Tazzari / Twizy rental

[Charles4515]

4 hours ago, AnitaVacation said:

So for those of you renting the electric buggys...what are your plans?? Where are you going?  If you are looking for an amazing beach, I highly recommend Clearwater Beach (near St Davids).  When we were there, it was pretty empty.  Crystal clear water, lagoon like.  There were no amenities so bring your own stuff (it might have been because we were there in late October during the week)...I've been told that this is the beach that the locals go to...there is no bus line to get there, so, unless you're driving yourself or arriving by taxi...(reason why it's so quiet there).  

 

The best beaches on St. David in my opinion are the next one over from Clearwater, Turtle Bay and on Coopers Island reserve which is thru the gate that prevents vehicles from entering the reserve. Clearwater itself is man made. Built for US military base personnel.  When I was there it was not crowded but probably more people when you were there as October is late in the year.  There were no locals, mostly tourists who heard it was not crowded. Turtle Bay loads of sea turtles  in the water.  Someone won a bid for the food and bar concession at Cleawater that had been Gombeys but no report yet that they have opened it. There were two different  chair consessions. One out of a small hut, not ou of the bar,  so he could be back. There are public bathrooms which should be open no matter what which I consider an amenity and lifeguards. This was late August 2019. 

 

They did run a bus off the #6 route in the summer but that route was every other run and problematic. 

Edited April 18, 2022 by Charles4515

[AnitaVacation]

On 4/18/2022 at 10:14 AM, Charles4515 said:

The best beaches on St. David in my opinion are the next one over from Clearwater, Turtle Bay and on Coopers Island reserve which is thru the gate that prevents vehicles from entering the reserve.

We were at the beach just outside of the gate, I thought it was just part of Clearwater.  We had the entire area to ourselves.  We did see people going inside the reserve, but we weren't sure if we were allowed in there, so we didn't.  

[Charles4515]

25 minutes ago, AnitaVacation said:

We were at the beach just outside of the gate, I thought it was just part of Clearwater.  We had the entire area to ourselves.  We did see people going inside the reserve, but we weren't sure if we were allowed in there, so we didn't.  

The beach you were at was Turtle Bay. It is a wonderful beach.  People are allowed inside the reserve. I believe the gate is to prevent vehicles. Right inside it does not look like much. If you walk a bit there is Long Bay. Some might not want to hike that far.  It can be brutal heat and humidity  in July/August. Almost no one is there and it is another great beach. Anyone going to any of these beaches should bring plenty of water with them.

[AnitaVacation]

23 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

The beach you were at was Turtle Bay. It is a wonderful beach.  People are allowed inside the reserve. I believe the gate is to prevent vehicles. Right inside it does not look like much. If you walk a bit there is Long Bay. Some might not want to hike that far.  It can be brutal heat and humidity  in July/August. Almost no one is there and it is another great beach. Anyone going to any of these beaches should bring plenty of water with them.

How far (in minutes) is the walk once you're inside the gate.  I will be there again in August with a friend (we've been to Bermuda quite a few times) and she wanted to go places we have not yet seen (this would be one)... I wonder if the bus will be running there in August?  Hopefully the ferry from dockyard to St George will be running as well.... I suppose we could get a taxi from St George to Clearwater?  She also mentioned wanting to go to the Crystal Caves (another thing we haven't done yet)... but the ship excursion is so expensive and the reviews are blah... I'd rather go on our own... I'm not brave enough to do the car myself... (my husband did all the driving)... 

[Charles4515]

27 minutes ago, AnitaVacation said:

How far (in minutes) is the walk once you're inside the gate.  I will be there again in August with a friend (we've been to Bermuda quite a few times) and she wanted to go places we have not yet seen (this would be one)... I wonder if the bus will be running there in August?  Hopefully the ferry from dockyard to St George will be running as well.... I suppose we could get a taxi from St George to Clearwater?  She also mentioned wanting to go to the Crystal Caves (another thing we haven't done yet)... but the ship excursion is so expensive and the reviews are blah... I'd rather go on our own... I'm not brave enough to do the car myself... (my husband did all the driving)... 

The ferry to St. George starts running May 2.  I posted a new thread with the summer schedule this morning.  A taxi from St. George’s to Clearwater costs $20.If you take a taxi you should arrange a return pickup. Taxis not hanging around there. We didn’t do that but managed to find a Gypsy driver at Gombey’s who also charged $20. No news yet if the new concession is open.   Even if that bus is running it is problematic as it only ran once an hour. A taxi to Crystal Caves from St George’s is also $20. You could easily do the bus to the caves there 4 routes from St. George that run near and they run often. No need to do an excursion. The cave admisisoto the caves includes a guide. As far as the walk inside the gate at Coopers reserve. I did it in August and because of the heat and humidity it was brutal. I would probably only do it again in June. 

