Car rental?

[wolfvgang22]

I was wondering if it's possible to rent a car on Saba? I plan on buying, but I don't know if I'll be able to swing it right away.
Anybody know?

[Nate-MD]

Yes you can rent a car on saba..... From the same guy who manages the Matthew dorms and runs the laundromat. The going rate is $50 a day, but you might be able to talk him down if you're going to rent for a while. He has quite a nice fleet of cars and has sold some of the used ones to students in the past.

[bigguy]

Hey Wolf,
If you can't swing buying a car initially then why buy one at all? You really really really can get anywhere you want to go by either hitchhiking or walking. There are places to live in Hellsgate which are about .1 miles away from the school, or places to live on the Windwardside which are about a mile and half away. There's a bus that goes to the school from the Windwardside morning and evening. Only about half of the students I met had cars, and most of them felt it was really unnecessary.

Remember, the island is only 5 square miles, with one road running the perimeter. You will have seen the entire island within 3 days of being on it. After that, there's nowhere to drive to. Seriously, the island has like 2 crappy food markets, no drug stores, no movie theatres, no beaches, no stores you'll ever go to. The only driving you need to do is commuting to school, and the island is set up around getting students to school. Remember, we're all required to be on campus during the same hours (8:00 to 4:00) so there'll be plenty of people going your way.

But to directly answer your question, yes you can rent a car there for $63 a day from the guy who runs the Campus Corner bar/market/restaurant thing. I think they only have like 2 or 3 cars. There are no car dealers on Saba, or real car rental places like Avis.

Also cars are cheap on Saba and if you really want to buy, you can buy from another student for just a couple thousand dollars (if not cheaper). All the cars are those eurocrap brands that don't pass American safety standards, like the "Twingo." So $3000 would buy you a perfectly fine car, and you could go down considerably from there. Alternatively, you buy a scooter in St. Martin and have it shipped. I looked into the shipping cost and I think it was about $100.

Bigguy

[Nate-MD]

Since when was Hells Gate only .1 miles from the school? I must have taken a wrong turn on the only road.

Sounds like bigguy either isn't too happy on the island or hasn't been here. There is in fact a beach at the moment (Wells bay), and yes you'll need a car to get there unless you really get off on running (classic I'm talking to you....). Wolf I know where you're going to live and I'd reccommend getting a car like you were thinking. If you want to go out to eat in the evenings, or go to the library on the weekends you'll need a car. Yes the island isn't very big, but it's a mountain. If you want to do things here on your own time and not rely on hitching you should have a car. Sure you'll see the entire island in 3 days, but I'm not sick of the Hells Gate to The Bottom drive yet. (its around 20 minutes) This is a beautiful place to live, even if we don't have movie theaters and supermarkets.

[rho]

Its nice to have a car, but you dont need it. Unless you plan on living at hells gate, cars drive by every few minutes, more in the morning than at night. Most people will give you a lift, I wore out my thumb when I was down their. I would definetly not rent for 50$ a day. If you are thinking about buying a car, buy it from saba. It saves you money for shipping, registration and licence plate. If you wait untill the end of the semester, you will get a good deal from the 5th semester students. Best advice, live on windward side, or the bottom, and try it out for a couple of months. Then buy a car if you think you need it.

[wolfvgang22]

Thanks for the info and advice, guys, it looks like I'll just hitch for a couple of weeks until I buy. 8)
Vaya con Dios!

[camkiss]

My two cents:

If you have a family...buy a car. While there are plenty of rides to and from school, on weekends you may not find one as quickly when you want to go to Wells Bay or whatever. Plus, when you buy groceries, you will want a car so your milk does not spoil in the heat while you are walking home. A few people in my class split the cost of a car (roommates) and it seemed to work well for them.
Mike

[bigguy]

Hey Wolf,
Yes, I stand corrected by Nate, I meant to say that the center of the The Bottom (where a large number of apartments are) is only .1 miles from the school. Hellsgate is a beautiful twenty minute drive.

And yes, there is occassionally a beach.

I think it's a wise decision to hold off on a car. You'll probably find you don't need one, or find an opportunity to co-own one with others. There are so many (too many) cars on the island that I would be surprised if you couldn't borrow one any time you wanted to.

Of course a car is convenient, but if it's any kind of financial strain, it's an unnessary convenience.
bigguy