Trinidad and Tobago Driving Advice and Car Hire Info
Driving in Trinidad and Tobago
Driving is on the left of the road and cars are largely right hand drive. You can drive for up to 90 days on the licence of most countries. If you’re staying longer, you will need to get a local Driver’s Permit from the Trinidad and Tobago Licensing Division.
Trinidad has a network of good multi-lane highways including-
The Beetham Highway is the major highway in Trinidad. It runs from Barataria (where it connects with the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway) into downtown Port of Spain.
The Churchill–Roosevelt Highway, sometimes known as CRH, is the major east–west highway in Trindad.It runs for 30 km from Barataria in the west (where it joins the Beetham Highway) to Wallerfield in the east where it ends in the former US Army base of Fort Read. It crosses the north–south Uriah Butler Highway (UBH) at Valsayn.
The Uriah Butler Highway, sometimes referred to as UBH, runs from Champs Fleurs to Chaguanas where it meets the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway. It crosses the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway at Valsayn.
The Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway is the major north-south highway in Trinidad and Tobago. It begins at Chaguanas, heading south to Debe.
High speeds and occasional poor standards of driving can be a cause of accidents on Trinidad’s highways. Away from the highway network , secondary roads tend to be in worse condition with plenty of pot holes. Traffic congestion can be a problem in Port of Spain as can security. Night travel should be avoided other than on major roads in the City. The Beetham Highway can be dangerous if your vehicle has broken down. If your vehicle is still drivable you attempt to drive it a garage or other business to call for help. Elsewhere in Port of Spain, especially in Laventille, there have been incidents of car jacking reported where a vehicle will bump your car and when you get out you are attacked. Drivers in Trinidad and Tobago are not normally aggressive but often ignore road rules and drinking and driving is common, especially at weekends and on holidays. You should always drive with caution and avoid night travel.
It isn’t possible to drive right round Trinidad’s coast though some local maps may not make this clear. I have personal experience of this when I reached Matelot on the North coast, expecting to be able to proceed to Blanchiceusse and Filette on a small road shown on my map. Unfortunately it was no more than a footpath which meant a lengthy detour!
In Tobago, driving is relatively easy on this small Island (26×8 miles). There is one highway, The Claude Noel Highway, sometimes referred to as CNH, running from Canaan to Scarborough. The roads are in fairly good condition by Caribbean standards, especially in the more built up areas of Crown Point and Scarbrough. However expect the occasional pot hole. Roads tend to be winding and narrow and poorly lit so drive with caution at night. There are very few sign posts but as the Island is small with few roads its hard to get lost. Scarbrough does have its own version of rush hour and does suffer from minor congestion at times but nothing to compare to cities in Europe and USA.
Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc.
Trinidad and Tobago Car Rental –
Hertz, Alamo, Europcar ,National, Avis, Budget, Thrifty, have branches at Piarco airport or in Port of Spain in Trinidad. Trinidad (but not Tobago) seems to be covered by the bigger broker sites such as Argus Car Hire. National, Sixt and Alamo have outlets at ANR Robinson airport in Tobago.
We currently have no local car rental partners in Trindad and Tobago. If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com
Trinidad and Tobago Self Drive Rules-
None of the big companies mention being able to take cars from Trinidad to other islands so I would assume this isn’t possible.
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