anybody who has experience with this and can recommend me a good car rental company? one which is good in rates, and availability ?
kind of a weird question to ask, but i /you never know.
judith

I'm always happy to rent with AB carrental, very good rates. Don't know about availability, what period are you talking about?
I would suggest to just contact them and see if they have a car for you. info@abcarrental.com

judith, you really need to identify your needs in a vehicle, figure out your insurance options, and then proceed. Trucks are usually not covered by credit card insurance, but they are much easier for diving. Amex has a new insurance plan that has been bandied about on this board that seems to cover trucks, but some vendors will not accept it.
Point being there are lots of variables to rates, depending on what is included. AB has a chart breakdown on their website.

(Message edited by seb on November 11, 2004)

Hi Judith,

the www.infobonaire.com website has car rental agency info for comparison shopping.

My last trip I rented a dandy little animal cracker box sized mini-van from Netty's, right there at the airport, which worked out great.

For shore diving either a pickup truck or minivan is preferred just for ease of gearing up on the tailgate/doorway. Lifting tanks etc. out of a car trunk could be a P.I.A., plus the trucks'/vans' interiors seem more geared to the wet and sand and gravel and driving conditions better than a car.

Good Luck Shopping and wish I were going along. The chilly weather has begun in Chicago and those webcam pics are all that's keeping me smiling; well that and my Russian sidecar motorcycle winter riding companion.

Hello, Judith...we always use AB car rental and have had only good experiences with everyone there and the vehicles as well. Good luck with your search for an agency. Have a great time on Bonaire!! Carole

Talk to Michael Gaynor. He can get you a good deal with Budget.

INFO@CHATNBROWSE.COM

Judith, we also always use AB car rental. Marc is a great guy and his vehicle are in good shape.

We've always rented from AB too, though I can't say we've seen the same quality everyone else seems to be attesting to. However, we have always rented the basic (group 1) truck - no airco, no radio.

We've had some real klunkers - the last one we had to have them take back and work on the front seat, as it had rusted solid into a position that was too far back for me and too close for my husband. It also didn't have a tank rack. Previous ones have had no shocks or suspension to speak of, and we always seem to get one where the handbrake light never goes out (yes, we push in the handbrake).

Still, it gets us where we want to go, which is all we want and expect.

I know the upper groups have trucks in better condition, so, like other things in Bonaire, you pay the extra money for the things that are important to you.

Susan,are you sure the truck you were using wasn't Jake's truck!?? LOL! Sounds like the truck Wally was describing when he and Eva were housesitting for Jake and Linda last summer. LOL. Carole

That's funny, Carole - now that you mention it, it does!

I see (in the 'phone home' thread) that you'll be back in Bonaire in May... late or early? We're probably going to be there in early May (gods and goddesses willing! ) - maybe we get to meet!

Hi Judith,
We have rented pick ups from Netty's and Avis; both were trouble free, in pretty good shape, we received good service from both companies. Prices compared favourably with other companies on the island, with Netty being the most reasonable when we checked.
The key is to choose the right vehicle for your needs. We are a family of four divers, so having a double cab pick up made the best sense for us, with enough room on the inside for the four of us, and space in the back for all our gear, two tanks each plus a spare. It costs a bit more because of the insurance of a truck not being covered by credit card "gold" coverage, but well worth it in saved inconvenience and aggravation, from our point of view.
Good Luck!
Jill

I've had great experiences with renting from Everts. Lovely local lady, nice vehicles, good rates. I now get a small van, which my credit card ins. covers the CDW on, and find that very convenient for diving with four people.