By Car in Martinique

• Sights
• Restaurants
• Hotels
• Entertainment
• Shopping
• Activities
• Travel Tips
• Features

By Car

It's worth the hassle to rent a car, even if it's just for a day or two, so that you can explore this beautiful island at your own pace.

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. Streets in the capital are narrow and choked with cars during the day. It's wiser to visit it on the weekends, since almost every weekday from fall to spring is a cruise-ship day. 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 Trinité have rush hours. Pay particular attention late on Friday and Saturday nights. Martinicans love to party and those are the big nights out. 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 $6.40 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).