Do you need to rent a car in Antigua? Yes, if you want to see more than one beach

Do you need to rent a car in Antigua? Yes, if you want to see more than one beach a day. Antigua is only 108 square miles, so nothing is far, but the buses finish around 6pm and every taxi ride is its own fare. A small hire car costs from about US$40 a day, and with one the island turns into a handful of short drives.

We are LambLion Holiday Apartments, eleven family run self catering apartments on Freemans Main Road, in the green middle of the island. From here the nearest beaches are about 15 minutes away, St John’s and Nelson’s Dockyard about 20 minutes, and V. C. Bird International Airport about 9 km. Parking is free on site, so a hire car costs you nothing extra overnight. What follows answers the questions guests ask us about hiring a car, with prices and rules checked in November 2026. You can see every room on our apartments page.

Is it worth renting a car in Antigua? Yes, for almost any stay longer than a weekend

Renting a car in Antigua is worth it for almost any stay longer than a weekend, because the buses run between St John’s and the villages rather than from beach to beach. The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority says buses run from 5.30am to 6pm and warns that schedules can be unpredictable. Taxis fill the gap, but they are not metered and fares are set by zone, so a day with two beaches and a supermarket stop becomes four separate fares.

With a car the island shrinks. The Tourism Authority puts most journeys at 45 minutes or less, and from the middle of the island they are shorter still. One of our guests put it plainly in a Google review.

The location is central, so you can get to almost any beach in around half an hour with a car.

Stefan Arba, guest review on Google

You can skip the car if you are booked into an all inclusive resort on one beach and plan to stay on it. A taxi from the airport and one island tour will do. We priced both styles of holiday in self catering vs all inclusive in Antigua. If you are cooking for yourself and chasing a different beach each day, hire the car.

Can you rent a car in Antigua as a visitor? Yes, with your home licence and a temporary local permit

You can rent a car in Antigua with a valid driving licence from home plus a temporary Antigua driving permit. Your licence on its own is not enough. The Tourism Authority lists the permit at EC$50, which is about US$19 at the fixed rate of EC$2.70 to the US dollar. The rental company usually sorts it out at the desk, and the UK government’s travel advice notes that you can also get one from the Transport Board or a local police station.

The price at the desk can differ a little. Bigs Car Rental, a local firm on the list of contacts we keep for guests, charges US$20 for the permit, or US$22 by card. Keep the permit in the car with your home licence every time you drive.

What do you need to rent a car in Antigua? Bring your licence and a credit card in your own name

• Your full licence from home. Budget’s rental conditions for Antigua say it must have been held for at least a year on the day you collect the car.
• A credit card in the main driver’s name. Budget does not take cash or debit cards, and it blocks a deposit on the card. It says it has up to 72 hours after the car is returned to ask for that hold to be released.
• Your passport. Budget suggests bringing it, along with an international driving permit if you have one.
• The local permit. Paid for at the desk when you collect the car.

How old do you have to be to rent a car in Antigua? Usually 25

At Budget the minimum age is 25 and there is no upper age limit, and any extra driver has to meet the same rules. Budget’s airport branch page adds that the minimum can vary by location and that renters under 25 may pay a daily surcharge. Each company sets its own rules, so if you are under 25, get the answer in writing before you book.

How much does it cost to rent a car in Antigua? From about US$40 a day for a small car

A small car in Antigua costs from about US$40 a day, a jeep about twice that, and an eight seat van about US$100. These are the published rates of Bigs Car Rental, a local company that delivers free across the island, checked in November 2026. Airport chains price by date, so get quotes for your own dates.

Car	Daily rate	One day only	Seats
Kia Picanto	US$40	US$50	5
Toyota Yaris or Kia Rio	US$50	US$60	5
Hyundai Creta	US$60	US$70	5
Suzuki Vitara 4×4	US$70	US$80	5
Suzuki Jimny 4×4	US$80	US$90	4
Jeep Wrangler two door 4×4	US$80	US$90	5
Eight seat van	US$100	US$110	8
Toyota Prado 4×4	US$130	US$150	7

So a week with the smallest car comes to about US$300 before fuel and any insurance extras, which is seven days at US$40 plus US$20 for the permit. A single day costs US$10 to US$20 more than the daily rate, so book your car days in a row.

Insurance and fuel are the two costs people forget to budget for

Insurance is where the bill can jump. Budget’s Antigua conditions say that without collision damage waiver you are liable for the full value of the car. With it, the excess is US$1,000 on car groups A to C and US$1,500 on the others. Ask what the excess is before you sign, walk round the car with the agent, and photograph every scratch.

At Budget the car must come in with the same amount of fuel it went out with, or fuel charges apply. Gasoline was EC$14.50 a gallon in early September 2026 and was expected to rise to about EC$16.50, Caribbean National Weekly reported. The distances are short, so fuel stays a small part of the budget.

Antigua car rental at the airport is easy if you land while the desks are open

The airport authority lists nine car hire companies at V. C. Bird International Airport, namely Hertz, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Thrifty, St John’s Car Rental, Carters, Capital and Oakland. Some keep their cars off site, and the airport says the rental agencies run frequent free shuttles between the terminal and their lots.

Opening hours matter if your flight is late. The Avis airport counter is an open air desk outside customs, with a shuttle to its off airport lot, open from 8am to 8pm every day. Avis does not take walk ups there, which is one more reason to book before you fly. Budget’s desk is across from the departure terminal and opens from 8am to 10pm. If you land after the desks close, book a car that comes to you. Bigs delivers and collects anywhere on the island at no charge, so your car can meet you at the airport or at our apartments.

