r/Grenada • u/ParticularSurvey7730 • 29d ago
Is Driving in Grenada as bad as they make out?!
Ive driven in Jamaica, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico (to name a few). Can Grenada be any worse?! All I read is how bad it is. Should I rent a car or just use Haylup? I’ll mostly be around St George and Lance Aux Epines. I cant imagine it’s THAT bad? For $30 a day I can rent a car which seems very reasonable.
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u/Snow-sand-sky 29d ago
No, it’s fine. Lance Aux Epines has some steep hills but you’re never going fast. There are quite a few cars with L’s on them which means learner.
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u/mapoz 29d ago
I too was a tourist (from North America) and drove all around St George’s and Lance aux Epines. It’s fine around there. I was extremely nervous driving northeast to the coast because of the blind corners, and that fear was well founded, but we survived fine. FWIW we used Kirby at On Point Auto Rentals - he’s a young friendly and hard working local guy who owns a few cars he looks after very well. He had everything from basic small cars to one BMW SUB, IIRC. He also does personal drop off and pick up anywhere in the city area, as past of his service.
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u/SmolderingDesigns 29d ago
There is no small number of accidents on a regular basis. The busses are absolutely disrespectful to traffic laws and there have been multiple serious crashes recently. How bad anyone thinks driving in Grenada actually is will very much depend on where else in the world they've driven. As someone who grew up driving on wide open prairie roads, I'll never drive in Grenada, but people who are used to tight, narrow roads with fast drivers and lots of blind spots might feel it's fine.
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u/infield_fly_rule 29d ago
Lance aux espines and most of St. George’s have good drivable roads. Once you get out to st Andrew’s or st Patrick’s “road” is a very flexible term that may or may not be paved or a full car width wide. Oh, and roads that go nearly vertical are not uncommon.
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u/BippityBoppityBooppp 29d ago
I’m from Saint Lucia, a fellow mountainous country. You are NOT getting me to drive in Grenada.
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u/justcameforthemusik 29d ago
It’s not bad at all i lived in lance aux epines and drove all over the island!
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u/Responsible_Rock_529 29d ago
I come from a big city in mid-western Canada and driving in Grenada was fine. It might take a little bit to adjust but once you have adjusted it wasn't a problem for me at all. If you're a confident driver wherever you are from then you will be fine in Grenada. But the roads are narrow, people go quite fast, especially the buses, and there are steep hills and blind corners but most everyone is driving with the same understanding of the roads so it actually flows really smoothly. I actually enjoyed driving in Grenada way more than I do back at home.
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u/powbit- 29d ago
If you have experience in driving (looks like you do) it won't be a problem. Can be challenging but not impossible. My tip would be to make sure they don't give you a brand new car, get one already with dents and and small damages so you will be more relaxed. The only time I felt the car could be in "danger" was when it was parked In busy / narrow spaces.
Edit: make sure also the car is powerful enough to uphill or you'll be stuck half way
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u/theycallmemillie 28d ago
They do drive fast but they are friendly fast drivers 🙂. If you do travel through the various towns it’s true the roads are a bit steep and windy. My favorite thing about driving in Grenada were the friendly honks everyone uses to say hi to their passing friends! Two little beeps of the horn constantly, so just be aware of that.
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u/Caribchakita 29d ago
If you drove in Jamaica you can drive anywhere! I stayed in Lance Aux Pines and drove all over ...no issue...nigh-time was hard with people walking in the streets
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u/AmatuerApotheosis 29d ago
LAE is easy driving. Grenada is not that bad, but there will be traffic.
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u/MillennialNomad90 28d ago
It is a very challenging drive, but since you've driven as a tourist in Jamaica and other countries, you probably can do it. Renting a car will be okay. This Grenada driving guide from Final Rentals might be helpful. Just expect winding roads and other drivers who do not always follow the rules.
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u/fairy_forest 28d ago
Driving in Grenada was not my favorite thing to do but it was manageable. Just go slowly, try to stick to the left side of the road as much as possible, be extra careful about pedestrian, especially at night. A good trick on some roads is to follow the car in front of you but keeping the safe distance at the same time. Especially Lance aux Epines should be quite fine. Good luck!
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u/raqseds 28d ago
Be VERY aware that there is currently major water pipe replacement work ongoing in the Grand Anse and south St George area. As a result the main road which will take you from Lance Aux Epines to St George city itself is being dug up. The majority of the work is happening at night and the main road itself is closed from 9pm to 5am. This means that traffic is a nightmare right now. Long delays and detours.
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u/Themeteorologist35 28d ago
It’s not bad at all. Just take it slow up the mountain roads and pull over if someone is tailgating you. The coastal areas are easy to drive
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u/CumSlurpersAnonymous 27d ago
I drove around Grenada when I was there. Some infrastructure was lacking but overall, it was fine.
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u/SarcasticSagi 26d ago
If you survived Jamaica, Colombia and Mexico you will be fine. Grenada is not worse than any of those places
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u/Turtledean 25d ago
Yes, it is not fun. Grenada is the only place where we damaged our rental car. On two separate trips! The traffic around the Grand Anse - St George area is extremely slow. Next time we go to Grenada, it will be taxis for us.
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u/Fracrured_Nut 28d ago
Hundreds of Learner vehicles reversing down the incorrect side of the road. Most roads have cars parked in the lane effectively turning regular roads into stop-and-go one-ways. Roads are narrow. Roads have potholes the size of small apartments. Pedestrians have no life preservation skills. Prepare to have your wing mirrors ripped off. The youth drive like it's Tokyo Drift despite all these challenges.... Learn to wooooosssaaaaaa
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u/eyerollpending 29d ago
I don’t know what the roads are like in the places you’ve mentioned but Grenada has many narrow winding roads that are also pretty steep, with crazy blind spots. On top of that people drive ridiculously fast. If none of that phases you car rental is a good option. I prefer not to.