Renting a car in St Barts

[JENNIEB]

We will be on the Windsurf in March. First time in St Barts

 

Anyone rented a car in St Barts-any recommendations or pros/cons? Is it easy to do? Do they meet you at port?

 

Heard the island was small and flat and they drive on US side of the road? Is this all true?

 

Plz advise. Thanks

 

Jennie

[sail7seas]

We hired a car and driver. Spoke with several gathered at the area where the tender dropped us and found a fellow we liked who had a nice, clean vehicle.

Was so nice to be driven around and get some history and local color along the way.

[Rprbp24]

Flat???? No so much!! Beautiful and very expensive though. We hired a minivan with 4 others. Gentleman spoke perfect English. Took us around the island, then dropped us at beach. Came back 2.5 hours later to pick us up. We oaid when we returned to port $45 US dollars each.

[jimgII]

We were in St Barths last Friday (10-31-2014). Rented a car for the day from Alamo/National. We were met at the pier/port by a representative, where we picked up the car We drove around the island for 4 hours, cost was around $40 plus gas. We returned the car to the pier/port. Great way to see the island.

[Corfe Mixture]

Heard the island was small and flat and they drive on US side of the road? Is this all true?

 

Actually not all true. St Barthelemy is part of France and, would you believe, they drive on the French side of the road. :D

 

They also drive small 'European' cars, so unless you want a manual transmission make sure you specify and automatic.

[sbgoddess]

You are right that Saint Barth is small and they do drive on the same side of the road as in the US.

 

However it is NOT flat. It is mountainous, with narrow roads, lot's of twist and turns, and some very steep grades.

 

Also, it being French, people driver very fast (like they do in Paris). Pretty scary sometimes on these narrow mountainside roads.

[Corfe Mixture]

Not sure how easy car hire is in St Bart's.

 

Yesterday I tried very hard to rent a car for this December and there were just none available from any company, not just on the day I wanted (23rd December), but as far as I could tell for anytime in December.

 

Even tried making a dummy booking for a week (to check to see if they we simply holding back cars and not offering them for one day hire in case they got a longer hire) but even that proved fruitless.

 

If you do manage to rent a car in St Bart's, then something to be aware of is that, as it is part of France, and French regulations apply.

 

These include a requirement for all cars to display a small green square piece of paper, which is an extract from the vehicles insurance policy in the front windscreen.

 

In the event of an incident, both drivers must complete one half of a two part form, which you will find with the car papers and you should check that the information from the green insurance paper for both cars is correctly recorded.

 

It is all very polite and simple, just remember that it is considered to be very impolite not to shake hands with the other person before you start to discuss the matter and this simple action will greatly reduce the initial anger.

 

The form is not an agreement of blame, there is no need to even discuss this and you do not have to agree the with the other person's statement or them with your statement. You simply each fill in your half of the form, with your view of the incident and a sketch and then each take one part of the form which you then pass to the insurance (or in your case rental) company.

 

The insurance companies will sort it all out using these forms. However, what you must not do is to make any change to your copy after the forms are separated. This is because, if it later transpires, when the insurance companies exchange copies of the forms, that there is a discrepancy between the two copies of the forms, then the form that has been changed after they are separated will be disregarded and the other person's view will prevail.

Edited November 11, 2014 by Corfe Mixture

[sbgoddess]

Renting a car in Saint Barth is easy and quick. The best way is to call the rental agencies, and talk to them directly. They will deliver cars to the cruise pier, if asked. It is also relatively inexpensive.

 

The Christmas/New Year period is the exception. From about December 20th to January 5th, the island sells out, usually a year in advance. All of Hollywood and Russia seems to congregate on Saint Barth, with a good deal of New York, European, and South American money as well. Hotels charge 4x their normal high season rate at that time, which effectively means that you can't get a room on the island for less than 1000 euros per night. Despite these crazy rates, demand is high, and most hotels, villas and car rentals sell out, amost a year in advance.

 

Last year Nikki beach famously charged 55 thousand euros for a table at their new year's dinner. So that you and your best 7 friends can enjoy a nice party on the beach complete with fireworks and performances by Beyonce, Snoop Dog and Black Eyed Peas. As it always does, it sold out.

 

So if you are going to Saint Barth outside that time, you will have no problems in getting a car. In that period, you may have to do with taxis.