Avis has a location right at the Mega Pier (where the big ships dock). Most other agencies are a long taxi ride from the port...or you might have to wait a half hour (more or less...since its island time) to get picked-up.

 

Hank

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We just rented from Advance car rental. Celestino, the owner, will meet you across from the pier, and gave us a cell phone to keep in touch. You can arrange for a time to return the car and he'll meet you back at the pier.

The car came fully insured and was $60 for a small sedan (Nissan Sentra).

He also offers a GPS for $5, and pre-programs it with a few options. It was a wise use of $5 as the island is bigger than I thought and not always well marked.

He's a fairly new business from what I understand but I wouldn't hesitate to rent from him sgain. The car was also in the best shape of the cars I've rented on the other islands

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  • 1 month later...
Did you prearrange your rental with advance?

And hank I'd love to hear of some recommended places for snorkelling both if we rent a car and if we require local transportation

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Yes, we always reserve in advance (with Avis) since they do have a limited number of cars. If you later change your mind you can always cancel in advance...with no cost. As to where to snorkel, it depends on your comfort level, spirit of adventure, etc. While many sing the praises of the Curacao Underwater Marine Park, we have never been thrilled with this place. Instead, we prefer to drive Northwest (far from the cruise port) where there are numerous small beaches...some with snorkel areas. Little Knip Beach has often been rewarding (with decent sea life) but it does require some degree of experience and its a pretty long way from the beach out to the better parts of the reef. Playa Kalki also has some decent sea life, but its not much of a beach and the entrance is a bit tricky. Playa Lagun is somewhat easier to snorkel (we have not been to this location in many years) and is along the same route to the Northwest. Cas Abao is OK, but is sometimes a bit crowded for my taste. One less popular place we have enjoyed is called Jeremi Beach....where we have had some decent snorkels along the rocks.

 

But let me add some of the bad news. You need a longer port day to go all the way out to the Northwest as you can find yourself a good hour from the ship. You must have your own snorkel equipment and should definitely have decent fins (great for the longer swims and handling currents). Do not ever leave valuables in your rental car, and we often will not even lock the car since we do not want to encourage a thief to break a window. Many of these Northwest beaches are not commercially developed and can be quiet places if you there on a weekday a bit early in the season. Of the places I mentioned, Little Knip seems to be the place gaining in popularity and they did have some rental chairs on our last visit...although no telling what it will be like now or next year :).

 

For us, the Northwest is a bit of an adventure and conditions dictate what we do. The last time we stopped at Jeremi (a previous favorite) we thought the conditions were abysmal, the water too rough...and we just skipped the place and moved on to the next beach. But on our previous visit things were nicer and there was even a small SCUBA group working off that beach. In other words, things are always changing...which to us...is part of the fun. But for those looking to be pampered with nice rental chairs, beach bars, food, etc. this might not be the way to spend a day.

 

Hank

Edited by Hlitner
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  • 3 months later...

We'll be there for a 1 day cruise stop on June 19 this year and was looking into rental cars too. I got an email response from D & D today. They no longer do 1 day car rentals. Mr. Hernandez referred me to Advance Car Rentals. Here's the website: http://www.advancecarrentalcuracao.com/

 

 

 

quote=Snshyne;54113717]Hi, hubby and I have visited Curacao on several occasions for weekly vacations however this time we are stopping in port for a day (8:00am-8:00pm) on a cruise. We would like to rent a car as we know our way around and know what sights we would like to see. I am having a problem finding a local company willin to do a daily rental. In the past we have used "Just Drive" and "Prins" however they stated they do not do daily rentals. I've sent many emails to D&D with no response. I understand there is Avis and Budget at the pier but I would rather support the local companies. Anyone have any ideas? We are open to suggestions! Thank you in advance!

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Recommend Advance Rental Cars for one day in port!!

Celestino met us at the Mega Pier(tiny bit confusing where to actually meet) but once we found each other wewere off to explore the island. Had GPS for added 5$ which made it very easy to get aroundvisited Shete BokaNational Park to see the Natural Bridge and three other vantagepoints with a blow hole and a cave, highly recommend and wear good shoes forhiking. Then off to the west side beaches-not to be missed Westpunt/PlayaGrandi fisherman bring in their catch turtles/dock/boats/beach. We actually swam with the turtles-lots of them!

Follow the road until you seesigns for Playa Kenepa,also known as Grote Knip and Playa Abou. It's a free public beach. The overlookis breathtaking, and the water calm and clear. Next up was Grote Knip, with its bright white sand and crystal blue waters. There is alsosome areas to go snorkeling along the rocks on either side of the beach. TheKlein Knip beach is one of the smaller and calmer beaches we visited on theisland Playa Lagun isone of the most recommended beaches by locals on the island. The small andrelaxing beach is not overflowing with tourists giving it a nice atmosphere. Weended the day at Playa PortoMari. If you just want to relax on the beach or enjoya meal at the restaurant, entrance is free. It has crystal clear waters and araft moored off the beach. Good luck! Celestino is the best!!!

