My husband and I are going to St. Lucia for the 1st time in January. We are staying at the Hilton and after looking at the costs of cab fare from the airport to hotel are thinking that renting a car may be a wise thing to do.<BR><BR>Has anyone driven in St. Lucia and is it safe? Are we better off spending money on cabs and water taxis?

Sue we went to Jalousie 5 years ago, and at that time a hotel pick-up by van was included. Its a 45min-1hour very windy road trip! Once you get to the hotel its easy to get water taxis on the beach or taxi. This is one of the first islands we never rented a car, the roads are paved, windy and very narrow. At night it is pitch black. I would suggest you take a cab to hotel and then decide about renting a car. A water taxi is the best way to get to Castries. The pitons and setting are beautiful, the hotel has a wonderful spa and gym. IMHO cabs and water taxis are the smart way to go. Have fun!

We rented a villa in St. Lucia just minutes from the Jalousie Hilton. We rented a car at the airport, and the agent led us all the way to our villa, which really helped alot. My husband loves to drive in the Carib, so it was never a question for us. Of course, you drive on the left and the roads are potholed. We never drove far at night, only to Soufriere and back, or to Ladera or the Hilton for dinner. The absolute worst road on the entire island was the mile-long entrance road to Anse Chastanet. You had to drive about 5 mph because of the potholes. But we generally found driving there to be an adventure, and not the terrifying experience others have reported. the roads north of Soufriere weren't bad at all. And yes, we felt safe. But do not pick up hitchhikers. We did once (against the advice of our villa brochure) and the guy was a jerk who took us out of our way and tried to demand money for his "guide services". I guess the bottom line is, do you like driving windy roads or would you rather be driven?<BR>

One other thing: if you do rent a car, get a jeep/suzuki, not for the 4WD, but for the higher clearance over those potholes!<BR><BR>Have a wonderful time!<BR>Joan

Good luck on getting a jeep in St. Lucia. We reserved a jeep, but when we got there it was a very small car which hardly enough power to chug up the steep roads. If I had known the roads and driving were so bad (no street lights of any kind, no striping on the roads, storm drains with no curbs along the side of the road and kiss-your-ass curves) and that the Hilton had a helipad, we would have taken the helicopter from the airport to the hotel and back. But, since we always had rented a car for our trips, we did the same in St. Lucia. Driving is definitely an adventure there and not one that I will repeat.

I travel to St. Lucia quite often, because I a married a Lucian. We were there in August, and we rented a car for the weekends only. The rest of the time we took the public transport or cabs. You didn't mention how long you are staying, but you will not need a car for everyday. The island is not that large. Many of the the sightseeing attractions are relatively close together. There is no denying that the roads are narrow, windy, and not in the best condition. Car rental and gas are not cheap, and there are no posted speed limits. Since the import of more cars has occurred in the last few years, there are more locals driving. And true to Carribean nature, they drive CRAZY!!<BR><BR>I feel comfortable driving there, but you may feel otherwise. I agree that you should take the cab/shuttle from the airport to the hotel. This will give you a better idea about whether to drive or not.

Definitely water taxis to go from one end of the island to the other; regular taxis for short hops. This is the only island we did not rent a car. Worth the $.

Sue:<BR><BR>My husband and I spent our honeymoon on St. Lucia last year and we rented a standard jeep from Cool Breezes. We loved drving all over the island. We did take a taxi to our hotel from the airport to see what the roads were like before we decided to rent. We thought they were no worse than on other island and like some here in Dallas. We only drove short distances at night. The roads are narrow with twists and turns and no shoulders. What we did when we were about to go around a curve was to honk our horn so if there was someone around the other side they would know we were there. If you need more specifics on reating a car and what driving the jeep was like e-mail my husband as he did all the driving at [email protected] and he will be hapy to answer any questions. You can also read our trip report and see our pictures at www.seashelltravel.com

I think you're definitely better off using taxis, not just because driving in St. Lucia is challenging, but also because car rental is very expensive. Even with the cost of getting to and from the airport, it will still be cheaper to use taxis all week rather than renting a car. Also, you may be able to share the cost of the airport transfers with others arriving & departing at the same time you are (the Hilton is big, and there aren't that many flights to & from St. Lucia, so odds are there will be other Hilton guests on your flights). Many of the "taxis" are really large vans.

But be prepared, we felt taxis were EXTREMELY expensive. We probably could have paid for a one week car rental with what we paid for three days worth of taxis.

Travel packages include the transport from airport to hotel and back.

But if you don't have a travel package you have to pay for it yourself.

I rented a car in St Lucia and drove to Ladera...OH MY GOD!!! Dont do it....scary...drive on the left...goats in the road....signs not clear...pay whatever it costs to take a taxi....<BR>there are so many hair pin turns...<BR>never again!