Rent a car in Guadeloupe
There are many car rental companies on the island. As with flights, using a comparator can save you time in your research. We recommend DiscoverCars to compare offers from the main rental companies.
If you want to travel light with baby BBlou offers the rental of car seats and other childcare equipment, to be collected in the Pointe-à-Pitre terminal, a stone's throw from the baggage claim exit.
Driving in Guadeloupe: What are the distances?
To better choose where to stay in Guadeloupe, it is important to have an idea of the distances if you plan to travel by car, which remains the simplest way. With its unique butterfly shape with jagged ribs, its mountainous terrain in Basse Terre and hilly terrain in Grande Terre, we cannot say that Guadeloupe is easy to navigate. However, the main roads of the road network are generally correct, so if we had to go around without stopping, how long would it take to go around Guadeloupe by car?
To give objective and measurable data, let’s start by seeing what the distances are in kilometers. The greatest distance between two municipalities is 100 km, between Saint François and Saint Claude, in the heights of the town of Basse Terre. Then, from Basse Terre to Deshaies, there are 53 km of winding road along the splendid leeward coast. Then, from Deshaies to Baie Mahault, count 34 km, and another 85 km to Saint François via Anse-Bertrand. That's a total of around 270 km, including around 45 km of two-lane national road, the rest being single-lane municipal or departmental roads (often not wide!)
To give another reference, the on-board computer of my car which gives me information on my journeys always indicates an average speed over several thousand kilometers of around 40 km/h, with varied routes between mountains, traffic jams , expressways... Which would mean that it would take more than 6 hours to go completely around the island. Honestly, given the traffic black spots that we can encounter on certain sections of the route, it seems realistic to me. You can consult this table for details of distances between cities of Guadeloupe.
You will have understood, if you want to visit all of Guadeloupe and you plan to stay in Saint François, you will not often go to Basse Terre which, in my opinion, is the most authentic and natural part. If you are unsure about staying in Grande Terre and/or Basse Terre, or between the two, read our article which gives some advice to know Where to stay in Guadeloupe. Visitors who were looking for a holiday rental Guadeloupe and who have chosen our Jaden Kréyol cottage are all delighted with their choice, both for the central location on the island and for the comfort, pleasure and originality of the accommodation... and the sympathy of the hosts ;-) We also gives you some indications to know how long driving around Guadeloupe from the Jaden Kréyol cottage in our blog article.