When visiting St. Lucia, you’ll need to choose between booking a car rental or relying on taxis for transportation. There are so many things to do in St. Lucia that renting a car and traveling on your own terms is certainly worth it for some people. However, driving the roads of St. Lucia isn’t exactly the easiest, but you won’t always find a taxi that’s willing to take you or wait for you at some of the harder to reach spots like Anse Cochon or the Des Cartiers Rainforest. You’ll also want to book with a reliable and trusted St. Lucia car rental company.
Should You Rent A Car in St Lucia?
Yes, it’s definitely worth renting a car in St. Lucia. Despite the tough road conditions in certain areas, a car gives you the freedom to explore when you want and visit harder to reach areas that taxies might not always be willing to pick you up from. While it might be easy to find a taxi to pick you up from your hotel and take you there, finding one to pick you up is the hardest part. Beaches like Anse Cochon or hiking trails like the Des Cartiers Rainforest Trail may be too difficult to do unless you find a taxi that’s willing to wait for you. You can easily rent a car from the St. Lucia airport or pick it up from the area you plan to stay in since many companies have offices in places like Soufriere and Castries.
Not renting a car can put a bit of a dent in your vacation if you’re the type who likes to explore off the beaten path. St Lucia offers much more than the typical Pitons and Diamond Falls areas (although you should 100% visit those while you’re here), so it’s worth checking out the more secluded spots.
Some people remedy this issue by hiring a private driver to take them around, but that’s often more expensive than simply renting a car and driving yourself. Taxies are affordable on the island, but if you’re trying to do multiple stops or traveling with a group of people, they can quickly add up in costs.
We do highly recommend that you buy car insurance. While the main road of the island is fine, driving off the main road and into the many smaller roads is not for the weak-hearted. Expect treacherous roads that aren’t always easy to navigate, and with lots of bumps. You’ll want travel car insurance that protects you against any scratches and dents. Luckily, if you rent a car with a credit card, many card companies offer this type of insurance automatically as a benefit, so you won’t always have to buy it from the car rental company directly.
Top Car Rental Companies
1. Expedia
Expedia partners up with car rental companies like Hertz, Avis, Dollar, and Budget across St Lucia to offer the best deals for cars. You can find a wide selection of vehicles you can pick up from any part of the island, from Soufriere to Castries. They offer their own collision damage protection that covers your rental for up to $35,000 in damage, and the company's customer service is pretty top-notch. It’s a popular platform that many travelers to St Lucia often use, and we had a good experience with the Suzuki that came from Hertz.
2. Hertz
Find Hertz at the Hewanorra Airport in Vieux Fort and in their main office in Castries. You can rent Suzuki SUVs, Mitsubishi Outlanders, and more compact cars like Nissan Almeras. Hertz has a decent reputation on the island, although it’s a little bit less popular than the other major brands like Enterprise and Alamo. However, we’ve found their prices to be pretty reasonable for what you get.
3. SIXT Rent A Car
SIXT Rent A Car offers the 4WD vehicles that are well-suited for the terrain here, like Jeeps and Suzuki Jimny’s. You’ll want these types of cars when traveling to the more remote beach areas. You can find their offices in 4 different areas of St Lucia, including Gros Islet, Marigot, Castries at the St. Lucia GFL Charles Airport, and Vieux Fort at the St. Lucia Hewanorra Airport. They offer reasonable protection packages and insurance, but we recommend using a credit card with built-in travel car protection to avoid the extra costs.