Suriname Driving Advice and Car Hire Info
Driving in Suriname
Suriname drives on the left and all foreign visitors requite an International Driving Permit plus their own licence to drive here. Speed limits are 90kmh on highways, 60km on rural roads and 40kmh in urban areas.
Waterways are the most important form of transport in Suriname, though the country does have around 4500km of roads, though around 75% are unpaved. Main roads in the country are –
Afobakaweg Highway – Connects Paranam with Afobaka, the location of the Afobaka Dam. The road is paved and has two branches – one to Brokopondo and another to Brownsweg and Pokigron.
East-West Link Road – Paved road connecting Albina to Nieuw Nickerie.
Desiré Delano Bouterse Highway -This new 10km link road is Suriname’s only multi-lane road and runs between the two roads mentioned above to provide a faster link between Paramaribo and the International Airport.
There are road links to neighbouring countries using ferries- to Guyana from Nieuw-Nickerie to Crabwood Creek near Corriverton, and to French Guiana – via ferry from Albina to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.
The major roads in Paramaribo and other large towns are usually paved, but are often in a poor condition, apart from the new airport motorway in the capital mentioned above.. Potholes are common, especially during the rainy season, which lasts from approximately mid-November to January, and from April to July.
Suriname drives on the left though a lot of vehicles are left hand drive which makes overtaking difficult. Driving standards are often poor and excessive speeds and ignoring of road rules are commonplace. Some areas of Paramaribo are dangerous so if you’re unsure of your route ask the rental company if they’ll drive you or ask a taxi if you can follow him to your destination. You’re likely to encounter slow moving vehicles and animals in the road in rural areas, including the main road from Nieuw Nickerie to Albina. You should avoid driving to and from Nieuw Nickerie at night due to poor lighting and sharp road turns without adequate warning signs. This road is not well maintained, and during the rainy season, large pot holes can develop along the road. Roads in the interior of Suriname are poorly maintained dirt roads that pass through areas of rain forest. There will be no lighting and no service stations/ rest stops so you should aim to be self sufficient if travelling in the interior. A 4WD is likely to be needed in the rainy season. You should advise the rental company of your planned route and take their guidance on what vehicle you’ll need.
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.
Suriname Car Rental –
Hertz, Europcar,Avis, Budget, have outlets in Paramaribo.
We currently have no local car rental partners in Suriname. 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