Check in with us is from 3pm, and our contact page has a Google Maps link for directions. If you would rather not drive on your first night, take a taxi from the official rank. The United Taxi Association and the Mill Reef Taxi Association both work the airport, and we can send you their numbers.

How to rent a car in Antigua takes four steps, and the first is booking before you fly

• Book before you fly. Compare a local firm with the airport chains on the same dates.
• Choose where to collect. Pick an airport desk, or ask for delivery to your apartment.
• Pack your licence, a credit card in your name and your passport. Pay for the permit at the desk.
• Check the excess and the fuel gauge. Photograph the car before you drive off, and return it with the same fuel.

Staying in the middle of Antigua puts every coast within a short drive

Where you sleep decides how much driving you do. From the resorts of the north west, the yacht harbours of the south can take the best part of an hour. From the middle of the island, almost everything is 15 to 30 minutes away. These are the drive times we give our guests.

Where you are going	Drive from LambLion	Why go
The nearest beaches	About 15 minutes	A swim before lunch
St John’s and the Public Market	About 20 minutes	The market, busiest on Friday and Saturday mornings
Nelson’s Dockyard and English Harbour	About 20 minutes	History, yachts and the Sunday sunset at Shirley Heights
Jolly Harbour, Ffryes Beach and Darkwood Beach	About 20 to 30 minutes	Calm west coast water
Dickenson Bay and Runaway Bay	About 25 minutes	Long beaches and watersports
Fig Tree Drive	About 25 minutes	The rainforest zipline
Devil’s Bridge, Long Bay and Half Moon Bay	About 30 minutes	The wild Atlantic coast
V. C. Bird International Airport	About 9 km	Collecting your car

That spread is why our guests manage so many beaches. One wrote on Google that staying with us let them reach any beach in Antigua in about a 25 minute drive, and that they visited “over a dozen beaches” during a nine night stay. You will not do that on the bus. For ideas on where to point the car, our things to do in Antigua page has the places we send guests, and our guide to where to stay in Antigua compares every area by drive time.

A car makes the everyday easier too. The big Epicurean supermarket on Friars Hill Road is about 20 minutes away, so one large shop a week is simple, and our guide to the cost of food in Antigua shows what cooking for yourself saves. A sunset at English Harbour is an easy 20 minute drive at the end of a day at LambLion.

What side of the road do they drive on in Antigua? The left, and most cars are right hand drive

Antigua drives on the left and most vehicles are right hand drive, the Tourism Authority says. If you drive in the UK or Ireland at home, nothing will feel strange. If you are coming from the United States or Canada, give yourself a slow first hour, and ask for an automatic so your left hand is not also learning a gear stick.

SunCars Rentals Antigua, a local hire firm, sets out the rules in its driving tips.

• Speed limits are in miles per hour. The limit is 40 mph on the open road and 20 mph in built up areas.
• Seat belts are the law for everyone in a moving vehicle.
• Keep the phone out of your hand. Using a mobile while driving is illegal unless you have a hands free kit.
• Give way to the right at roundabouts. Traffic goes round clockwise, so the cars to watch are the ones coming from your right.

Is driving in Antigua safe? Yes, if you slow down for potholes, goats and dark country roads

Driving in Antigua is fine for a careful visitor, and most of the hazards come from the road itself. SunCars warns of potholes even on main roads, poorly marked speed bumps, and stray cattle, goats and dogs. The UK government’s advice adds that rural roads are narrow with blind corners, people often walk in the road, drivers do not always indicate, and some roads are unlit at night.

Our advice for a first trip is plain. Do your first drive in daylight, keep to the limits, and give the goats the road. The Tourism Authority says peak traffic runs from 8am to 4pm, so leave extra time for any daytime trip into St John’s. If you have an accident, call the police and do not move the car.

Parking in Antigua is free at our apartments, and St John’s is easiest early in the day

Parking is free on site at LambLion, so the car costs nothing overnight. Town is the harder part. When the cruise ships are in, St John’s fills up fast, so plan your town run for early in the morning. Wherever you park, keep bags out of sight and lock the doors.

A taxi or the bus is enough if you plan to stay close to the garden

Not every day needs a car. One guest summed up the choice in a review.

For transportation the adventurous can take a bus with public transportation nearby or take a cab or drive a rental car.

Milton Ponson, guest review on Google

Taxis suit the airport run, a night out when you plan to drink, and the Sunday party at Shirley Heights. The Tourism Authority says fares are fixed and posted at the airport and taxi stands, and that taxis are often shared. Agree the fare before you set off. The bus is fine for a daytime trip into St John’s from the East and West Bus Stations, as long as you are home before services stop around 6pm.

A mix works well too. Hire a car for the middle days, when you are exploring, and take a taxi at each end. Our notes on a month in Antigua and our medium term apartments cover getting around on a longer stay.

WhatsApp us before you arrive and we will send you the local car hire contacts our guests use. WhatsApp us before you land and we will send the car hire and taxi numbers we keep for guests, last checked in October 2026.

Guests notice that help. One wrote this on Google after a stay.

Lionel is a gem and always there to help with advice and organising things like transport.

Mike Askew, guest review on Google

Our pick is a small car for the days you explore, and free parking at the end of each one

For most visitors our pick is the smallest car on the list for the days you want to explore, collected at the airport or delivered to the door, and a taxi on the nights you would rather not drive. A Kia Picanto will not win any races up the hill to Shirley Heights. It will get you to a different beach every day for about US$40.

Have a look at our apartments in central Antigua, pick the one that fits, and leave the car in our free parking when the day is done.

Parking is free at every LambLion apartment, and our guide to holiday rentals in Antigua and Barbuda covers what else is included.