As a solo traveler, I conduct thorough research on as much as possible. Upon my research on Barbados, I decided that driving would be the best option for me to see the island. I didn’t see much information on this topic online, so if you’re thinking about driving in Barbados then you’re in the right place.

Just to give you a little background about my driving here’s a little info. I’ve driven in NYC, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and the ever confusing Washington, D.C. No accidents in any of those cities. I also have experience driving branded vehicles for work such as a large Vitamin Water van with a black & white camera as my rear view mirror! I’ve never driven out of the country let alone rented a car (I knoooow). So I was confident in my driving skills but still nervous because anythiiiing can go wrong! Below are my tips for success!

Renting a Car in Barbados

There are a few options to rent a car in Barbados. I chose not to book online, but I suggest you do to speed up the process. I decided to be bold and rent at the airport. I went with Stoutes Car Rental, a local reputable company. The process took about an hour which I was not expecting. They only had two people at the counter. There were three families in front of me. All with reservations yet the process still took long! I would say the advantage with booking online is you get to choose your vehicle. When I finally got to the counter, there weren’t many options left. But I was pleasantly surprised they had a 2018 silver Chevy Spark left. The associate helping me went over all the details of my rental including any damages to the car prior (VERY IMPORTANT so you don’t incur any additional charges upon drop off). She gave me the key and then I was off!

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Driving in Barbados

Not going to lie. It took me about 3 days to be comfortable with driving in Barbados. The first challenge was road directions. Not many signs to direct you to where you are going! If you have a GPS you’ll adjust (more on this below). Without one was SUCH A NIGHTMARE! After leaving the airport, I got lost about 3 times! Also, the sun sets by 6:30 PM during the summer so imagine driving without a GPS at dusk! NOT FUN!! My second challenge, was driving on the left side of the road. It was an adjustment for sure. Important note here: cars to the right of you have the right of way. Third, the highways have roundabouts. Barbados has a few major highways to get you around the island but to get on and off you need to be comfortable using roundabouts. I was so thrown off by this especially my first night I was lost. I’ve gone around in circles more than once, it’s okay! Lastly, the roads can be bumpy and narrow with most roads without sidewalks. When driving in neighborhoods, you’ll find yourself waiting for another car to pass or driving around pedestrians on narrow roads.

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Using Your Phone GPS in a Foreign Country

I thought I had this part figured out. In order to avoid using your cellar data, I read that you can download a map offline on Google Maps. Naturally, I downloaded the entire country of Barbados. Well remember I said I was lost my first day? That trick didn’t work! By the grace of God, I was pointed in the right direction to my airbnb. I told myself that if I couldn’t figure out the GPS situation, then I wouldn’t be going anywhere. That is not a fun way to be on vacation! Once on WiFi, I played around on Google Maps. Instead of downloading the entire country, you have to download cities within that country. For example, download the map of Oistins and the map of Bridgetown and you’ll be able to get directions between those two cities. The maps will save on your phone up to 30 days. This will take up space on your phone so be aware of that prior to leaving the country.