Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Car Rental and Safety

My opinion is that, if you are not intimidated by the thought of driving on the left hand side of the road, you should rent a car. The roads aren't as bad as a lot of people make them out to be and it's pretty tough to get lost. Ti Kaye is a little isolated. You will want to get out and about to see the island and go to restaurants and the cost of cabs will add up quickly.
Re: Safety -- Use common sense -- don't pick up hitchhikers, don't wander around downtown Castries at night, stick to areas where the
are a lot of tourists, etc. -- and you should be fine. I'm pretty sure that TiKaye runs a free bus to Anse La Raye fish night on Fridays. I would take advantage of that if I were you. Parking is tough in Anse La Raye and, to get from the parking area to where the food is served, you have to walk through an area that might make you a little uncomfortable.
Re: Money -- everyone accepts US dollars but they will usually give you an exchange rate of 2.50EC per US $$$ instead of the official exchange rate of 2.68. One exception -- if you shop in JQ's supermarkets, they give you official rate. Contrary to what most people think, the locals prefer to be paid and tipped in EC dollars, not US dollars. Going to the local banks to exchange money is a pain (long lines, etc.)and, to get a 5% better exchange rate, it's not worth it in my opinion. However, if you withdraw money from an ATM machine, you get the official rate.
Two restaurant recommendations -- the Coal Pot in Castries and the Rainforest Hideaway in Marigot Bay. Kind of expensive but well worth it.
Finally, if you've got teenage daughters, you should take them up to Reduit Beach and the Rodney Bay area since there is more "action" there than in the area around Ti Kaye.