khanh Saint Barthélemy, more commonly known as St Barts is a popular destination for a Caribbean getaway. As most of the island’s terrain is hilly, it isn’t recommended for tourists to explore the whole island on foot. The locals prefer to go to places using cars, four-wheel drives, motorcycles or even scooters, as there is no public transport in St Barts. You can hire a cab to travel around, of course, but most cab drivers will only agree to show you around for a short time only.
Therefore, only one option remain; renting a car. If you stay on one of the island’s luxury resorts, they will arrange driver and car rental for you. A few villas even offer a free car rental service with their villa fees. However, most villas don’t offer this facility, and visitors are left to look for a car rental in St Barts on their own. Here are a few rental car companies in St Barts. Most are international companies that opened a branch on the island, with some local businesses making it to the list.
1. Maurice Car Rental
Maurice is a local car rental company in St Barts. It only has one location, in Gustaf III Airport, St Jean. Catering to tourists with varying needs in a car (and varying budget cap), Maurice Car Rental can match the right car to their customers’ specifications. The company partners with luxury agencies and St Barts villas.
Prices of renting a car in St Barts
To find out the rental rates of the car, you must make a reservation on the car of your choosing first, on the website. Prices include taxes, collision insurance (third party), and unlimited mileages.
Choice of cars
Maurice only rents cars with automatic transmission. The company offers a huge range of cars, from the standard “city” cars (such as the Hyundai i10), convertibles (Audi A3 Convertible), to SUVs (Hyundai Santa Fe) and luxury cars (Audi Q5 S Line Quattro). Newest addition to its fleet includes the Mercedes-Benz GLB SUV and Porsche Macan.
Services
The teams at Maurice Car Rental provide 24-hour assistance for their customers. You can pick up your rental from anywhere on the island. If you’re staying in Villa Avril or Villa les Lauriers, you will receive a discount due to their partnership with Maurice Car Rental.
2. Avis Car Rental
Avis is an American rental car company that opened a branch in St Barts in 1990. Its office is right across the Gustaf III Airport, with a courtesy booth inside the airport itself. Avis is the first car rental in St Barts to add electric vehicles to its fleets as part of its environmental commitment. It uses organic cleaning agents to wash its cars and reuse the wash water for its garden.
Prices
The rental prices at Avis vary between €43 – €120 per night. For bookings longer than 7 days, the rates are lower; €36 – €100 per night. If you book the car online, you can save 10% of the rent price.
Choice of cars
Avis boasts a total 160 fleets (20 models) of cars, ready to be used in St Barts. All the vehicles owned by Avis have automatic transitions. The company has eight electric car models that seat between 2-5 people. It has a range of cars that suit customers’ needs: sedans, family cars, even higher-end ones like convertibles and other luxury-type cars.
Services
Child booster seats are available for an extra fee. Avis provides free car washes with the rental price. Immediate roadside assistance is given to customers who experience troubles with their cars. You can change the car you want to rent every day, but you have to exchange them at the office. You can pick up your car from the airport, your villa, or even from the Gustavia Port (for an added fee). By renting a car at Avis, you can add a second driver for free, with unlimited mileage. If you book for 7 days or longer, you get half a day’s rent for free.
3. Alamo National
Alamo National is the local St Barts branch of the large American rental company. It is owned by Enterprise Holdings, who also holds National Car Rental. The main office is located at Gustaf III Airport, while its other location is at Béranger Rental in rue du General de Gaulle, Gustavia.
Prices
Prices of rental cars at Alamo National range between €21 – €79 per day, depending on the car model. If you book directly from the website, you can save 10% on your rental price.
Choice of cars
The St Barts branch of Alamo offers a wide range of cars to suit customers’ needs. From electric cars like the Bee-Bee and the Smart Forfour, everyday cars like Kia Picanto and Suzuki Ignis, to larger cars like the Nissan XTrail and Suzuki APV, there’s always something for everyone.
Services
At the Gustavia location, because of Alamo’s partnership with Béranger Rental, customers can also rent quads and scooters on top of their car rental agreement. The rental company also provides road assistance, and can also deliver the cars anywhere; the airport, the ferry docks, or even to your designated villa.
4. SIXT Car Hire
SIXT is a local branch of the German rental car company, located in Gustaf III Airport. It provides a diverse selection of cars, while providing a friendly service to its customers. The office opens everyday and can be requested to pick up and drop off the rental cars at any hour of the day. Bookings are made directly with the company.
