Tobago Car Hire : Introduction

A detailed guide to hiring self-drive cars, jeeps and other vehicles on Tobago

While taxis are relatively cheap, a self-drive rental is by far the best choice for true convenience and flexibility. Sadly, rental is not cheap and the wrong choice could easily spoil an otherwise wonderful holiday. myTobago receives more complaints and hears more horror stories about car hire than any other subject .

Driving on Tobago

Visitors from the UK will be delighted to hear that vehicles travel on the left in Tobago. Brits will also be undaunted by the narrow twisty roads.

Driving on Tobago is remarkably easy. There are very few roads – and even fewer signposts. Wandering from your intended route is seldom more than a minor inconvenience. You can never get truly lost in an island that is only 26 miles long by 8 miles wide. Stopping to ask for directions can be an illuminating experience and will often produce helpful information and suggestions. You will invariably continue with a smile on your face.

The roads on Tobago are now of reasonably good quality by Caribbean standards. Sadly, once you move away from the Crown Point-Scarborough belt and into more rural areas, surface quality deteriorates. Mind you, I well remember the days when it used to take a day to drive to Charlotteville and back, weaving between the potholes at 10mph. It amuses me to return to Tobago, year after year, to find the same stretches of road un-surfaced and still ‘under repair’. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security: you can be driving down a perfectly sound stretch of road and then suddenly crash into a huge pothole if you're not concentrating.

Great care must be taken on the twisty roads in the more isolated parts of the island. You will regularly encounter oncoming traffic on your side of the road, avoiding potholes. Fortunately, the poor surface means that speeds are low, so accidents are less frequent than you might imagine.

Driving standards on the island are generally poor. Most local drivers abhor air-conditioning and drive with one arm out of the window. This is partly to hold on the roof (well, probably, given the state of some cars), partly to keep cool, but primarily to facilitate greeting of other drivers and passers-by. Chances are that a waving arm is not a turn signal or an invitation to pass. The use of turn indicators is rare, so don't assume that other road users will understand your own signals. Drivers stop, invariably without warning, wherever the fancy takes them. Route taxis are the worst offenders, stopping to drop off and collect passengers without the slightest notice (not unlike taxis at home). Parked cars regularly have to be 'overtaken', having been parked several feet from the kerb.

You can be excused for thinking that I am doing an excellent job of persuading you not to hire a car. This is most certainly not the case! Driving yourself around the island is highly recommended, very easy and can be wonderful fun. I have exaggerated the problems to stress that drivers should not get carried away by the stunning scenery and must constantly keep an eye on the road and vehicles ahead. The problems highlighted would be a major issue on our high speed, crowded roads. However, the pace of life and driving on Tobago is another world. I simply could not envisage a visit to Tobago without my own transport. The fact that all roads on Tobago are subject to a 50kph (30mph) speed limit should give you some idea of the pace of life and road conditions.

A final word if I may. Public transport is extremely limited in Tobago. When travelling in the more remote outlying parts of Tobago you will often see local people standing by the roadside. Many will raise a hand, asking for a ride.

Giving and receiving lifts is normal. Jill and I always offer lifts to locals when travelling around Tobago – ladies and children in particular. This is a practise that I wouldn’t dream of back home in England. Please don't let the prejudices and fears of our sad ‘developed’ society put you off. Tobago is a totally different world. Would you like to stand beside the road in the heat of the day, or face a several mile walk through the hills to your home? Suspicious-looking characters look suspicious the world over, and should obviously be avoided. It is simply a matter of common sense.

    

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