What to see in GC with a rental car?

[nitenurs2]

We are a family of 4 (including 2 teens - ages 13 and 16) and have reserved a car in GC.

We want to see some scenic sites and have some beach time. We will be on the Carnival Legend, in GC from 7-4. Realizing we will have to allow time to get off of the ship and get the car picked up (and returned in time to return to the ship), what are some suggestions for things to see/do?

Not really interested in the turtle farm, but maybe Hell, the butterfly farm,the blowholes(?). what beach?

 

I really like Rum Point, but don't know that we will have time for that long drive there and back and still have time to spend a couple of hours there if we want to see anything else.

 

We would love some advice on things that would would not have us criss-crossing the island and would allow us time for the beach.

 

HELP!

[Brute Bandit]

Definitely Hell if you have teenagers. The pictures there are priceless. Teenagers - Hell, get it??? We went to 7 mile beach and it was great.

 

How did you arrange the car for the day? We will be returning and would like to rent a car for the day but would like to have a driver also. Is that possible?

[nitenurs2]

I have a driver--it's my husband. No, we just rented through Avis.

[CaymanCruiserz]

Cayman Auto is right there close to the pier. Avis says they will bring you the car, but it always takes them forever! Google Cayman Auto and talk to Robbie. He's close by and very convenient. Also, we rented a Jeep from him a few months ago and drove to Rum Point. Had plenty of time! That's a way better direction to head than up 7 mile beach. The traffic in Grand Cayman is horrible, especially that stretch along 7 mile beach. You'll spend most of the day getting to and from the pier. Check out all the cool things to do on the east end. You'll have a nice relaxed day!

[Santo23]

We're leaving in just over a week and have a Jeep rental booked on GC. I want to drive to Rum Point but have read on the boards that the traffic is bad, and it takes a while to drive to and from. How long did it take you to get to Rum Point and back? Also, can we squeeze in a quick stop at the Rum factory? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[sj25]

We would love to hear anyone's experience of the rental of a car ...we have a group of 7 and thinking about rental and go to the turtle farm, butterfly and maybe hell didn't know how far apart they are and if it is a hard drive. We did a jeep excursion there once but didn't go to these places and we followed so didn't do it on our own. we are in port 8am -4 of course I don't want to be back that late. I don't like to cut it close.

[caribbean crazy]

CaymanCruiserz...

 

I haven't seen much on the boards about Cayman Auto, but I like that they are right there at the port. Do you know why most people seem to mention Cico Avis?

 

How long did it take you to get to Rum Point? All the reviews on that area make it sound absolutely beautiful, perfect, an island paradise :)

 

Thanks!

[sj25]

Also do all get any kind of special insurance or just what is offered from the car rental? Didn't know I am still up in the air about it all...never done it on my own.

[bookbabe]

How long did it take you to get to Rum Point?

 

It's about a 45 minute drive each way.

[caribbean crazy]

Bookbabe,

 

Have you rented a car on Grand Cayman, and if so, with who? Any advice? Normally, we would not consider renting a car out of the country, but GC seems to be such a safe area, we might give it a try. We are just a bit cautious...:confused:

 

Thanks!

[twinkletoes4445]

We fell in love with Grand Cayman after our first visit there (we were on a cruise ship). Now we go back for land vacations and we always rent a car for the week (we use Andy's).

 

If you're interested in seeing Hell, I'd probably scoot over there first. That stretch of 7MB area tends to get very congested. Then if you wanted to see Rum Point, I'd head there next. It's about a 45-minute drive each way from the port, without stopping. There's very little traffic when you head to that part of the island. I would guess that people heading to and from work from that part of the island might put more cars on the road, but you won't be going that direction during those times.

 

The botanical garden is on the way to Rum Point. You can drive past Rum Point and go to the area where the star fish are (I think it's Cayman Kai-but I can't remember the exact name of the area). The Lighthouse restaurant is over that direction, and the blow holes are also in that area. Pedro St. James Castle is also in that area (these are located in an area before or around the Frank Sound Road, which you use to cut across to Rum Point).

 

Our favorite gift shop is Pure Art. It's about a mile out of town (going away from the port area in the opposite direction as 7MB).

 

http://www.pureart.ky/

 

The really fun thing about Grand Cayman is you can drive anywhere on the island and feel perfectly safe. Just use the same precautions you'd use at home and you'll be fine. I think we've been on every street on the island. If you see a spot where you want to pull over and explore the beach, as long as you're not going through someones yard, you'll be fine. There's lots of areas where the beach is just right next to the road.

