Airport to Hotel in Grenada: Taxi, Transfer, Hire Car or Bus?

The ride from Maurice Bishop International Airport to your bed is the shortest leg of the whole journey, and for most visitors it is also the easiest. The airport sits on Point Salines at the south-western tip of the island, and the two areas where most hotels cluster, Grand Anse and Lance aux Epines, are a few minutes away by road. Even St George's is usually under half an hour.

There are four realistic ways to make that trip: a taxi from the rank outside arrivals, a transfer booked in advance through your accommodation, a hire car collected at the airport, or a public minibus caught on the main road. Each suits a different kind of traveller. This page sets out how each one works, roughly what it costs, and a simple way to decide based on where you are staying and when you land.

The airport taxi rank: the default for most arrivals

Step out of the customs hall and the taxi rank is directly in front of you. Drivers are organised by a dispatcher, so you do not need to hunt for a car or negotiate with several people at once. Taxis in Grenada are not metered. Fares between common points are set out in an official rate schedule, and the dispatcher or driver will quote you before you set off. Ask for the price for the whole car, confirm whether it is in EC or US dollars, and only then load the bags.

For the short run to Grand Anse, Morne Rouge, True Blue or Lance aux Epines, expect a fare in the broad region of US$15 to US$30 for the car, more after dark and more with a lot of luggage. Longer journeys, such as Grenville, Gouyave or Sauteurs, can run to EC$120 to EC$160 or beyond. These figures move, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the day. US dollars are accepted, but change often comes back in EC dollars, so small US notes or EC cash from the airport ATM save trouble.

The taxi rank is the right choice for most people landing in daylight and staying in the south-west. There is no booking to manage, the cars are generally roomy minivans, and drivers know the hotels. Many will stop at a supermarket on the way if you mention it when agreeing the fare.

Pre-booked transfers: worth it for villas, late landings and big groups

Most hotels, guesthouses and villa managers can arrange a named driver to meet your flight. The driver waits outside the arrivals exit, often holding a card with your name, and the fare is agreed before you travel. The cost is usually similar to the rank fare, sometimes a little more, and occasionally included in a hotel package.

A pre-booked transfer is the better option in three situations. First, if you are staying in a villa or an apartment up a hillside lane, where finding the gate in the dark is genuinely hard and a driver who has been there before saves twenty minutes of phone calls. Second, if your flight lands late in the evening, when the rank thins out and you would rather not be the last person looking for a car. Third, if you are a group of six or more with dive gear, pushchairs or golf bags and need a larger vehicle guaranteed.

Ask for the driver's name, the agreed fare and what happens if your flight is delayed, all in writing by message or email. Delays of an hour or two are common on connecting itineraries, and a reliable driver will track the flight rather than leave.

Collecting a hire car at the airport

How it works. International franchises and several local firms meet customers at Maurice Bishop, either from desks in the arrivals area or by having an agent wait with your name. You complete the paperwork, pay for the local visitor driving permit if you do not already have one, inspect the car and drive away.

The permit. Visitors with a licence from outside the OECS need a Grenadian local permit, which most rental firms issue at the counter. The fee has been around EC$60 in recent years; confirm the current amount when you book. Bring your physical home licence, not a photograph of it.

When it makes sense. A hire car from day one suits people staying outside the south-west, such as in St David's, the west coast or the north, and families who want to stock up at a supermarket immediately. It also avoids a second taxi fare to come back and collect a car later.

When it does not. After a long-haul flight, driving on the left on narrow, hilly roads you have never seen can be more tiring than it sounds. If you land after dark or are staying in Grand Anse for the first few days, consider taking a taxi and arranging for the car to be delivered to your hotel a day or two later. Many local firms offer delivery.

The minibus option: cheap, possible, but rarely ideal on arrival

Grenada's privately run minibuses are the cheapest way to move around the island, with short fares of a few EC dollars. They do not run into the airport terminal itself, and there is no dedicated airport bus. To use one you would walk from the terminal out to the main road and flag down a bus heading towards Grand Anse and St George's, which on the south-western routes is part of the busy Route 1 corridor.

With a backpack and light luggage, in daylight, this is perfectly doable and some budget travellers and returning students do it routinely. With two suitcases, a family or a late flight it is not sensible. Minibuses are compact, luggage space is minimal, and the walk to the road in the heat after a long flight is unpleasant.

A reasonable compromise for budget travellers is to take a taxi on arrival, when you are tired and loaded, and switch to the buses from the next morning, when you are travelling light and can enjoy the experience. The buses are covered in detail elsewhere on Travel.gd.

Common mistakes on the airport run

Not agreeing the fare first. The single most common source of irritation. Confirm the total, the currency and whether the price is per car or per person before the bags go in.

Having only large notes. A US$100 note for a US$20 fare can cause a wait while the driver finds change. Withdraw EC dollars at the airport ATM or carry small US bills.

Giving only a booking-site name. Many villas and apartments are known locally by a different name or by the owner's name. Have the full address, the area and the host's contact details ready, and a pin dropped on your phone.

Forgetting the time difference. Grenada stays on Atlantic Standard Time all year, four hours behind GMT, with no daylight saving. When North America or Europe changes its clocks, the gap to Grenada shifts. Give your driver the local landing time, not the time at home.

Planning a long drive at night. Outside the south-west, many roads are unlit, steep and winding, with deep roadside drains. If you land after dark and are staying in the far north or east, a pre-booked driver is far better than navigating yourself.

A quick decision guide by where you are staying

Use your accommodation area and landing time to choose. These are recommendations, not rules, and a confident driver arriving in daylight has more freedom.

• Grand Anse, Morne Rouge, True Blue, Lance aux Epines: taxi from the rank. The ride is short and cheap, and pre-booking adds little.
• St George's and the hills above it: taxi from the rank by day; pre-booked driver at night, because some hillside addresses are tricky to find.
• St David's and the south-east bays such as Westerhall and La Sagesse: pre-booked transfer, or a hire car if you land early and intend to drive anyway.
• Gouyave, Grenville, Sauteurs and the north: pre-booked transfer for late landings; a hire car from the airport makes sense if you arrive with daylight to spare.
• Carriacou or Petite Martinique: you will need a connecting flight from the same airport or a night on the main island before the morning ferry, so book a south-coast hotel close to the airport and travel on next day if timings do not line up.

Frequently asked questions