When planning vacations to Curacao island, you may think whether renting a car is a good idea or not. Will it be a real advantage or should you use local public transportation? What risks or setbacks can a rental car have?
First of all, renting a car is more comfortable than using localr transport. It is a great advantage to just get into a vehicle and move around without depending on public transportation. This allows you to fully enjoy your daily trips, saving waiting times and maximizing your stay on the island. The fact that you don´t have to wait for a taxi or public transport to move from one place to another will allow you to plan your daily routes and make the best from your time on the island. In addition, many rental companies can have a car for you at the airport as soon as you arrive. Also, having a vehicle with GPS is an element of great value if you want to easily move from one place to another on an island you do not know at all. This is great to get to know the most from the island and all its great beaches.
Also, renting a car is more economical than paying for taxis to travel to different parts of the island. This is especially true due to the fact that most of the best things to see and do on the island are far from the city center.
Another reason why you should consider renting a car is that renting agencies have a wide availability of all types of cars. These companies will offer you a wide range of cars that will adapt to your tastes and needs, as they have vehicle models of the main brands in the market.
In addition, these agencies have a magnificent customer service. Whenever you need it, you will have the support of the chosen company, which is usually available to help you 24 hours a day.
Nowadays, it is very easy to rent a car in Curacao. You can contact most agencies from your own country, before travelling to the island. This will allow you to get to know the agency, its vehicles and the specific rental conditions. Also, you can rent from the agencies´ physical stores, some of them located at the international airport.
However, some it is not recommended to rent a car from agencies that are inside the airport, as their prices tend to be more expensive that other agencies. These agencies take advantage of inexperienced tourists who seek to rent a car as soon as they get off the plane. Therefore, if you have not arranged any rental before traveling, it is best to go to a nearby car rental company.
Also, when renting a car for sightseeing the island, check the vehicle insurance. There are companies that include basic insurance that only covers small damages, which may lead you to pay big amounts in case of a major contingency. To avoid this, you can hire an additional insurance, provided by the rental company. In one way or another, it is vital that you carefully read the contract and its conditions regarding insurance.
Regarding fuel, in the past, all car rental companies used to have the same policy regarding fuel: the tank was delivered full and you had to return it full, otherwise a certain amount of money was charged for the missing fuel.
However, nowadays some companies have a different policy, which makes you pay for the fuel that the car has at that specific moment, at a price higher than the market´s. Try to avoid this abusive practice, by choosing companies that have the old full-house policy, being able to save a certain amount of money.