Prices
Prices range from €34.65 – €175 per day, depending on the model.
Choice of cars
SIXT owns a widely diverse fleet of cars. The company has an everyday drive like the Kia Picanto, an SUV like the Jeep Wrangler, and also premium cars like the Mercedes-Benz C Cabrio and the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupé.
Services
The rental price includes unlimited mileage, for a small island like St Barts. Extras, such as Collision Damage Waiver, additional driver, and child booster seat can be added for an additional fee.
5. Gumbs Car Rental
Gumbs is a local, family-run company in St Barts. Open since 1974, Gumbs has a good reputation amongst returning holidaymakers as the go-to affordable car rental company. Its office is located at Gustaf III Airport, St Jean.
Prices
Rental prices at Gumbs vary, depending on the car model you want and when you are renting it. During the high season, prices range from €70 – €230 per day. During the middle season, prices range from €70 – €170 a day. During the low season, rental prices range from €40 – €110 a day.
Choice of cars
The fleet of cars rented by Gumbs are mostly SUV and Mini Coopers, perfect for exploring the island. The car models include: Suzuki Ignis, Suzuki Jimny (with sunroof), Mini Cooper Countryman, Mini Cooper, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Suzuki Jimny, Daihatsu Terios, and Hyundai Santa Fe.
Services
Gumbs offers 24/7 roadside assistance for its customers. Collision Damage Waiver insurance can be added at no more than €20 per day.
6. TopLoc Rentals
TopLoc is one of the most trusted local car rentals in St Barts. Opened in 2000, the company started renting 15 cars to customers. In 2005, TopLoc expanded their rental to boats as well, offering full-day charter, half-day charter, and even sunset charter. The quality of service of this small local company is reflected in the number of villa owners that entrust TopLoc to supply cars to their guests.
Prices
The prices are not shown on the website. So, you need to call them at (+590) 590 290 202 or email them at [email protected] to find out.
Choice of cars
All the vehicles offered by TopLoc, bar the minivans, have automatic transmission. For the minivans, you can choose whether to rent an auto or a manual.
TopLoc has four types of electric vehicles, which are:
- Renault Twizy
- Renault Zoe
- Smart Electric
- BMW i3
Meanwhile, there are five types of vehicles. They are:
- Kia Picanto
- Honda Terios or Suzuki Grand Vitara
- Austin Mini Cabriolet
- Austin Mini Countryman Sport
- Minivans: Suzuki APV or Rodius
Services
With every rental car, customers are allowed inclusions such as a child booster seat and adding a second driver for free. The company also does shuttle service to get you to your car, if you didn’t arrive from Gustaf III airport, where their HQ is.
7. Budget Rent a Car
Budget is an American rental car company, with a branch office in St Barts (by the airport). It is a subsidiary of the Avis Budget Group, who is also the parent company of Avis.
Prices
The rental price of the car is between €30 – €125 per day, depending on the model.
Choice of cars
All cars rented at Budget Rent a Car have automatic shifts. This is a good company for visitors travelling with a larger group, as the cars’ capacities vary from a four-seater to a nine-seater. Budget only rents petrol-fuelled cars, with the exception of the SsangYong Rodius (nine-seater), which runs on diesel.
Services
Budget offers free pickup service to your car. If you want to add more drivers to the contract, an additional fee of €8 per driver per day is expected, but the additional driver/s is only included for ten days or less. Car booster seats are available at an additional fee of €8 per rental day, also for a maximum of ten days.
8. Welcome Car Rental
Welcome is a car rental company, located in Route du Stade – St Jean, across the street from the St Jean Stadium. This small company is partnered with a few hotels and restaurants in St Barts, such as Bagatelle, Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf , Hotel Christopher and others.
Prices
Rental price ranges from €43 – €125 per night.
Choice of cars
All the cars available have automatic transition. Customers are able to choose from 8 car models: the Kia PIcanto, the Suzuki Vitara, the Kia Sonet, the Mini Cooper, the Ssangyong Rodius, the Fiat 500, the Mini Countryman, and the VW T-Roc. The company is expanding to include electric cars into their fleet in the future.
Services
Welcome gives a personalised service to their customers, whether to check in for prices or to choose the right car for them. Cars rented from the company are able to be picked up from the ferry docks, the airport parking lot, or even at the villa where you’re staying.
