St Maarten-St Martin
ISLAND INFO GUIDE
YOUR VACATION TAKES OFF HERE
St Maarten-St Martin
All Insider Guides
DESTINITO INSIDER GUIDE

Avis Car Rental: Your Ticket to Freedom on Anguilla's Back Roads

Keys, a map, and 16 miles of coastline waiting

hotel
car rental airport pickup road trip families beach hoppers independent travelers longer stays

Why Go

Anguilla has 33 beaches, hidden goat-track shortcuts, and food shacks that don't show up on rideshare apps ΓÇö and there is no Uber. A rental car isn't a luxury here, it's the whole point, and Avis (operating locally as Apex/Avis) is the island's most familiar name for handing you the keys.

The Experience

The Apex/Avis operation on Anguilla is refreshingly low-key compared to the airport counters you're used to. Pickups happen either at Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA) or, more commonly, delivered straight to your villa or hotel ΓÇö a small kindness that saves a taxi fare and 45 minutes of your first vacation day. The fleet leans practical: compact economy cars for solo travelers, mid-size sedans for couples, and open-top Jeep Wranglers that are borderline mandatory if you're planning to bounce between Shoal Bay, Little Bay, and Sandy Ground. Staff are Anguillian, unhurried, and generous with beach directions. Note the local quirk: you'll be issued a temporary Anguillian driver's permit (roughly US$25) on top of the rental, and you drive on the left.

What to Try

Book the Jeep, not the sedan ΓÇö Anguilla's interior roads to spots like Katouche Bay and the Fountain Cavern get rutted, and half the fun is peeling the roof back for the sunset drive along the north coast. Ask for the free island road map at pickup; it marks the unsigned turnoffs to beach bars that GPS routinely botches. Take advantage of the free hotel/villa delivery and drop-off so you don't waste a return trip to the airport on your last morning.

Insider Tip

Fill up before you return the car ΓÇö the fuel stations near the airport in The Valley close earlier than you'd expect (many stop pumping by 7 pm and are shut Sundays), and a missed fill-up can mean a steep refueling charge. Also: reserve at least a week ahead in high season (DecemberΓÇôApril). The Anguillian fleet is small, and when the ferries from St. Martin dump a wave of day-trippers, the good Jeeps go first.

The Practical Stuff

Location: Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA), The Valley, Anguilla. Hours: 7:00 amΓÇô7:00 pm daily. Phone: +1 (264) 497-2642. Requirements: valid driver's license from your home country plus a temporary Anguillian permit (issued at pickup, ~US$25, valid 3 months). Payment: major credit cards. Perks: unlimited mileage, free island road map, complimentary pickup/delivery to hotels and villas. Drive on the left.

Pair It With

  • Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA) — Avis's main counter is here ΓÇö arrange pickup the moment you clear customs and skip the taxi queue.
  • Shoal Bay East — The island's postcard beach is a 15-minute drive from the airport and effectively unreachable without your own wheels.
  • Sandy Ground — Anguilla's nightlife strip ΓÇö live music at Elvis' Beach Bar and Johnno's ΓÇö is a straightforward evening drive once you've got the car.
  • Albert Lake Marketplace — Stock the villa fridge on your way from the airport; it's the nearest full-service grocery to the Avis pickup point.