Renting a Car in Belize

If you’ve seen our itinerary for our Belize trip, you can probably see why we opted to rent a car! I highly recommend it if you are going to be on mainland, unless you only plan to do tours. Many of the tour guides offer transportation, but even then, you are limited in what you can experience without your own vehicle!

We rented our SUV from Hertz. We reserved it in advance and picked it up right at the airport. Here are some key points to consider when renting a car internationally:

• Opt for the collision/damage waiver (CDW) insurance offered by the rental company. This covers damage to the rental car if there is an accident or theft. Your personal car insurance from home likely won’t cover a rental car abroad.
• Check if your credit card provides rental car insurance coverage. Many cards do, but you’ll want to verify the details. There may be limitations on the type/size of vehicle or where coverage applies. This can supplement the CDW insurance. We decided not to use our credit card insurance and just buy full coverage through Hertz to make it easier and be certain we were covered, but I know we paid more by doing so.
• Minimum liability coverage is required in Belize. This covers injuries or damage you cause to others if there’s an accident.
• Inspect the vehicle thoroughly at pickup for any prior damage and make sure it’s noted on the rental agreement to avoid dispute later.
• Roads in Belize may be rough and unpaved in areas. Consider the type of car that can handle these conditions without damage. We did not need an all wheel drive vehicle anywhere we went, even on the worst roads – but we did not encounter any flooding or rain. If you go during rainy season you may want to consider that! However, I do recommend an SUV because there are speed bumps on the main roads and you will almost certainly ramp one (or 5) before you get used to spotting them!
• There may be additional fees for multiple drivers or driving into neighboring countries (you usually can’t cross borders with rentals but there is a company in Belize that does allow it), so inquire about any restrictions.

Some more information about liability coverage:

• Rental car companies in Belize typically do include basic liability coverage to meet the country’s legal minimum requirements. However, this may only be the minimum mandated amount, which could be insufficient if there’s a major accident.
• Credit card rental coverage, such as those offered by Visa, Mastercard, Amex, does not typically include liability insurance for damages to third parties. These policies are intended to cover damage to the rental vehicle itself and possibly things like towing and loss of use costs.
• Liability protection is considered a separate supplemental insurance policy that goes beyond the basic damage/collision coverage. Some credit cards and rental companies let you purchase higher supplemental liability protection in case the included basic coverage is not enough.
• The minimum liability coverage offered by Belize rental companies may not follow you across country borders either. So if you take the rental vehicle into nearby Mexico, Guatemala, or Honduras, you’d want to consider purchasing extra liability insurance for complete protection in those countries.

When renting a car in Belize, keep in mind that you only need to reserve it for your time on mainland! If you have an itinerary like ours and are splitting your time between the jungle and the Cayes, there are no cars on Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye. We returned our rental back to Hertz, they shuttled us to the ferry, and once we arrived at Caye Caulker a golf cart taxi took us to our rental!