Taxi or Rental Car?

[Ronn452]

We will be in Curacao next month and would like to visit Shete Boka, have a quick visit to the Blue Curacao "factory" and sample the various liqueurs, check out Cas Abaos, maybe see the flamingos, then return to the city for a few hours of wandering across the bridge and visiting the shops. For thos of you who have the privilege of living there or visit often, would it be best to hire a driver for four or five hours or rent a car at the port? The car rental would be $80-100 for the time and I have not idea about the cost of hiring a driver. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

 

Captain Ronn

[Isa65]

I would advise you to take a cab if you're coming next month. There are massive road constructions going on right now (taking 5 weeks) on the main road to the Western side (Shete Boka and flamingo's). This delays traffic between 1 - 2 hours (each way).

[Ronn452]

I love to drive on the islands and just sightsee at leisure. However, I don't enjoy construction; especially when I don't know the time delays or possible detours. So, heeding your suggestion, I will attempt to find a taxi driver that will take us on our tour and hopefully fill us with knowledge of the life on Curacao! Any suggestions on where to begin our search or the approximate cost?

 

Again, thank you for your quick response.

 

Captain Ronn

[bup1224]

So glad I saw this post and Isa65's reply - just booked a ship excursion to the beach - looking forward to meeting you Captain Ronn!

[julywinters]

I would advise you to take a cab if you're coming next month. There are massive road constructions going on right now (taking 5 weeks) on the main road to the Western side (Shete Boka and flamingo's). This delays traffic between 1 - 2 hours (each way).

 

 

We just reserved a rental car for our day in Curacao at about $50 including GPS. I just saw your message about construction and delays. We will be there on 11/4/13. Is the construction/traffic/delays still in effect. We just wanted to see some of the nicer beaches on the island for snorkeling, and taxis seemed all too expensive. Any feedback would be appreciated!

[Isa65]

Is the construction/traffic/delays still in effect.

 

Yes, they are closing the main road in phases. The last part (reaching Westpunt) has been closed as of past Monday and will last some weeks. So you will encounter detours and delays.

 

But, if you're in port for many hours (f.i. 08-17.00), this is doable. Just follow the cars to the Western side, once you reach the Zegu roundabout. There's really only 1 main road.

[vacationingcouple]

We just reserved a rental car for our day in Curacao at about $50 including GPS. I just saw your message about construction and delays. We will be there on 11/4/13. Is the construction/traffic/delays still in effect. We just wanted to see some of the nicer beaches on the island for snorkeling, and taxis seemed all too expensive. Any feedback would be appreciated!

 

 

Will be in Curacao in April - researching and curious which rental car company you will be using? Would also like to hear your feedback of your experience when you return. Have a great trip!

[Gambler458]

We will be in Curacao the beginning of Jan. Will it be ok to rent a car then?

Thanks...

[Isa65]

We will be in Curacao the beginning of Jan. Will it be ok to rent a car then?

Thanks...

 

Yes, by then the major road constructions would have been completed. Have a great cruise!

[julywinters]

Will be in Curacao in April - researching and curious which rental car company you will be using? Would also like to hear your feedback of your experience when you return. Have a great trip!

 

I just came back and used AVIS. I would STRONGLY advise to NOT to rent a car from them. Our reservation/quote was absolutely disregarded once we got there, and they upcharged us about $25 for all the things that were originally included in our quote over the phone.

 

After driving to the first stop (about 45 minutes), 3 out of the 4 tires were extremely low. By the second beach stop, my boyfriend was in the pouring rain changing one of the tires to the spare, which wasn't much better. Roads are full of potholes and pools of water if raining, which it was. I would never drive around in a car with tires in that condition, not even in the town I live in which help is a phone call away. Gas stations only take cash- beware, we had none because ours was stolen at one of the beaches, so again we we up-charged for that.

 

The AVIS rep told us they under-flate the tires because of the weather which is BS. No other cars on the beach parking lot had under-inflated tires as low as ours. Basically the car was unsafe to be driving around an island where no one speaks English.

 

Once we got onbaord, I talked to a couple who got a great tour around the island including an hour long beach stop for $10 a person once they got off the ship and did their own thing around the port. Hmmm, after the way my day went in the AVIS rental car and how much $ I spent, I repeat this is NOT a good idea in Curacao- WAY too stressful of a day and not relaxing. Plus, getting your rental car and all the set up takes way too long. Plus, having to fill the gas and return it. Its cuts down your valuable time on the island therefore for cruisers this is not a good option. The beaches we were able to get to were wonderful and thank God for that and thank God the person who robbed us on the beach left our car key, phone, and credit card (yes, he actually dropped our bag at the beach entrance with all of that still in it). The day could have been a lot worse.

[Isa65]

Wow.... I'm really sorry this happened to you guys.

At what beach were you robbed?

 

As far as Avis, what they told you about the tires is a flat out lie. This is unacceptable.

 

I would write a letter to the corporate HQ and try to dispute some or all charges with your credit card company.

[julywinters]

Wow.... I'm really sorry this happened to you guys.

At what beach were you robbed?

 

As far as Avis, what they told you about the tires is a flat out lie. This is unacceptable.

 

I would write a letter to the corporate HQ and try to dispute some or all charges with your credit card company.

 

It was at Playa Jeremie beach. A very private beach that had only two other groups of people, a Brazilian family and an older European couple. We asked both groups separately (my boyfriend is Brazilian too) if they saw anyone suspicious and they both described the same person: a skinny black man sitting by himself on the beach making his way closer to our things, but no one saw him go through our bags, which is what he had to do to find the "smaller bag" with those items which he removed and went through, then disposed of at the stairway.

 

We are currently contacting AVIS headquarters report everything wrong that happened now that we are home and have the actual email with the quote and photos of the three tires. Of course we knew her explanation about the tires was a lie as all you had to do was look around at all the other rental cars that look liked ours with no flat tires, but in trying to catch a cruise ship that leaves in 15 minutes, there was really no point in arguing with her about it.

[neptuno]

Will be in Curacao in April - researching and curious which rental car company you will be using? Would also like to hear your feedback of your experience when you return. Have a great trip!

 

We recently rented from Thrifty in November, good service and affordable. They picked us up and dropped us at the cruise ship. Traffic was one lane on the tall bridge, so leave a little extra time to get back from the shop, which is northeast of town. The contract said we would pay for a flat tire, but no problems. Drivers are mostly courteous and civilized.