It’s much easier to explore the British Virgin Islands at your own pace with a car rental. Whether you plan to stay in Tortola, Virgin Gorda, or other islands, a car will let you easily travel from place to place at your own leisure. If you want to explore the more remote and off-the-beaten-path beaches and other areas, renting a car is worth the added cost. While getting to some of these places might be easy by taxi, getting picked up after is a whole different story.
Is It Worth Renting A Car In The British Virgin Islands?
Yes, it’s worth getting a car if you plan to stay on islands like Tortola, Anegada, and Virgin Gorda. The larger and developed islands have plenty of things to do, and the landmarks aren’t always close to each other. While Anegada is smaller, its terrain is mostly flat and the best beaches, like Loblolly Bay and Cow Wreck Beach, often require a vehicle to reach. The rides can also be scenic and a whole adventure on their own.
While you can always rely on taxis to drive you around, they aren’t super cheap, so costs can build up. But the real downside is that taxis won’t always be available to pick you up at certain places unless you prearrange it. This can put a real time limit on the activities you want to do and require you to plan ahead of time. Part of the fun of vacation is being able to do things freely and take time to enjoy the Caribbean atmosphere at a relaxed pace.
We recommend getting a 4x4 vehicle, since the terrain isn’t always smooth and some roads are unpaved. Areas like Smugglers Cove and Brewer's Bay in Tortola or Savannah Bay in Virgin Gorda are a must-see, but the road there can be challenging with potholes and uneven and rough terrain. This is why you commonly see a lot of jeep rentals being advertised, and it’s definitely the type of vehicle we recommend you rent. Apart from the terrain, there are some tricky switchbacks, but nothing too dangerous. We’d also recommend you get car insurance, either through your credit card or by buying it from the rental company.
Top Car Rental Companies
1. Soper's Hole Car Rental
Soper's Hole Car Rental is a locally owned car rental company tucked into the heart of Soper's Hole Marina on Frenchman's Cay, Tortola. Whether you're island-hopping, heading to the beach, or just exploring at your own pace, we're here to make getting around easy and stress-free. Skip the hassle. We offer pick-up and drop-off, so your vehicle is ready when and where you need it.
Vehicles you can count on Every car in our fleet is chosen with your safety and comfort in mind. SUVs are the perfect fit for the British Virgin Islands roomy enough for your luggage and beach gear and built to handle everything from smooth marina roads to the steeper, winding hills around the island. Best of all, your safety comes standard. Every SUV is equipped with:
- Driver & passenger airbags
- Anti-lock brakes
- 4WD for island roads
- Air conditioning
You'll find us in Soper's Hole Marina, just five minutes from the West End Ferry Terminal, right behind Voyage Yacht Charters.
Open from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Mon-Fri and 9:00AM - 2:00 PM Saturday
Soper's Hole Car Rental — locally owned, island proud. Wherever the island takes you, we'll help you get there.
2. Speedys Car Rental
Set your own itinerary, make your own schedule. SPEEDY'S offers a variety of car rental options including sedans, SUVs, mini SUVs and mini Safaris. We offer free pick up anywhere on the island and unlimited mileage. When you rent a car from SPEEDY'S in Virgin Gorda, BVI, you ride in style and comfort. Let our friendly and experienced staff help make your visit to Virgin Gorda a memorable one.
Seamlessly transition from the ocean to the road. Speedy's Car Rentals offer exclusively pickup services right at the Spanish Town Ferry Dock. If you are taking Speedy's Ferry, let us know for a coordinated arrival.
Speedy's Car Rentals also offers tours that take you to the top places in Virgin Gorda, like The Baths, Savannah Bay, and much more!
3. Expedia
Expedia is a convenient way to book a car rental in the British Virgin Islands. They work with top brands and offer negotiated discounts on nearly every car type, from luxury to compact, as well as Jeeps. There are multiple pick-up locations on the different islands, with the most popular being Road Town in Tortola and Virgin Gorda. We’ve used them to book a car when visiting Virgin Gorda, and the process was overall pretty straightforward, as the car came from Enterprise.
4. Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Enterprise Rent-A-Car has three locations in the British Virgin Islands: Terrance B Lettsome Airport (EIS) on Beef Island, Road Town Maria's by the Sea Hotel in Tortola, and at the Hazel Point Building in Virgin Gorda. Its three locations across the islands make it easy to coordinate multiple rentals as you move island to island. In terms of vehicles, you can rent Jeep Wranglers to smaller Toyota Corollas.
5. Discover Cars
Discover Cars operates on a model similar to Expedia's, working with major car rental brands like Avis, Sixt, and Alamo to offer you great deals on cars. The platform makes it easy to compare prices and find the exact car model you’re looking for. What we like about it is that you don’t always have to pay upfront, which makes it convenient if you’re worried about changes to your travel plans. Toyotas seem to be the popular model that most people rent from them, but they also offer the Jeep Wrangler, which we always recommend to make it easy to get around the islands.