You’ll only really be able to enjoy all of Antigua’s beautiful beaches and picturesque hilly countryside if you hire a car. Public transport here is mainly for locals and, what’s more, operates on a ‘all routes lead to St John’s’ basis. Taxis, on the other hand, end up being more expensive than hiring a car.

Antigua and Barbuda drives on the left.

How and when to book a car in Antigua

There are many large multinational car hire companies operating in Antigua, as well as smaller local Pan-Caribbean ones. Hiring a car here works just like in any other civilised country.

However, there is one specific issue: a shortage of cars.Book your car at least 2–3 months in advance, particularly between December and April. Otherwise, you run the risk that none of the car hire companies will actually have any cars available, and you’ll end up without a car at all, which will mean having to completely overhaul your plans.

Compare prices and book a car – Antigua

We’ve had particularly good experiences with Hertz, Drive-A-Matic and Avis.

Car hire prices in Antigua

Surprisingly, Antigua is not one of the more expensive destinations when it comes to car hire. Whilst prices do vary between the peak and off-peak seasons, they remain within a fairly reasonable range.

• Weekly hire in peak season (December to March): from310 USD forthe smallest car
• One-week hire in the low season (April to June): from265 USD forthe smallest car
• Weekly hire in the off-season (July to November): from220 USD forthe smallest car
• Current car hire prices in Antigua

Prices for larger SUVs are up to three times higher than for the smallest cars.

As is the case elsewhere in the world, the longer you hire a car in Antigua, the lower the daily rate you’ll pay.

International and local driving licences for 20 usd

To hire a car in Antigua and Barbuda, you will need a national driving licence and, if you come from a non-English-speaking country, an international driving permit, which you must carry with you at all times.

In addition, you will need to pay a fee 20 usd / 50 xcd for a temporary local driving licence, which will be issued to you in the form of a handwritten green slip of paper directly by the car hire company on site.

No photograph is required to obtain a local driving licence.

Petrol prices and petrol stations

Petrol is relatively expensive in Antigua and Barbuda, although it is still among the cheaper options in the Caribbean.

US units of measurement are used here, so all prices are quotedper gallon, not per litre. As a rule, 1 gallon = 3.78 litres.

Currently (in 2024), 1 gallon of regular petrol (the term ‘Gasoline’ is used here) costs approximately 13 xcd.

How do petrol stations work in Antigua and Barbuda?

There is a sufficient number of petrol stations on the island of Antigua, and you’ll find one in every larger town. On Barbuda, there is just one petrol station, located south of the centre of Codrington.

All petrol stations here are manned; there are currently no self-service stations.

Simply drive up to the pump, open the fuel cap and tell the attendant how much you want to fill up with. You can specify this in litres, up to a maximum amount, or simply say “full tank, please”. You can always pay in US or Eastern Caribbean dollars and, in the vast majority of cases, by card as well. You pay the attendant who filled up your car directly, so you don’t even need to get out of the car.

Most petrol stations are equipped much like anywhere else: with a small shop selling snacks and car accessories.

Road quality and signage

The island of Antigua has a very dense network of roads and tarmac streets, so you can get absolutely anywhere in a standard small car. There are no motorways here, and there are no tolls on any section of the roads.

A major limiting factor is the quality of the roads, which is absolutely appalling.

Road markings are practically non-existent, as are hard shoulders, which are crumbling or missing altogether. Unexpected and often very deep potholes await you at every turn, regardless of whether you’re driving on a main road or the most remote of side streets. In fact… at first glance, it’s practically impossible to tell a main road from a side road. The quality and width of the roads are similar everywhere.

Speed bumps are also very common; whilst they were probably once marked with white horizontal arrows, they are now largely invisible. These speed bumps are scattered all over the island, even outside the major towns.

The key to success is driving slowly and anticipating potholes absolutely everywhere.

The road signs are European-style, but road markings are rather haphazard, and drivers usually navigate by habit or the condition of the roads. Direction signs are also very poor; they are not usually found at all junctions, and when they are, the arrows on the signs often do not correspond at all to the shape of the junction.

Traffic and road regulations

In Antigua and Barbuda, they drive on the left.

On the other hand, one advantage of driving in Antigua is the consideration shown by local drivers and the fact that they can spot a foreigner in a car at a glance. This is because all hire cars have distinctive number plates: a red ‘R’ with numbers on a white background.

Local drivers do drive a bit recklessly, but only just enough to avoid wrecking their cars on the treacherous roads. So you needn’t worry about fast, dangerous driving or nervous overtaking, provided you drive more cautiously than the locals.

Compare prices and book a car – Antigua

When overtaking, drivers will usually honk their horns at you, but this is normal here: they’re simply letting you know they’ve decided to overtake, and it’s polite to slow down or move closer to the kerb if necessary.

You don’t need to worry about speed limits. The condition of the roads, their winding nature and the dense built-up areas make it practically impossible to exceed the prescribed limits (40 miles per hour outside built-up areas, or 20 miles per hour within them). Don’t be surprised that many hire cars have speedometers in kilometres per hour, whilst road signs indicate speeds in miles per hour. As we’ve said, it doesn’t matter. You won’t get very far driving fast here, because it simply isn’t possible.

The only things the police check for – and consistently fine for – are the use of seatbelts and breaches of the blood alcohol limit, which is set at a maximum permitted level of 0.08 per cent.

Parking

Parking in Antigua and Barbuda is both a joy and a headache. Large, spacious car parks are the exception and can really only be found in English Harbour and at certain beaches such as Jolly Beach or Ffryes Beach.

At other beaches, you park wherever there’s a bit of space, or along the kerb. In towns, there’s usually very little space to park; on the other hand, nobody really minds if you simply leave your car at the side of the road.

With the exception of some car parks and multi-storey car parks in the capital, St John’s, parking is free everywhere.