Car Travel in Martinique

The main highways, about 175 mi (280 km) of well-paved and well-marked roads, are excellent, but only in a few areas are they lighted at night. Many hotels are on roads that are barely passable, so get wherever you're going by nightfall or prepare to lose your way. Then tell a stranger, "Je suis perdu!" (I am lost!). It elicits sympathy. Drive defensively; although Martinicans are polite and lovely people, they drive with aggressive abandon.

Martinique, especially Fort-de-France and environs, is plagued with heavy traffic; if you must drive into Fort-de France, do it on a weekend. Absolutely avoid the Lamentin Airport area and Fort-de-France during weekday rush hours, roughly 7 to 10 AM and 4 to 7:30 PM, and on Sunday night. Even the smaller towns like La Trinité have rush hours. Traffic can also be bad on weekend nights. Watch, too, for dos d'ânes (literally, donkey backs), speed bumps that are hard to spot—particularly at night. If you hit one, you'll know it. Gas is costly, nearly $7 per gallon.

Of the many agencies, JumboCar is the most likely to cut a deal, but few of its staffers speak English. Europcar will deliver the car to you and later pick it up, and its rates are usually among the lowest. If you're staying in Ste-Anne, and particularly if you're at Club Med, Euro Soleil Car is a small operation that has exceptionally good prices.

Information

Avis (0596/42-11-00). Budget (0596/42-04-04). Euro Soleil Car (0596/76-93-34). Europcar (0596/42-42-42). Hertz (0596/51-01-01). JumboCar (0596/42-22-22 or 0820/22-02-30).