Grand Cayman is one of our favorite places on Earth! The Caribbean paradise offers stunning crystal clear waters, the famous Seven Mile Beach, and many other places to explore.
If you really want to explore Cayman and save money, I recommend rental cars to truly see the entire island. In this article I’ll talk about the various rental car companies you’ll come across, and offer my recommendation as to where to book a car rental for Grand Cayman.
Rental Cars in the Cayman Islands
The first thing you’ll need to know before booking a rental car is that here, people drive on the left side of the road. While it’s not difficult, it can take some getting used to. Thankfully the entire island drives very slowly and with a lot of courtesy. In fact, I would have to say it’s the safest place I’ve ever driven!
Car rental companies are abundant at the Owen Roberts international airport, and that’s where your vacation begins. The most popular companies are Avis, Andy’s, and Hertz. Alamo is also there in Cayman.
Why I Recommend Renting a Car in the Cayman Islands
During our August 2024 trip, we dined out every night and required a cab service from our hotel. This varied from $13 (Cayman Currency) to $22 each way depending on where we went. Often times it was only a mile or so, but in the scorching Summer Heat, we didn’t want to sweat (and most people we met at our hotel did the same.) Renting a car would easily offset this expense, so next time we will be once again renting a car.
You’ll also be able to see much more of the island and make spur of the moment trips. It’s a great thing to have for that quick trip to the convenience store as well.
If it’s your first time in Cayman, you’ll want to take a day and tour the whole island. You can see so many different venues, from Rum Point, to the Crystal Caves, and perhaps do some romantic things in Cayman if you are on a couples trip!
You will be charged a one time fee of $20 to get a temporary driver’s license when you rent a car in Grand Cayman. There is no way out of it, so be aware.
You’ll also want to contact your local car insurance company to see if they cover you in Grand Cayman when you are renting, but in case they don’t, you’ll have the option for coverage with my recommended provider, DiscoverCars.com, which is a search engine with local expertise and deals in hand with Cayman Car rental companies.
This is a service I used on most travels, and it’s hands down the best way for car rentals. You can see all available inventory from every car rental company, as well as consumer reviews for the national and local rental cars brands.
They offer competitive rates, often less than the rent a car agency will offer you directly!
Car Rental Tips
Before you book at DiscoverCars.com, here’s a few tips I’d like to offer up to make sure you have the best rental car experience.
First, unless you need to cater to a large number of passengers, you don’t need a massive SUV or ginormous vans. This isn’t like renting cars in Costa Rica, where I insist you use an SUV to navigate the often choppy roads and rough terrain. Here you’ll find nicely paved roads that can be narrow as you get into Georgetown, so in my opinion, a small vehicle is all you need in the Cayman Islands.
In our 2023 vacation we rented a Kia Rio and it was a solid choice.
There are other locations to rent cars, but I recommend the airport. You land here and leave here, so why hassle with going anywhere else and paying a taxi to get you there? Prices really don’t change much, and if you use DiscoverCars you’ll have many vehicles to choose from at competitive rates. You can compare locations outside of Owen Roberts international airport, but again the taxi fare to get you there will hurt your budgeting.
You can use Google Maps in Grand Cayman. This will easily help you see any attractions and venues you want to visit.
Summary
I urge you to get a car in Grand Cayman. It’ll help you save the ungodly fees for a taxi as well as give you the convenience of having your own transportation for those moments you just want to explore something. If you dine out like we do, you’ll essentially get one meal free every night, if you want to look at it that way. The price really didn’t make a huge dent in our budget as we saved $40-50 per day easily renting cars.
About Tim Schmidt
Tim Schmidt is a 20+ year Entrepreneur and Digital Marketer. A Fort Lauderdale-based "Digital Nomad," he enjoys traveling as much as possible with family and friends. AllWorld is his escape to document all of his adventures, including being a hardcore "foodie." He has property in Costa Rica and visits several times each year and is happy to offer his expert advice for planning your trip.
