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Travel
Tips Intro
Airline Options
Transit
Insight
Hotels,
Connections,
Customs, etc.
Driving on Dominica
Transportation
Drivers for Hire, Taxis,
Car Rental, Local Buses,
Gas Stations
Places to Eat
Groceries
& Supplies
Staples, Fish, Meats,
Fruits, Vegetables, Bread
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Car Rental ~ Drivers for
Hire / Taxis ~ Local Transport
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Riding and
Driving On Dominica
is not for the faint-of-heart.
There
are 4 ways to get where you are going on Dominica:
Drivers
for Hire / Taxis, Car Rental, Local Transport and
Hitchhiking. Visitors should note
that hitchhiking is commonly practiced, island-wide, by
many locals (and some visitors) ranging in age from very
young school children to adults.
Note that traffic drives on the LEFT
side of the road on Dominica.
Car Rental
• Drivers
for Hire / Taxis •
Local Transport
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Car Rental
Don't be
deterred, just be really, really careful!
Read More
About
►
Driving
on Dominica
There are
several places to rent a car while visiting Dominica
including the Melville Hall airport (east coast), Roseau
and Portsmouth (west coast) areas.
A local
driver's permit
is required to rent car. Permits can
be purchased (there is not test) can be purchased (valid
for one month) from the your car rental company. Or,
from the Vehicle Licensing Office in Roseau. Cost:
EC$30 (US$12)
Gas stations
are scattered about Dominica; visitors might
find them difficult to locate. Their are several gas stations in
and near to Roseau... can't locate one, inquire. There are 2 located in Portsmouth:
one beside the National Bank of Dominica, and near the
Indian River and one near the bus stop.... one
(central west coast) in St. Joseph, in the village
across from the Catholic Church along the coast; Jimmit,
directly along the main west coast road; and a
couple in the Calibishie
area (northeast coast). Keep your tanks topped-off
as gas stations frequently run out of gas & diesel until
a tanker transport arrives to replenish supplies.
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Renting
a car while in Dominica?
Some points of consideration , if. . .
-
you are arriving in Dominica by
plane
-
you are
arriving 4pm or later in the afternoon
-
your lodging accommodations are anywhere
along the west coast (Caribbean Sea
side)
-
you have plans of
renting a car at the airport to drive
yourself across the island
-
you have no experience
driving on the left
-
you
have no understanding of
Dominican driving habits, terrain
and road conditions....
We
suggest for your safety and peace of mind that you
hire
transport from the airport to your lodging
destination prior to your arrival or
upon exiting the terminal.
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You can easily make arrangements
to have your
rental car dropped off at your
lodging location
or the rental agency will help
you pick up
your car in Roseau or
Portsmouth. |
Why?
Chances are that if you arrive after 4pm, go
through customs, claim your luggage, (or
file a claim if you have lost luggage) do
car rental paperwork etc, that it could very
well be near to or dark before departing the
airport premises. If you are
unaccustomed to driving on Dominica, note
that it takes a long time to go just
about anywhere. Drivers inexperienced with
driving on the left and or Dominica,
should anticipate extended driving times in
arriving at final destination:
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Driving Times, dusk / dark
from Melville Hall Airport to... |
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Calibishie / near North Coast: |
0:20 to 0:30 |
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Pagua Bay / near East Coast:
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0:10 to 0:20 |
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Portsmouth / Ross University:
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0:45 to 1:15+ |
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Salisbury / West Central Coast: |
1:45 to 2:30+ |
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Roseau / Southwest Coast:
(if
taking the Central Reserve
Forest road route - much longer
if taking the Portsmouth, then
west coast road route) |
1:45 to 2:30+ |
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Rosalie Bay / East Central
Coast: |
1:45
to 2:30+ |
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Private Hire / Taxis:
arrangements can easily be made for private hire and or
taxi service, however, one must generally make
arrangements ahead of time. Visitors will find several
available private hire / taxi opportunities at the
airport and some locations in Roseau and
Portsmouth. For visitors, private hire is a very
good way to a sightsee, etc. Expect to pay between
$40-$75 US for a full day - negotiate the price before
beginning your journey! Generally a taxi hire from
Melville Hall airport to the west coast will be $35 to
$50 US. Sometimes, a per-person rate can be
negotiated. Dominica's drivers are friendly...
visit with them about price and, during your journey, about Dominica in
general.
One of the
best ways to secure Private Hire is to inquire at your
place of lodging or ask for recommendation from someone
you know on the island.
Alexis George: Taxi &
Private Hire
Office:
767-445-6303
Cell: 767-235-5326 or 767-616-5326
Portsmouth /
Ross University / Island-wide
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Local Transport (LT):
Larger vans act as buses on Dominica and cost from EC
$1.50 to (.55 cents US) to EC $12 ( $3.85 US) -
depending how distance traveled. Local Transports
run to all points across the island. The most frequented
route, however, is main west cost road between Roseau &
Portsmouth and points in-between.
There
are NO set schedules but LT, generally, is easily
secured between 7a and 6p Monday- Saturday. Frequency
declines 7p-9p. (More infrequent on Sundays and
holidays).
There
are designated LT / bus-stops (most often dilated
shacks) but transports will stop and drop-off just about
anywhere
there is a
request.
To board, just wait along the road somewhere and stick a
hand out as one approaches.
Note that
many LT drivers don't understand safety and drive how
ever the want... and, that many transports are on their
last leg. Non-the-less, a majority of Dominica's
populace and some visitors rely on Local Transport as
their main mode of transportation. Don't ride in
the front seat!
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