Edited April 20, 2022 by Charles4515

[bluesea777]

Parking in the Dockyard area is plentiful, free - daytime and overnight. Both cars and bikes. Outside the gates (entrance that leads to both King's (on right) and Heritage (on left) Wharves), that is. 

 

Best to hire scooters and electric cars from within the Dockyard area. Remember Current cars use 220V but Tazzari use 120V, so the Current cars have to go to certain areas to be re-juiced. There is a spot within the Dockyard but it's a 10-15 minutes walk from the ship.

 

 

[PaperSniper4]

2 hours ago, bluesea777 said:

Parking in the Dockyard area is plentiful, free - daytime and overnight. Both cars and bikes. Outside the gates (entrance that leads to both King's (on right) and Heritage (on left) Wharves), that is. 

 

Best to hire scooters and electric cars from within the Dockyard area. Remember Current cars use 220V but Tazzari use 120V, so the Current cars have to go to certain areas to be re-juiced. There is a spot within the Dockyard but it's a 10-15 minutes walk from the ship.

 

 

Thanks. The 220/110 voltage also affects the charge time, so that's something. But we are leaning more toward a Tazzari for the extra room and side-by-side seating.

 

Doug

[lx200gps]

We're leaning towards the Tizy for a one day rental this June, largely due to its stated longer range (88km vs 70km for the Tazzari) We would take the ferry to Hamilton and rent there in the middle of the island, as driving from the Dockyard all the way to the other side of the island and back in one day would be very challenging without a good re-charge, and these buggies seem to charge slowly.

 

For those who have experience with the smaller tandem Tizy, 2 questions: Do they have ANY useful storage, say for two backpacks and some snorkeling gear, and if there is any storage, is it lockable?  Also, how is the on-road performance, do they have enough speed and especially acceleration to be able to keep up with "real" cars?

[PaperSniper4]

3 hours ago, lx200gps said:

We're leaning towards the Tizy for a one day rental this June, largely due to its stated longer range (88km vs 70km for the Tazzari) We would take the ferry to Hamilton and rent there in the middle of the island, as driving from the Dockyard all the way to the other side of the island and back in one day would be very challenging without a good re-charge, and these buggies seem to charge slowly.

 

For those who have experience with the smaller tandem Tizy, 2 questions: Do they have ANY useful storage, say for two backpacks and some snorkeling gear, and if there is any storage, is it lockable?  Also, how is the on-road performance, do they have enough speed and especially acceleration to be able to keep up with "real" cars?

I have not rented one....but I've watched a couple of YouTube videos, so that makes me an expert, right?😉

 

Storage: none if there are two of you in the Twizzy. I suppose the person in back could put something on his/her lap, and maybe something really small would fit on the front seat floor. The Twizzy's interior cannot be locked I don't believe, but I believe the "ignition" can be.

 

It appeared to me the power of the Twizzy's was adequate for Bermuda roads. Personally, I'd have no problem pulling over to the side to let more aggressive drivers pass.

 

The gent at Current Vehicles responded quickly to my questions, you might give him a holler also: info@currentvehicles.com.

 

Doug

[lx200gps]

1 hour ago, PaperSniper4 said:

I have not rented one....but I've watched a couple of YouTube videos, so that makes me an expert, right?😉

 

Storage: none if there are two of you in the Twizzy. I suppose the person in back could put something on his/her lap, and maybe something really small would fit on the front seat floor. The Twizzy's interior cannot be locked I don't believe, but I believe the "ignition" can be.

 

It appeared to me the power of the Twizzy's was adequate for Bermuda roads. Personally, I'd have no problem pulling over to the side to let more aggressive drivers pass.

 

The gent at Current Vehicles responded quickly to my questions, you might give him a holler also: info@currentvehicles.com.

 

Doug

Thanks Doug. I think you're right, upon closer investigation (gotta love that Youtube ;o) it looks like the Twizy is too small. The only storage is a small lockable "glove compartment" on the dashboard, good enough for wallets, etc, but anything bigger has to sit in one's lap or alongside the occupants against the door. Also, no windows so no driving in rain. There is the Tazzari, which has the lowest range of any rental buggy, a big issue for us, and there is also the Bermi from Localmotion. Bigger, enclosed with tons of storage, A/C, excellent range (160 km) and about the same cost as the Tazzari. They are in Hamilton and expect to open their St George operation this year. I'll have to dig a bit deeper, seems like a good bet.

