we are planning a week in vieques in february.
our hotel has told us they would arrange a car with Maritza. on another post, someone told of some difficulties she had with the quality of the vehicle rented from Maritza. can anybody tell me of another car rental place on the island which they had a "good" experience with and the cost was only about $45 per day?

Don't remember what the cost was but we have been very satisfied with Martineau Bay Car Rental

We used Martineau's car rental and had a good experience. Get a jeep -- not a car -- with a little scratch or two as you will surely add a few to them. They are very close to the airport and will transport you back and forth as well.

Martineau has the newest cars and is in the most convenient location. We used Steve's last time and had some serious issues. We eventually received a discount on the rental, but I would not rent from them again.

We have used Acevedos twice. The first time was fine. Last time we needed a rental there, they would not meet us at the ferry, we had to take a taxi charging $18 to the car rental place. Whoever you decide to rent from, make sure they will meet you where you land on the island and will bring you to the dock.airport upon departure.

how much did Martineau Bay charge you per day for renting a jeep? are they willing to drop it off at the hotel since we wouldn't be needing it until the day after we arrive since we're arriving in the late afternoon. also, can anybody comment on any experiences they had with Maritza car rental?

We used Maritza's and they were very nice folks, gave my husband a ride to the airport when he dropped the car off. The car ran fine but was kinda beat up but that turned out to be a great thing since we were on some very narrow roads and the plants were scratching up the whole vehicle. If it had been new, it would've been a mess, honestly. Plus we wanted to make sure we were supporting a local family business. I highly recommend Maritza's.

We are going in Novemeber and are also using Martineau because they offer airport/felly pick up and drop off.
Joey from Hac Tam told us they are the only car rental company that offers this service. Check out their web site. I inquired with a few other rentals via email and the responses were you need to get to the rental agency via a publico on your own.

sunni, that's funny, because when we stayed at HacTam in May, we were told that only Maritza offers the complimentary airport drop off! Who knows what the straight story is?!

putchm, glad you've got your plans all set up. Hope that it's worth all of your painstaking research!

Island time, island attitude, folks...depending on how the wind blows!!
We used the same company twice within the same year, first time they picked us up at the ferry (Jan.), second time they told us we needed to take a publico (Nov.).
Just ask when you book.

ej,
I found that most are willing to drop you off at the airport. It was being picked up on arrival they did not want to be bothered with. Martineau states on their web site they offer both.
I couldn't find anything on line on Maritza except a number. Based on your experience with them I felt it better to avoid their cars.
Someone mentioned Steve's. They are going out of business in July per an email response I received from them.

We've also had good experiences w/ Island and Marcos. Marcos is sort of a rent-a-wreck outfit, but they've left the car at the airport for us on arrival and let us leave it there on our departure.

Are Maritza's jeeps air conditioned? is $45 a day a good price for a Geo-Tracker?
What did you pay at Martineau Car Rental?

Our vehicle from Maritza (it wasn't a Jeep, but similar) was air conditioned. We originally rented a smaller vehicle, along the lines of a Geo Tracker, but they gave us a free upgrade when we returned the first one with a mosquito infestation. Our total charge, including all taxes and insurance, was $150 for three days.

joey, from HacTam, says he has rented us a Geo-Tracker. should i be concerned about the "quality" of the vehicle? it seems that you did not have a good experience and i wonder just how many jeeps they have available and if we have a chance of getting a well-working one. i agree that with the kind of terrain we'll be driving in we don't want a "pristine" jeep but i also don't want a wreck.

I don't know what to tell you. Who can predict whether the particular car that you get next February will be of good quality or not?

You're going in high season, so if you do get a car of questionable quality, there won't be many left to choose from for a replacement.

what you say makes a good deal of sense. i'm going to think about what we should do with that in mind. one year we went to turks and caicos and hadn't reserved a car and there were none left when we arrived and we had to rent a beat up scooter. every time it rained, we got soaked. it was an adventure and a story we can tell and that's what traveling is about; having adventures. thanks for your level-headed advice.