Curacao is one of those islands that you have to discover by car, unless you have unlimited time and infinite patience in order to write a book. If you get tired of writing, or if you simply a practical person, we are going to give you the best tips for renting a car in Curacao.

Remember that to rent a car in Curacao you will need your national driving license or an international driving license, and a credit card (not debit or prepaid) to charge a deposit when picking up the vehicle.

Curacao is a very touristic island. Therefore, the demand for rental cars is great and the offer in high season is limited, especially at the airport. If you are going to travel to Curacao in high season, be sure to rent with weeks in advance. Not only do prices go up as the date of your flight approaches, the availability of vehicles in the most common categories also decreases. Instead of visiting many agencies´ websites, the most practical thing is to use a car rental price search engine and comparator.

So, that would be the first important tip: don't wait until the last minute to book your rental car. Through a car rental comparator, you will find the best market price with free cancellation. We always use them as the first search tool when we plan a trip and, among other advantages, they also include local companies among the results.

As usual, renting a car (view) on the island is more expensive when you book directly at the rental company's counter, so this advice to rent in advance is absolutely essential.

Also, consider having your own insurance. A personal travel insurance is different from the insurance that the car rental company will offer you to hire at the counter when you pick it up or at the website from which you make the reservation when renting a car. The basic insurance they offer is more focused on damage to the vehicle itself (such as CDW – Collision Damage Waiver – the equivalent of third-party insurance, with a deductible of hundreds or thousands of euros), while the most comprehensive insurance (the SuperCDW or similar) eliminates that franchise and are the equivalent of comprehensive insurance (and we believe it is worth hiring it).

A personal travel insurance not only offers you assistance and covered medical expenses, it also offers repatriation (including a companion if there is one), it covers luggage theft from the trunk or provides you with a replacement vehicle in the event of an accident or breakdown so that you can continue enjoying your trip, among other extensive coverage.

Another essential tip is you check the car, and do it twice. No matter if you land late at night, or if it´s raining; always check the rental car before leaving the parking lot. Use your mobile and its flashlight to take photos and videos, check that the damages (if any) that appear on the contract that they give you correspond to what you see yourself.

If there are more scratches, scuffs or small dents, tell the company staff now so they can be noted on the paperwork. In the event that the car and the office are far apart from the airport and you do not want to return, document everything you see well.

On our last trip, the car that was delivered to us had several spots where the paint had chipped (probably stones thrown by other vehicles on the road), but we managed to count 7 areas of the car with more spots like this and some tiny scratches that did not appear in the contract. Since the office was only a few meters away, we asked the clerk to come and correct the rental agreement to add them.

Although we had contracted a complete car insurance that would have covered those excess / repair expenses, we saved ourselves from spending the money (that later would have been reimbursed), and the unappealable exchange of emails and subsequent documentation to solve the problem.

Another useful tip is to take a USB cigarette lighter charger. The fleets of the companies that are dedicated to rent a car are renewed very frequently, so it is very unlikely that they will give you a car without a USB port when renting your car.

If you use your mobile as a GPS, that port is for you so that the battery does not run out. But if there are two travellers, you can avoid the discussion about who charges the mobile with a double USB cigarette lighter charger that also works as a hands-free device. In addition, this allows you to free up the port that comes on the dashboard and use it, for example, to play your favorite music from a portable USB.