Caribbean Car Rentals

[WeAteThere]

Any suggestions for going it alone with a rental car in St. Martin, St. Barts, Tortola, or Virgin Gorda? Rental agencies I've spoken with charge about $60 a day for an economy car.

 

Private "guided tours," that take you to little more than beach shops and beach bars, can typically run $250 for four people. I've seen all the shops and bars I care to see. Seems like you stand a better chance of discovery if you have your own wheels. Unless, of course, you're in to shops and bars, in which case, nevermind.

[CruisingChics]

Any suggestions for going it alone with a rental car in St. Martin, St. Barts, Tortola, or Virgin Gorda? Rental agencies I've spoken with charge about $60 a day for an economy car.

 

Private "guided tours," that take you to little more than beach shops and beach bars, can typically run $250 for four people. I've seen all the shops and bars I care to see. Seems like you stand a better chance of discovery if you have your own wheels. Unless, of course, you're in to shops and bars, in which case, nevermind.

 

did this on windspirit in winter 06.

st martin.... i think they drive on the left. depending on where the ship docks, most things are nearby and walkable. or take a multi-passenger van, price is very reasonable. where would you drive to anyway? the other side? taxi fare is reasonable, as well.

st barts.... not recommending a car due to the insane driving practices of the locals, too fast~! they also drive on the left, but they also have dangerous and crazy winding roads, many turns and sharp curves, not recommended at all, and can say that not many that i had on my cruises did rent a car, only one or two families who had actually been there before and knew what to expect. public transport is not the best in st barts but it's a small island and a taxi was fairly priced... just do that but leave plenty of time for the notorious traffic at the end of the day.....

there is a "red" taxi/van - can't recall his name - in fact it might be "the red taxi" - - in st barts, if you can find him at the tender landing, was AMAZING and a great price for a van full of people for a drive-around tour across the island, complete with stops for photos.

tortola- i think you will tender into Pusser's Hole - not many cars or rentals to choose from, there is a popular one just on the other side of the Pusser's Hole main building, can't remember the name, get a 4wd jeep and enjoy the nature of this pretty little island, don't worry too much about missing the "main town" of tortola, road town, it's not much to write home about. instead take a drive to the top of the mountain in the center of the island, i think it's called "skytop" - very nice drive, great view over the entire caribbean.

virgin gorda - just use one of the local jitneys - open-air multi-passenger truck/jeeps, they are cheap and the drivers know the way of the road. did you want to go to the Baths? just hire a local. no need for a car here; too small of a island... reallly... leave the driving to the locals and enjoy the view.....amazing.........

 

~happy sailing~

[MGC]

Drive on the right on all of these islands, just like US. St John drives on the left.

 

I mentioned this is a post further down, but if you are docking in Marigot, there are a multitude of rental agencies just to the left of the dock. Rates will probably be quite reasonable. Marigot can be interesting to walk around, but we wanted to go to Orient Beach and dinner later, and didn't want to pay for two taxis.

 

We had reserved a car through a rental agency who gets lots of good press on an SXM website, but for some reason we never did connect. After waiting for about 45 minutes, we randomly picked one of the kiosks at the dock, made arrangements for an after-hours drop off (we wanted to eat dinner in Grand Case) and saved about 1/3 of what we originally were going to pay.

 

I believe that there are car rental places on St Barth within walking distance of the dock also, but we made the mistake of taking a very over-priced beach excursion to one of the hotels.

 

Likewise at Tortola (Soper's Hole), we had arranged a car prior to arriving. We were supposed to meet him at the dock, but ended up having to call for the pickup. But it was not too much problem. The island is really pretty to drive around, but also a little bit nerve-wracking - very steep hills and sharp curves.

[johnnycruise]

The traffic is really heavy on St. Martin, but a rental car would still be good. Otherwise, there are taxis and local taxi vans which can shuttle you around. I had a rental car in December '08 for a day and the traffic was frustrating but not at all dangerous. I'm still glad I had the freedom of my own "wheels."

 

In St. Barth's, a rental car is the only way to go! The roads are narrow, but so are the cars - you drive on the RIGHT (just like in St. Martin). Many of the international rental car companies have offices in Gustavia - not more than two blocks from the tender pier. If you rent from a company which only has an airport location, chances are they will have someone meet you at the tender pier - it is all VERY easy. I would hate to rely on a taxi on this island ... not because they are unscrupulous, but because there aren't very many of them. I have rented on St. Barth's while on a cruise 3 times and I have never had a problem - it is the way to go. There is a public/free parking lot at the tender pier where you can leave your rental while you go back to the ship for lunch. Most companies even allow you to leave the rental car there when you leave - you just leave the keys in the car's ash tray.

 

So, I have to disagree with a previous poster about driving on St. Barth's (or the locals' driving ability or lack thereof - I've never seen them to be wreckless). It is one of the few islands that I would recommend a rental car without hesitation - just don't arrange it with Windstar unless you want to pay 3x the going rate. Hertz, National, Budget, Alamo all have locations on the island - as well as some "mom & pop" franchises which have lower rates (and older vehicles).

 

If you haven't been to Virgin Gorda, just take the tour of the Baths if it is under $50 a person. It is the main attraction on the island and one that shouldn't be missed - unique in the Caribbean.

 

I haven't been to Tortola, so someone else will need to give you a recommendation there!

 

Johnny

[at-c]

Johnnycruise,

Thanks for the info. Will be on the Windspirit in a couple of weeks.I'm considering your recommendation for renting a car on St. Barts. How do you go about arranging for someone to meet me at the pier in Gustavia. I'm considering renting from Avis, but it seems like they have only an airport rental location. Do you know if the website for the rental agency can request for the special car pick up and drop off? Really appreciate your input.