Driving back towards Willemstad makesure not to miss the Flamingos sanctuary. To get to the flamingo viewing area,you can plug in Jan Kok to your GPS. This will take you close to the saltflats. You’ll know when you’re there because you’ll see the Flamingo Area sign!or can park along the road and walk across the sand to one of the viewingareas. It only has a small sign along a pull off, so keep your eyes open forthe entrance. Walk out to a small lookout platform in the water for a closerview of the Flamingos. Celestino gave us a cell phone to call when we wereready to meet back at the MEga Pier, used GPS to fill up with gas, you need topay attendant first so make you best guess in liters how much to put back inthe car. Great day on Curacao!!

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  • 3 weeks later...

We were back on Curacao earlier this month on Celebrity Equinox .I agree that Advance is the best value. Celestino, the owner met us right outside the pier exit, got us set up, rented a gps unit for 5 dollars from Advance, preprogrammed in the places we were going to visit, had a good map, had a full tank of gas, and a cell phone to call if we wanted to return early or had problems. Wonderful, prompt courteous service. The car, tires, mechanics and air conditioning. were all in great shape. Easy and prompt communications by email or phone. We just filled up to top off the tank shortly before dropoff, and Celestino met us at the designated place. The cost was $75 dollars for the day for a four person automatic drive car including insurance and taxes. If you did not know, they drive on the right just as in the U.S.

 

We played golf and drove the entire island stopping at favorite places through the day. It was great not being on an exact schedule and seeing more of Curacao.

 

 

One of the people in our vehicle left their cell phone behind in the car. No only did Celestino find it, he fed ex shipped it back to the owner. Just incredible. I have rented vehicles on all of the Caribbean islands before and in the ABC's . We can't wait to use their services again when in Curacao in September

 

info@advancecarrentalcuracao.com

5999 566-2220 / 5999 512 4221

Website :http://www.advancecarrentalcuracao.com/

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Another vote for Advance Car Rental! (y) After a bad experience with Avis, we decided to give them a try for a recent B2B last month (one overnight, one single day). Reserved online (no credit card data needed), price was 75$/day for a brand new mid size car (Hyundai Accent), automatic gears (he only has automatic), gps with preprogrammed points of interest, second driver included as all insurances and taxes. You also get a cell phone with Celestino's number programmed, in case you have a problem or you just want have extra information. Celestino was waiting at the port gate with my name on a card and he is really a nice guy. Everything was very well explained and we could pay cash before we left or after returning the car.

Top service!

 

IMG_4721.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
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  • 2 weeks later...

Just emailed with Advance and have a car reserved for the day on our trip in November. Thanks everyone for this information. And thank you for the ideas for the day's sightseeing and beaches.

 

Suggestions on lunch?

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One more question about Advance Car Rental: The form we are to fax back asks for our Drivers License numbers. I am very hesitant to fax that to a foreign company, obviously because of identity theft issues.

 

I know your reviews of Advance are fantastic, but...… Any insights please? We will be there November 29, 2018

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  • 4 weeks later...
One more question about Advance Car Rental: The form we are to fax back asks for our Drivers License numbers. I am very hesitant to fax that to a foreign company, obviously because of identity theft issues.

 

I know your reviews of Advance are fantastic, but...… Any insights please? We will be there November 29, 2018

Same here.....any negatives to this?

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One more question about Advance Car Rental: The form we are to fax back asks for our Drivers License numbers. I am very hesitant to fax that to a foreign company, obviously because of identity theft issues.

 

I know your reviews of Advance are fantastic, but...… Any insights please? We will be there November 29, 2018

 

He's had my info for over 2 months now and no stolen identity .

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just sent an e-mail to Advance based on everyone's recommendations. Do you recall if they had any Jeeps available where you can remove the top? Or convertibles? We will be in port April 2019 for 12 hours so I think renting a car is the best way for us to go. I like that they apparently give you a cell phone so you can call if any issues.

 

Thanks for the suggestions!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

We had a wonderful day in curacao. one of the best places we visited. we rent a car from Advance Car Rental. the car was new and clean. They are very friendly and professional. We had a map of Curacao and a GPS programmed with the best beaches of Curacao. We went to the blow holes in Shete Boka. We could see turtles in Playa Grandi also we saw pigs in Playa Porto Marie and in the same route we saw flamingo's. They gave us a phone in case we need help. We could use the phone to call when we are about to return to the port, this is the easiest way that I have rented a car. we recommend this car rental company.

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Same here.....any negatives to this?

 

We decided against, because of drivers license numbers. But changed our minds and contacted Celestino again. He sent the form to fill out and said we did not need to include our drivers license numbers. We are renting a midsize, includes the cell phone and GPS for $75.00. We think it's a great deal.

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