Car Rental in St Barts – Insiders’ Tips

There are several rental car companies on the island and you can either pick up your vehicle at the airport, ferry port or have it delivered right to your villa.  

To best explore and experience all that St. Barts has to offer, you will want to rent a car. It is an absolute necessity on the island for flexibility. There is no public transportation on the island, no Uber or Lyft drivers, and taxi service is limited.  

With one call or email to WIMCO St Barth Properties’ concierge department, you can access availability for all local rental car agencies, so there is no need for you to shop around. We offer the best price guarantee on car rental rates in St Barts. 

Your WIMCO St Barth Properties representative can help you choose a vehicle, reserve it and arrange a pickup or delivery time.  

The inventory of cars on St Barts is constantly changing. We recommend making arrangements for your car as soon as you reserve your villa.  

Our friendly staff at WIMCO St Barth Properties can share options and take care of the reservation for you. . Just tell us what type of vehicle you'd prefer and whether you want to pick it up at the airport, ferry dock, or have it delivered to your villa. 

The Most Popular Cars To Rent In St Barts

There are many fun and practical cars to choose from on St Barts. Most rental cars are small, though, better for navigating the narrow roads, and for finding parking. The average SUV looks very out of place on St Barths.  

Available vehicles range from Jeep Wranglers to the trendy Mini Cooper convertible to the sleek to the iconic Mini Moke. 

Because St Barts is so mountainous, with many steep roads, all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicles, such as aJeep Wrangler, or Suzuki Jimny are good choices. They are sturdy, and have the ground clearance necessary to not get in trouble on the island's steep roads. 

Here we listed some of the best cars in St Barts based on your preference:

Best For Couples

MINI COOPER
JEEP WRANGLER 3 doors, 4X4
MINI MOKE

Best For Small Families

SUZUKI VITARA 4X4
MINI COOPER COUNTRYMAN
SUZUKI JIMNY 4-DOOR
JEEP WRANGLER 4-DOOR 

Best For Big Families Or Large Groups

CHRYSLER PACIFICA
MITSUBISHI MONTERO SPORT

Best For Adventurers

JEEP WRANGLER 5 doors, 4X4
JEEP WRANGLER 3 doors, 4X4
SUZUKI JIMNY
SUZUKI VITARA 4X4

Best Convertibles

MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE 
VW T-ROC CONVERTIBLE 

Important Things To Know Before Renting A Car In St Barts

To ensure that your car rental experience goes smoothly while you are on St Barts, we've put together a few tips.

• Your driver's license is all you need to drive legally on St Barts.

• We advise against using travel product aggregators like Kayak or Expedia, since they generally do not have contracts with local companies, so you may not get the car you “reserve.”

• We can’t stress enough that it is crucial to reserve your car rental well before your arrival. This is especially true for the holiday season.

• Unlike many other parts of the world, a seven-day rental is required on St Barts to qualify for a weekly rate.

• During the holiday season, from December 15 through January 7, there is a 10-day minimum rental period for car rentals across all rental agencies. 

• Also, during this holiday period, car rental companies may charge a penalty for late cancellations. This is usually defined as a 30% penalty for cancellation between 15 and 30 days prior to arrival and 100% penalty for cancellation within 15 days of arrival.

• Wearing seatbelts is required on St Barts.

• The speed limit on most of the island roads is 50 kph (about 30 mph).

• Vehicles travel on the right side of the road on St Barts (just like in the US, Canada or France).

• It's important to watch your fuel gauge while you're on St Barts. There are only two gas stations on the island--one in L'Orient and one next to the  airport. Both gas stations are open 24/7 if paying with credit card. 

• Gas pumps on St Barts do accept US or Canadian (non-EEC) credit cards and cash. 

What Kind Of Cars Can You Rent On St Barts?

Many of the available cars are different on St Barts from what you'll find in most other parts of North America. They are smaller, which is ideal for navigating the narrower, winding mountain roads. 

Cars that are commonly available to rent on St Barts include...

• Mini Moke (read more about these iconic St Barts vehicles below.)

• Suzuki Jimny

• Kia Picanto

• Suzuki Vitara
• Kia Seltos

• Mini Cooper

• Jeep Wrangler

• VW Convertible

A few of the rental car companies on St Barts keep a handful of "special" (luxury) cars in their inventory. These are often not listed and must be requested well in advance. These special cars are rarely available during peak season.

St Barts Rental Companies — The Inside Scoop 

There are several car rental agencies on St Barts. These include...

Local Car rental companies

• Top Loc

• Turbe Car Rental

• Maurice Car Rental

• Gumbs Car Rental

• Welcome Car Rental

International Car Rental Franchises

• Hertz

• Alamo

• Thrifty

• Avis

• Sixt

• Budget

Several of these St Barts car rental companies have a desk at the airport. Others have an office nearby and will meet you at the airport. WIMCO St. Barth Properties has good working relationships with all local rental car companies and offers a best-price match guarantee, so with one call you can access the inventory of all rental car companies on St Barts.