 

The drivers are very considerate and nice. If there's a traffic line, someone will always let you in. And they will give you a little "toot" from their horn as a thank you...and sometimes a wave. When you go into the roundabouts, you yield to those already in them (I think the signs say "give way"), but honestly, the traffic doesn't move that quickly, so driving is a snap. We always get a car that has the steering wheel on the left side, like at home. That seems to help us.

 

Have a great time! :)

[twinkletoes4445]

Normally, we would not consider renting a car out of the country, but GC seems to be such a safe area, we might give it a try. We are just a bit cautious...:confused:

 

Thanks!

 

I am a HUGE chicken when it comes to traveling to a foreign country and getting out on my own. However, GC is perfectly safe to get out and explore. And this is the reason we keep going back for vacations there. :)

[twinkletoes4445]

Also do all get any kind of special insurance or just what is offered from the car rental? Didn't know I am still up in the air about it all...never done it on my own.

 

We always rent from Andy's and we always purchase only their insurance. I don't recall the cost, but we buy whatever insurance they have so if anything would happen, we just turn in the car and not worry about it. It's not real expensive, or we wouldn't get it.

[caribbean crazy]

Twinkletoes,

 

You were so helpful! Your posting makes me much more comfortable in deciding to venture out on our own. I will check out Andy's.

 

Thanks so much! We can't wait.....

[caribbean crazy]

Twinkletoes,

 

Thanks for the reference to Pure Art. We will be stopping there for sure. We will be in GC on our 25th wedding anniversary. We like to buy a piece of art when traveling for our anniversary, so this will be absolutely perfect!:)

[sj25]

We always rent from Andy's and we always purchase only their insurance. I don't recall the cost, but we buy whatever insurance they have so if anything would happen, we just turn in the car and not worry about it. It's not real expensive, or we wouldn't get it.

Thanks I am going with another family...well my brothers family and try to convince them to rent a car and that we could get around. Do you remember ever see them rent a mini van that could hold 7 people?

That is our problem I know he would never drive himself. One private tour agent could only have 6

[KroozMeister]

I just got back from a Spring Break cruise that stopped in Grand Cayman, and like always, we rented a car from Andy's & did a self-tour. There were 6 of us - 4 adults and 2 kids (7 & 10), and we fit very comfortably into our Suzuki Grand Vitara (about the biggest SUV you'll find for rent on the islands). We could probably have squeezed in one more passenger, if we had to, but I'm glad we didn't.

 

Twinkletoes is right, Grand Cayman is by far the easiest place in the Caribbean to rent a car and drive yourself around (IMHO). Yes, they drive on the left, but the locals are very friendly drivers & seem to be very patient with tourists. Really, they are the most courteous drivers I've ever seen anywhere. So, don't be afraid - if you like the idea of taking on GC on your own in a rental car, go for it! But make your booking in advance - or you might have to change your plans!

 

Since it's still fresh in my mind, here's a few more first-timer tips:

 

First, understand it will take awhile to get going, depending on how many ships are in port & which company you're using. Besides the tendering process, there is paperwork to be filled out, $20 drivers license to buy, etc - you will likely have to wait in line to get your car, one way or another.

 

Second, keep in mind that it also takes a little while to turn the car in & get back to the ship. In the afternoon, the road that runs along 7mile Beach tends to get pretty congested, so don't cut it too close. We did, and thought we were going to miss the last tender - but when we got to the pier just after the last tender was supposed to leave, there was an hour-long line for the tenders! (don't count on that, though.)

 

Given the first two tips, the third is don't try to do too much - and think hard about trying to do both sides of the island in one day. Our original plan was to go to the Botanic Gardens first, then double back to the Turtle Farm, have lunch & then chill out on 7 mile beach for awhile. We had a great time at the gardens, but after lunch there wasn't time to do both the Turtle farm & the beach, so we skipped the Turtle Farm - but we still had very little beach time left. We realized that we would've been happier if we had just grabbed lunch and hung out at the beach all day.

 

For a first-time self-tour, I would suggest either driving to Rum Point (with an optional stop at the Botanic Gardens) OR going the other direction and visiting Turtle Farm and/or Hell then 7 mile beach. But not both.

 

Oh, and be sure to get a map when you pick up your car - it's pretty hard to get lost in Grand Cayman, but the map helps!

 

One more thing - you'll notice prices at the gas stations that don't look that much higher than those in the states, until you realize that:

 

a) the prices are in Cayman Dollars ($1 CI = $1.25 US), and

b) they are the price per LITER, not gallon.

 

Luckily, you can drive all over the island and not use more than a few liters.

