When you're not particularly demanding or don't have the money to choose a high-end car, you'll likely choose the cheapest car for your vacation in Guadeloupe. In category A, you'll find vehicles like the Renault Twingo, Kia Picanto, and Peugeot 208, which can certainly do the trick. However, these small entry-level cars do have some major drawbacks.

On the one hand, they have a very limited trunk, which can be a problem upon arrival and departure at the airport when you have 4 passengers, 4 large suitcases, 5 cabin bags, 4 large down jackets, a surfboard... and a tiny trunk. Some people, to avoid renting an oversized vehicle for the entire stay just to be able to transport the luggage, prefer to take a taxi-van for transfers to the airport. This allows you to rent a smaller vehicle, save two days of rental - the first and last day... and therefore pay for the taxi at no extra cost. In addition, it saves you from searching for your way in the dark night of small country roads to find your lodging. If you fall into a good big tropical downpour, you risk remembering your arrival in Guadeloupe. The option of a taxi - or a VTC booked in advance - therefore seems to me to be worth considering depending on your situation.

Don't underestimate the volume of your luggage when renting a vehicle

I therefore recommend that you rent at least a category B vehicle, or at least one with an engine of at least 75 hp, or even 90 hp for peace of mind. It's better to have a small car with a fairly powerful engine than a larger, underpowered one. More than the vehicle category, ask what its power is. Another tip: ask for a white car whose body will absorb less of the sun's heat.

I therefore recommend that you rent at least a category B vehicle, or at least one with an engine of at least 75 hp, or even 90 hp for peace of mind. It's better to have a small car with a fairly powerful engine than a larger, underpowered one. More than the vehicle category, ask what its power is. Another tip: ask for a white car whose body will absorb less of the sun's heat.

One last piece of advice, even if you don't always think about it when you arrive: take photos or videos of the entire exterior of the vehicle. Some unscrupulous or poorly organized rental companies will do a hasty inventory with little crosses (or not) on a form, and when you return it, they'll slap a scratch on your back and pocket a deposit.

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.

Réserver un gîte en Guadeloupe