My wife and I just booked a trip to St. Lucia, and we're really excited. We're splitting our time between Jalousie and Ti Kaye. Should be great.

One of the things we want to do is take a day and drive around the entire island (both west and east). I've heard bad things about the roads in St. Lucia, and I also know that the driving is on the left side of the road. The question is: should we rent a car and do it ourselves or get ourselves a cab for the day to bring us around? Any advice you might have on hiring someone for the whole day or renting a car by ourselves would be great.

Thanks a lot.
Jason

My spouse and I are not the type of people that like to stay "on resort" when we I visit an island so I always rent a car for my entire trip as we like the freedom it gives us. We come and go as we please and we get to explore the entire island. We enjoy travelling and don't mind the chllenges that come with driving on unfamilar roads.

It sounds, however, that you and your wife are planning to spend most of your time at the two resorts so in your case you might be much better off hiring a car and driver for the day. That way you can get a tour of the important attractions on the island and because the driver will be familiar with where everything is you can make the best use of your time. I don't have anyone specific to recomend as a guide but I'm sure if you ask the concierge at either of the resorts they could set you up with a suitable car and driver.

Driving in the southern part of St. Lucia is exhausting. My husband is a “drive anywhere everywhere” kind of person and even he was put off driving in St. Lucia. We stayed at Jalousie and drove up to Pigeon Island and back – it took us two hours each way. I am not sure it’s really necessary to drive all around the island. I would recommend that you stick to “pockets” you want to see.

I can't see why someone would not rent a car in St Lucia and be able to drive themselves. Some roads have potholes and the road from the main road to Ti Kaye is unmade, but nowhere near as bad as the one to Anse Chastenet. Guess it depends on what you are used to, if you only drive in the US on straight roads, it might be a little uncomfortable driving around yourself. Ti Kaye is really lovely.

It depends on what you are looking for. If you are just looking to do a one day tour of the island, you're probably better off hiring a cab for the day and having the driver show you around -- he'll know where all the attractions are, etc. If, on the other hand, you want the flexibility to come and go as you please, leave the hotel grounds for dinner, etc., you sould rent a car. The roads aren't great in St. Lucia, but they're not horrendous either. Unless the thought of driving on the left really freaks you out (in my opinion, it takes about 15 minutes to get used to it), you shouldn't have a problem.