[twinkletoes4445]

Twinkletoes,

 

Thanks for the reference to Pure Art. We will be stopping there for sure. We will be in GC on our 25th wedding anniversary. We like to buy a piece of art when traveling for our anniversary, so this will be absolutely perfect!:)

 

Pure Art has everything from refrigerator magnets to artwork. There may be other places like Pure Art on the island, but we didn't find it. It's too bad it's not closer to the port area, but the advantage for you will be there will be no crowds. Every time we've been there, there have only been a handful of others there. It's really a nice shop and the perfect place for finding an anniversary gift. Congratulations on your 25th!

 

I can't really say this about any other island we've visited...but on GC you can feel perfectly comfortable out on your own. Use the same precautions you'd use at home and you'll be fine. :)

[twinkletoes4445]

Thanks I am going with another family...well my brothers family and try to convince them to rent a car and that we could get around. Do you remember ever see them rent a mini van that could hold 7 people?

That is our problem I know he would never drive himself. One private tour agent could only have 6

 

We had the Suzuki Grand Vitara like KroozMeister had, and like KM, I didn't see anything bigger (there were 5 of us).

 

KM has offered you a lot of great advice! We didn't rent a car while we were visiting GC on a cruise, but when we were there for land vacations, we had plenty of time to toddle all around the island (we plan what we are doing around how many ships are in port that day). KM has been there and done it, so I'd probably lean on the side of being cautious with my time, and head to Rum Point. It's really lovely over on that side of the island...very tropical in places.

 

The trickiest part is the traffic around the 7MB area. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes it clogged. If you really think you have to see Hell, I'd go straight there and then head over to the other side of the island. I'd just adjust my time accordingly. We spent a lot of time over on the other side. It's not commercial at all...more what you'd expect a Caribbean island to be like.

 

Another thing...we always use a credit card while we are there and have never had any funny issues or fees. We do take cash, everyone takes USD, but credit cards are what we usually use. If you find yourself using cash, they will most likely give you your change in Cayman money. Many times we asked if they had USD for the change and sometimes they had it and sometimes they didn't.

 

Also, if you order food, make sure and look at your check. Most places will add the tip on to the ticket. We didn't realize this and on our first visit we double-tipped.

[twinkletoes4445]

Here's Andy's website. They do show vans on their website, but I didn't see any on the lot when we were there last time (and I would have loved to have had one). It might be worth a call or e-mail them and see what they have. :)

 

http://www.andys.ky/vehicles.php?PHPSESSID=5abc29485726bb6ad6a39e0786e7d472

[twinkletoes4445]

I envy all of you going to Grand Cayman!!! I wish I was going there soon. :)

[Santo23]

I'm booked with Andy's for a trip to GC next week. The confirmation states pick-up loation "Seven Mile Beach." Since you've used them before, what do I do when I get off the ship? (is there an Andy's shuttle waiting that will take us to 7 mile)

[twinkletoes4445]

I'm booked with Andy's for a trip to GC next week. The confirmation states pick-up loation "Seven Mile Beach." Since you've used them before, what do I do when I get off the ship? (is there an Andy's shuttle waiting that will take us to 7 mile)

 

We pick our rentals up at their airport location, but they have another location on the 7MB area. I am sure they'll pick you up somewhere in the port area because it's too far to walk to either of their locations. I don't know if it will be a shuttle or not, but someone will come and get you. I'd email them and ask. I had a bunch of questions the first time we rented a car, and someone answered all my questions through email. They'll probably either meet you right in the port area, or have you meet them in front of a certain shop. It's a pretty small area, so you won't have a problem finding them.

 

The location on 7MB is next to Coconut Joe's and just up a tiny bit from the Marriott Beach Resort.

[imjp]

I'm going to be visiting Grand Cayman in October on Liberty of the Seas and we wanted to do a little Geocaching, so I've been researching rental cars (thanks for all the great info in this thread). I contacted Andy's and Joenell told me that they have a free shuttle that will come pick you up from the cruise ship dock. It's about a $10 minute ride to their location on 7MB. I'm reserving a (left handed) Suzuki Vitara Jeep for $55/day +tax & fees.

If you need any additional info, you can contact them at info@andys.ky

 

[imjp]

I'm booked with Andy's for a trip to GC next week. The confirmation states pick-up loation "Seven Mile Beach." Since you've used them before, what do I do when I get off the ship? (is there an Andy's shuttle waiting that will take us to 7 mile)

 

Let me know how it goes and if you have any issues with finding the shuttle and getting there and back from their office. I've made a reservation with Andy's for Oct.