Renting a car in Barbados

[mikesms]

We recently returned from a Caribbean cruise that stopped one day in Bridgetown. We made arrangements to rent a car from Stoutes (http://www.stoutescar.com) which went without a hitch. The office was right at the cruise terminal and very easy to find. We rented a 'mini-Moke' which is like a dune buggy (no doors, ragtop, etc). While not fancy by any means it was more than adequate for what we were doing. We had heard ahead of time that the roads are poorly marked - and that is indeed the case. What we did was download the free 'Garmin-GPS compatible map (BajanNAV: www.bajannav.com) and it was a Godsend! We have the very first model Nuvi that came out. Downloading and installation were easy, and it worked like a champ! The only problem we had was that our mini-Moke did not have a functioning cigarette lighter, so we had to totally rely on the battery within the GPS and it only lasted a few hours. Nonetheless, we were able to travel to the east coast - visit Bathsheba, eat lunch at the Round House Restaraunt with spectacular views, move up the coast to visit Cherry Tree Hill (highest point on the island), then slide over to the east coast and experience the beaches heading south before heading back to the port. One word of caution - in Barbados, the steering wheel is on the right and you drive on the left (but the pedals are arranged so you still use your right foot for driving) - and if you aren't accustomed to it, it takes a bit of thought and concentration to get used to it, as the roads are fairly narrow - especially in the city. Additionally there are LOTS of 'roundabouts' (traffic circles) that add another dimension of 'challenge' - but our GPS made them very easy to handle. From what we heard, all the rental cars are certain colors and the locals know to be very patient with them (as they were with us) - so i wouldn't let any of that deter you from renting a car for the day. And be prepared to purchase gas in liters instead of gallons, and the exchange rate was about 2 Barbados Dollars for each US Dollar (nearly everyone accepted US Dollars.) I can't thank or recommend BajanNav enough --- it was truly a time-saver and allowed us to see more of the island than otherwise would have been possible.

[barbados]

” Cherry Tree Hill (highest point on the island)”

 

Why do our cabbies perpetuate this falsehood? They know better!

 

Mt. Hillaby is 1115’ ASL

 

Cherry Tree Hill is 850’ ASL

 

Glad you enjoyed the island! Please come back! :)

[cruisingbajan]

The "hired" cars are easily discernible by there number plates which all start with "H". The colors are pretty standard.:)

[rose hill]

Four of us are going to be in Barbados in April, and we thought about renting a mini-Moke for the day because it looked fun and different. Would it have enough power with four adults in the car, or should we go for something a little bigger? Just asking because we have rented cars in Colorado and Arizona and one had to have the gas pedal shoved to the floor to make it up an incline....