9. Oscar Rental Cars
Oscar is the only car rental company in St Barts that offers parking spaces right in the middle of the island’s capital, Gustavia. The office/parking lots are located in front of the L’Isola restaurant.
Prices
The rental prices vary, depending on the model of the car, and its renting period (depndable on the peak/low vacation season). The range is between €35 – €150 per day. Discounts will be added if you rent weekly. The company also has an insurance (Comprehensive Insurance – Collision Damage Waiver) fee that customers can add to their rental price, starting from €11 per day.
Choice of cars
The company offers four different models of automatic-shift cars that run on petrol. The cars are: the Hyundai i10, the Fiat 500 Convertible, the Mini Cooper Cabrio or the Cooper S, and the Daihatsu Terios.
Services
The company offers 24-hour roadside assistance reachable by phone. If you travel with a baby/ young child, Oscar will also add in infant or booster seats for free. They will also deliver your car to your villa, to the ferry docks, or to the parking area at the airport. If you rent a Fiat 500 or a Mini Cooper for at least a week, you get to use the parking space for free.
10. National Car Rental
National is an American company, under the parent group Enterprise Holdings, which is also the parent company of Alamo Rent a Car. It has two rental office locations on St BArts; one in the airport, and one is Gustavia Harbour. It is more beneficial to those who have already used this company’s services in other locations, as they have a reward system for loyal members.
Prices
To check rental prices, you must have or sign into your National Car Rental account.
Choice of cars
For the St Barts branches, the vehicle options are quite limited, with 2 model per vehicle type. Customers can choose between an economy car (Kia Picanto) or a compact (Suzuki Ignis). Whereas for the SUV option, they can choose between an intermediate (Suzuki Jimny JLX 4WD) or a standard SUV (Suzuki Vitara 4WD). All cars available are automatic and powered by petrol.
Services
If you are already signed up and upgraded into an Emerald Club member, you will get perks such as free rental days and priority service in any of Nationa’s branches, including St Barts.
Tips on renting a car in St Barts
Here are some things you should know before renting a car in St Barts.
1. Car Rental Insurance
As there are many roads in St Barts that are narrow and have wild, spiky plantations on its sides, small superficial scratches cannot be avoided. Additionally, if you visit places with valet parking services, they could park your car a little too close to the wall, and leave a few scuff marks on the car doors. Rather than pay a few hundred dollars out of pocket for repair, you should invest in Collision Damage Insurance for your rental car, for your peace of mind. Insurance isn’t typically included in the rental price.
2. Choosing a car
Although most car rentals in St Barts offer quite a variety of vehicles, you should choose the smallest car that could fit the number of people in your travel group. Most of the roads on the islands are quite rough and a little narrower than back home. So, a bulky car is best avoided. If you plan to visit St Barts in summer, it is best not to rent a car without a roof or one with a retractable roof. The sun can be very intense during these months and you don’t want to end up with a sunburn before heading to the beach.
3. Fuel
There are two gas stations in St Barts; one in St Jean, across the street from the airport, and one in Lorient. The St Jean station is open six days a week, between 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The Lorient station opens on Monday – Wednesday, and also Friday, between 7:30 am to 5 pm. On Thursdays and Fridays, the opening hours are shorter; between 7:30 am to 12:30 pm. Both stations close on Sundays. If you find yourself low on fuel on Sunday, or at closing hours, don’t worry; there is an automatic fuel pump at the St Jean station that uses credit cards. However, only European chip-and-pin cards work on it.
4. Electric cars
With more car rentals in St Barts offering more environmentally-friendly electric cars, hotels begin to set up charging stations to accommodate this change. Hotels that offer car-charging stations are:
- Le Manapany (Anse des Cayes)
- Le Christopher (Gustavia)
- Villa Lodge 4 épices (Grand Cul de Sac)
- Villa Marie (Colombier)
- Le Barthélémy (Baie de Grand Cul de Sac)
- Le Petit Morne (Colombier)
5. Driving around St Barts
As St Barts is an overseas territory of France, the island uses French traffic laws. The cars being rented have the driver’s side on the left, and people drive on the right side of the road. It is important that tourists are aware of this, especially if they come from countries where they don’t use this system (like the UK and Australia, for example), to avoid confusion. Tourists might also find the road conditions unlike what they’re used to at home. So, it is advised that you should drive slowly and carefully, and be especially mindful towards scooter riders, as there are many of them on the island. The views along the way to the destination is also another reason to drive at a leisurely speed.
Images are for illustration purposes
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