Car Rental vs. Jeep Excursion

[SojChindo]

We'll be in Grand Cayman on March 9 (Carnival Miracle) and I'm trying to decide if it would be better to rent a vehicle on our own to explore the island or book a jeep excursion while in Grand Cayman. Can anyone give me an idea about traffic and road conditions? Are roads well marked and easy to navigate? Is it relatively easy to find parking at the tourist locations? Are they metered spots or free parking? If metered, how much local currency should I bring?

 

We definitely will want to drive out to Rum Point. Any other "must see" suggestions if we rent a vehicle?

[rjscott]

We rented a car from the local Avis agency. They pick you up at the Blue Iguana, a shop across the street from where the tender docks. My husband did the driving, and he did pretty well. For a first timer driving on the left, Grand Cayman is very easy to navigate, as the island is fairly flat, so no mountainous curves or blind turns to negotiate. You can stop at the Turtle Farm, stop at Hell to take pix and buy postcards, you can stop and check out various beaches. When we were done driving around, and wanted to stroll around town, we took the car back and got the shuttle back to town, so we didn't have to worry about parking. At all the other stops, parking was not an issue.

[SojChindo]

Thanks. Good idea about returning the car then heading downtown, I'm sure it actually saves time at the end of the day.

 

Did Avis provide you with good maps of the island or should I try to find some beforehand? Any concerns about leaving items in the vehicle when you stopped? I know we'll want to go snorkeling and will probably leave some personal items in the locked car.

[rjscott]

Yes, Avis did provide us with a good map, as I recall, but I also printed one off from online. I'll see if I can find it and post the link.

 

We did put some things in the trunk, but really the best thing is not to take anything too valuable that you can't carry with you. We stopped and snorkeled, so all we had was our snorkel gear, towels and disposable underwater camera. I believe my friend left her purse in the trunk, but if you do plan on leaving things in the trunk, I'd put them in prior to stopping at the point where you plan to leave the car unattended. If people, for example at the beach, see you putting things in the trunk, that signals they may have some value. We have a couple of little water safes that we wear around our necks. Holds a couple of credit cards, your boarding card, some cash. A slightly larger one holds the car key, as the tags for the rental car can be rather bulky.

[SojChindo]

Which tour group did you use to book your jeep tour? Did you go through a cruise line or through a local operator?