Hi all. We're considering renting a car in MoBay for our next visit. We've been visiting the island, mainly Negril, for 30+ years. Have always had transfers to and from Sangster and always had a scooter in Negril to get around. Was hoping to get any tips and/or do's and dont's with renting a car from any personal experiences. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Respect
Just remember that driving a car in Jamaica is not at all like riding a scooter in Negril. Driving in Jamaica is not for the faint of heart and I'd throw it out there that the bad driving this year is the worst I've ever seen. Having said that, I like driving in Jamaica. My wife and myself will drive to Falmouth just for lunch and see the big ships, then drive back. Friday we drove to Whitehouse for the day (actually more of a Red Stripe hunt that a causal drive). Bad drivers this year seem to like to pass right in front of oncoming traffic and I'm not taking about down the road traffic but right in front, causing the on coming car to hit the shoulder. I've seen this a few times in the past but this year it's an every day event. Take care, don't be in a hurry, and above all all don't drive like they do (the bad drivers).
I have a friend that rents from Island Rentals right at MBJ and is happy with the service and the condition of the vehicles. Most of the big names are right at the airport like Hertz and Avis. Don't count on your credit card insurance, get the company insurance or buy rental car insurance at home before you come.
Tip: Go local. Take the transfer to negril then rent from Vernon's on beach road. First time we rented at the airport was nerve wracking. Managing to stay on the "correct" side while steering and shifting gears from the "wrong" side of the car, finding our way from the airport to the negril highway without getting killed accidentally going out of entrances to roundabouts. This was by no means our first trip---just our first trip driving. We were so flustered by the time we got out of MoBay and on the proper route we had to pull over at Old Steamer Landing for a few nerve settlers. BTW, this was one year after Gilbert wrecked the island and the guy whose family owned OSL and the land above it told us how they drank coconut water from their property for two weeks after the storm because the corporate water system went out and no one had fresh water. From then on it was Vernon's. Easy out, easy in and no worries about missing your flight home while you're trying to return your rental in the crowd at the airport.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the goats, burros, bicycles, pushcarts and pedestrians along the way. Not to mention the oncoming idiots and speed demons brownsd54 just mentioned. Other than that it's a piece of cake.
Take a video of the entire car including the spare tire. We used to rent from Island and about half the time I had to argue out of paying for a new rim or some pre-existing dents.
One time, we had a hole in floorboard under the driver's seat - drove at night from MBJ to Negril in pouring rain, on the old road during the crab migration - dodged as many as I could but they get defiant, stand their ground and hold up their claws. Really thought some would pierce the flimsy tires or get washed up into the car through the hole.
I agree with the previous posts. Getting out of Mobay is dangerous unless you’re a seasoned driver…I used Island Rental for many years and almost always had to negotiate on scratch’s and minor dents(I took pics before leaving)
Vernon’s has good vehicles at a reasonable price.
Sheesh...never had to dodge belligerent crabs in a rainstorm! (lol)
Those crabs can get crazy!Originally Posted by ol'yardie
As Odinson mentioned...they stand on their back legs as tall as they can stretch & click their claws at the vehicles...some are Huge!
Sadly, we don't see many migrating across the roads anymore...it felt like a really bad video game trying to dart the vehicle around them.
...and if you stop the car for them you could get "crab-jacked"!
I will never live down that crab drive, still have a bit of PTSD from it and it was over 20 years ago. About 10 years ago we were driving in CO after some mountaineering and I was dozing off in the passenger seat - woke up suddenly and saw a crab in the road - my friends still make fun of me for that hallucination.
That rainy drive was further complicated by the Jamaicans filling up baskets with the crabs along the road and in the road - I was way more afraid of clipping one of them. It was also pretty late - our AirJA flight out of Chicago was delayed (somebody on the incoming flight had jammed up the lavatory) and our friends that we were meeting in MoBay for the ride to Negril had been hanging out and were fairly lit by the time we got there. I remember their hysterical reactions to each near miss and squished crab like it was yesterday.
One piece of driving advice - at least for me - the first day driving on the 'right' side of the road took a bit of concentration. The second day, I would wake up and drove like I lived there my whole life. I'd like to think my brain is still as plastic as it once was...
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