[PaperSniper4]

1 hour ago, lx200gps said:

.................. There is the Tazzari, which has the lowest range of any rental buggy, a big issue for us, and there is also the Bermi from Localmotion. Bigger, enclosed with tons of storage, A/C, excellent range (160 km) and about the same cost as the Tazzari. They are in Hamilton and expect to open their St George operation this year. I'll have to dig a bit deeper, seems like a good bet.

I had initially considered the Twizzy, but decided it was too small for our 70 year old bodies. Also the (reported in videos) lack of air to the front passenger didn't appeal to me since the expected high in Bermuda is the mid-80s for our July visit. So I then considered the bigger, wider, side-by-side seating Tazzari. You mentioned low range which is a concern; I'll add the high cost - about $375 for 48 hours. I have not heard much about the Bermi, I will have to check that out, so thanks for that information!

Oh, part of the reason we want a rental for our 2.5 day visit is to see the island, mainly St George where we lived for a few months back in 1973. I recently heard the ferry will be operating between the Royal Dockyard and St G, so that is making us consider if we need a rental for two days, or even at all. I would like to see more of the island, but 80% of what we want to check out might be had for less money just using taxis from St G. Things are still in the planning stage.....I only know we are NOT renting mo-peds! We had enough of that 50 years ago when we were in our twenties!😳

 

Doug

[princeton123211]

35 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

I recently heard the ferry will be operating between the Royal Dockyard and St G, so that is making us consider if we need a rental for two days, or even at all. I would like to see more of the island, but 80% of what we want to check out might be had for less money just using taxis from St G.

Even if you used taxis to get around and then hired a blue flag taxi to give you an extensive island tour one day it would most likely come in at or a little less than $375. Plus then you can enjoy that extra Rum Swizzle and not worry about it...

[PaperSniper4]

12 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

Even if you used taxis to get around and then hired a blue flag taxi to give you an extensive island tour one day it would most likely come in at or a little less than $375. Plus then you can enjoy that extra Rum Swizzle and not worry about it...

Yes, but then we'd not have the freedom to go when and where we wanted, and of course the fun of driving that lil' bugger around the island! I love driving, and have never tried an electric car other than a golf cart. It's good to have options though......but we need to make a decision pretty soon.😎

 

Doug

[brzymom]

On 4/18/2022 at 8:20 AM, PaperSniper4 said:

My wife is  trying  to remember the name of the place where she'd go for scones and tea occasionally. We think it was near the Perfume Factory and near a fork is the road.....not a lot to go on! We have started research hoping that it will spark more memories.

Oh boy--the Perfume Factory that you recall is long, long gone. That fork in the road coming from St. George's, was go left for South Shore Road (to more scenic route Crystal Caves and the gorgeous south shore beaches) and right to North Shore Road passing the Aquarium along the way-that was where the old perfume factory was.  Also, coming from St. George's once you pass the airport and go over the causeway, you will find the Swizzle Inn on the right and Bailey's Ice Cream on the left--ice cream is homemade and delicious!

 

There is a Lily Perfume shop in St. George's now where they can show you the perfume making process and they do offer afternoon tea with scones. (Insider secret--you can purchase a four pack of scones in Somer's Market on the main road in St. George's. They have raisin, cranberry and cheddar cheese. They are the best scones I've ever had!)

 

Enjoy!!

 

[PaperSniper4]

1 hour ago, brzymom said:

Oh boy--the Perfume Factory that you recall is long, long gone. That fork in the road coming from St. George's, was go left for South Shore Road (to more scenic route Crystal Caves and the gorgeous south shore beaches) and right to North Shore Road passing the Aquarium along the way-that was where the old perfume factory was.  Also, coming from St. George's once you pass the airport and go over the causeway, you will find the Swizzle Inn on the right and Bailey's Ice Cream on the left--ice cream is homemade and delicious!

 

There is a Lily Perfume shop in St. George's now where they can show you the perfume making process and they do offer afternoon tea with scones. (Insider secret--you can purchase a four pack of scones in Somer's Market on the main road in St. George's. They have raisin, cranberry and cheddar cheese. They are the best scones I've ever had!)

 

Enjoy!!

 

Thanks for that update. My wife is going nuts trying to remember where she had those great scones in the 1970s.............sounds like Somer's Market is worth a try!