Meeko72

Where can I get the best deal for a rental car for 8 days in Jamaica? I booked the all-inclusive at the Renaissance Grande. Is a rental car a must over there?

tivertonhouse

Try Island Rentals or Sun Rentals, both MoBay airport. Driving,however, in Jamaica is not for the timid. It's Brit-style driving on left. And the
MoBay to Ochee road is now a mash-up of construction. Unless you'll be doing a lot of country exploring, recommend you
look into a private touring van/driver such as Carolyn Barrett / [email protected]

Meeko72

Thanks for the reply... how is the coun try exploring? Would you recommend it? I generally am the type to wander off the beaten path when on vacation, but not sure this is wise in Jamaica. I heard you wander at your own risk over there.

Meeko72

btw, I did email Carolyn for more info. Thanks for the tip.

tivertonhouse

Meekoots of interest off the beaten track and hidden in Jamaica, so a good guide can separate the wheat from the chaff and take you beyond, say, Dunn's River Falls. For an 8 day holiday you'll probably do 2 maybe 3 trips away from RG at most. Yes, you can do it yourself---but I'm always reminded of guests who drove for hours and complained they saw nothing, driving by
some great obscure or not at first promising looking spots that are superb. Off the mains, good shocks and tires are a must for the roads are often pot-holed, marl, dirt or rough....

Meeko72

Thanks for your replies to both of my posts... Is there a book such as Maui/Kauai Revealed for Jamaica I can bring if I decide to do it on my own? Thanks again... you've been very very helpful. BTW, haven't gotten a reply from Carolyn yet.

tivertonhouse

Both THE ROUGH GUIDE TO JAMAICA and THE LONELY PLANET GUIDE are about the best, tho both need some updating (new editions come out this December). There's an Ochee crowd on www.jamaicans.com bulletin board you might want to tap into as well for insider tips. The papermap OF Jamaica by International Travel Maps, Vancouver, is the best one out by far,including topography -- whether you drive or not. Things move a bit slower on island, mind you, than hurry-hurry net land up here;Carolyn tends to answer e-mail late nights and early mornings...since she's probably out with guests. You can also try 1.876.382.6384.

Meeko72

Thanks yet again for the reply. I will definitely check out Barnes & Nobles for those books... Carolyn did reply and gave me the lowdown. Now, all I have to do is decide whether we're gonna do it on our own. Much may depend on what I see in the books. Thanks again.

liza

We've used Carolyn and Errol twice now, and we've also rented a car and driven....maybe some of our trip reports will help you decide:

http://www.alink.com/personal/liz/negril/index.htm

The 2003 one is the driving one and the Barretts took us on trips both on that 2003 trip and the one for "Rondel Village" in 2001.

We enjoyed driving a lot but we were on the move this last time, stayed in 4 different areas in 2 weeks....not sure it would be worth it if you're parking in Ochi. Maybe rent in Ochi for a day, or go out with the Barretts and see how you feel about driving yourself.

There's another driver I can recommend in that area, Chef Thompson, he's British-Jamaican and lives just east of Ochi. His web site is at www.sealawncoralbeach.com (they also run a guest house).

Have fun!

arawak23

I enjoy Jamaica every year that I visit, and this year will be there in August. My wife is Jamaican, so we tour the island. We always rent our vehicle from Hertz at the airport in MoBay. Good luck and enjoy your vacation. It's a wonderful and beautiful island.