Directions from Negril to Ochio Rios please

[TiCtOc]

I need to get to Ochio Rios for the day
Should I do this as a day trip while staying in Negril?
Get up early morning and return in the evening in a rented car driving ourself
OR
will it be easier to get to Ochie on the way to Montego bay from near Mandeville area? With a driver?
I need the quickest,easiest low cost route and would rather it be on main roads if possible.
Has anyone done this trip?
How much are the gas costs?
I will need phone numbers in case of emegencies lost or stuck or brokedown too

[Joe Trinidad]

You can do it on a day trip. It's looong, there are a couple of ways through neither one is faster than the other. Best just to hire a driver unless you're nuts like us.. LOL

[Ras Walleye]

Tic, Donna and I do this every reach. Her family is east of Ochi in Oracabessa. We have always hired a driver, we've used Kenny the last three years. We leave early in the AM. Now that the road is complete from MoBay to Ochi and beyond it is a pleasant if long drive. Even with mild traffic in MoBay it is 3 hours from Negril to Ochi including a stop for necessaries. If you have a car it should be easy, just drive to MoBay and follow the signs. It's really pretty much a straight shot.

[Island Girl]

Have you been to Jamaica before? Unless you are an adventurous soul or a racecar driver, you will want to hire a ride. Check the transportation section of this website; or use a Boardie recommended driver. VERY IMPORTANT: make sure you ONLY use red-plate drivers! They are the only ones insured to carry you. IRIE! *IG

[TiCtOc]

Hiring a driver for this journey sounds out of the question because I never budgeted for it and if we have to travel to Montego bay first and then to Ochios Rios that sounds like two airport transfer costs x 5 for the family plus return.

Are there any sites that show the cost of hiring a driver to Ochios Rios and back?
Do you usually return the same day Ras W?

[Ras Walleye]

Yes we return the same night. We usually leave Ochi around 6PM and get back to Negril around 9PM. Hiring a driver for an all day trip with a family of 5 will probably start in the $300US range and that would be cheap, by my guess it would likely be more. Probably better to rent a car and drive. While I agree with Island Girl about the challenge of driving in Jamaica, the trip from Negril to Ochi is about as easy as it gets. Even I could do it :-)

[msB]

alot of good drivers around ....
altho your request is a bit different from usual airport transport or tour, clive accommodates the needs of most.
http://www.clivestransportservicejamaica.com
will answer e-mail in a timely manner.

[TiCtOc]

So from here I would be looking to rent a car probably.I have just seen vernons rent cars for extremely low prices and were very suitable but then I read that they want a USD $1500 deposit and it said optional insurance but did not say the costs of insurance.
I think it may be best to get my driver to stop at Ochios Rios on the way to Montego bay from Mandeville area.
Any idea how long that journey would take?
I could consider doing route taxi/minibus but that will be a very long journey to do all in one day.

[Rob]

Tic,

I am not sure which site you are looking at, but on Vernon's Car Rental site, there are prices for the insurance - here are the rates as listed on the site:

D.V.W - Damage to Vehicle Waver $ 12.00 per day
This insurance reduces the risk of you paying for the total damage to the Vehicle .PLI - Public Liability Insurance $ 10.00 per day
This Insurance reduces the risk of you paying full damage to third party Vehicle .

Here is the link to Vernon's Car Rental:

http://vernonscarrental.com/

[airportworker]

Tic last time a went to Ochio i went on one of the tours to Dunns falls, instead of doing the morning shopping I went off and did what i had to do, and then rejoined the tour for lunch and trip to falls in the afternoon, I just spoke to the tour guide and the driver at one of the rest stops telling them what i wanted to do, and for a little bit of money the driver even drove me to where i wanted to go whilst the others were shopping