Daily travel to Montego Bay - please advise

[UniCarver]

Hi all,

I would appreciate very much any advice about travelling from Hedo II to Montego bay.

Namely, I will be visiting Hedo II in the period 18-27 June, and from Monday to Friday (21st-25th) I will have to go to Montego Bay every morning and to come back in the afternoon. My idea was to rent a car and to keep it during my stay in Jamaica. In this way I might be able to drive to Montego Bay, as well as to make some excursions over the island to see a bit of it.

Please, let me know whether it is a good idea or I am missing something in my plans. Is there any better or more comfortable way to transport between Hedo II and Montego Bay? Is there any safety, practical or any other issue that I should be aware of?

I will appreciate very much any advice.

Thanks a lot in advance,
UC

[NorthernBoy]

Hi all,

I would appreciate very much any advice about travelling from Hedo II to Montego bay.

Namely, I will be visiting Hedo II in the period 18-27 June, and from Monday to Friday (21st-25th) I will have to go to Montego Bay every morning and to come back in the afternoon. My idea was to rent a car and to keep it during my stay in Jamaica. In this way I might be able to drive to Montego Bay, as well as to make some excursions over the island to see a bit of it.

Please, let me know whether it is a good idea or I am missing something in my plans. Is there any better or more comfortable way to transport between Hedo II and Montego Bay? Is there any safety, practical or any other issue that I should be aware of?

I will appreciate very much any advice.

Thanks a lot in advance,
UC

I would think car rental would be best with that much travel. The other choices would get expensive in a hurry...

[singlecruiser70]

Hi all,

I would appreciate very much any advice about travelling from Hedo II to Montego bay.

Namely, I will be visiting Hedo II in the period 18-27 June, and from Monday to Friday (21st-25th) I will have to go to Montego Bay every morning and to come back in the afternoon. My idea was to rent a car and to keep it during my stay in Jamaica. In this way I might be able to drive to Montego Bay, as well as to make some excursions over the island to see a bit of it.

Please, let me know whether it is a good idea or I am missing something in my plans. Is there any better or more comfortable way to transport between Hedo II and Montego Bay? Is there any safety, practical or any other issue that I should be aware of?

I will appreciate very much any advice.

Thanks a lot in advance,
UC

Dont forget...... they drive on the left side of the road...... and their AC power is 50 Hz 120V Dick

[yarray]

Personally I would ask the management to arrange a car and a driver for you. Local knowledge of local driving practices and local knowedge of where to go (and where not to go) can be extremely useful. Or recommend a taxi driver.

Every city has good areas and areas that it would be unwise to stray into. In your own country you can look down a street and know what's normal, what's unusual and what's dangerous. That's harder in a different culture.

Driving on the wrong side of the road is ok for the first three days because you are petrified and concentrating 110%. About day three you start to relax, turn out of a junction and instictively go to the wrong side of the road. A deeply religious experience for both you and the driver coming towards you!!

In March I was on another caribbean island with a colleague and we were in a taxi going to see a client.The conversation went like this:

John - "You know the local people are so friendly. Even here on the road they are always courteous to each other, you never see any aggressive driving or Road Rage.

Taxi Driver - Some of ‘de people, ‘dey got guns an’ if you get mad ‘dey shoot you.

John – (pause) Ok.


A car and a driver may be expensive but then, there are no pockets in your shroud. Why not just stay in Hedo and party?

[bibabe]

You may be able to find a local taxi driver who is willing to make a decent deal with you. Most will make the time and arrangements for a pretty decent price. I agree with yarray it could be a bit dangerous considering you don't know the roads and they do drive on the opposite side and very very fast at all times of the day. The resort would probably be able to hook you up with a local that you can trust to be there on time to get you back and forth. I just think being safe is your best bet. But that's just my opinion. Hope you have a great time!

[scopat985]

hire a driver, and sit in the back seat!! they drive crazy!!!! lol also it is better to have someone that knows the areas to go to and the ones not to go to...
Don't attempt driving yourself, unless you have been there before and know your way around..

[charlntai]

i will simply say this:

if u are already familiar with driving on the opposite side of the road, then i would FREELY suggest u rent a car and make the drive.

as someone who has been driving while visiting in jamaica for a couple of decades, i can tell u that the drive from mobay to negril (and back) is very simple and straight forward. there's no place to get "lost", there is but one city along the drive where u drive thru it's centre----lucea----- (therefore traffic is only a problem at that one time depending on the time of day), and the highways have never been better.

long before we discovered hedo, we used to stay in mobay routinely and would rent a car for 5 or 6 days to be able to head wherever on the island, whenever we wanted to go. i can remember when the road was so bad from mobay to negril that it took 3 hours or so to make the drive. however, now the trip can be made easily in an hour or a little more, barring the aforementioned traffic. in fact, the hardest part of the trip will be just leaving the traffic of mobay and seeing it again when u return. otherwise, it's a very nice drive, scenic, and straight. if we stayed in mobay for 10 days, we would hit negril at least 3 times, and head the opposite direction towards ochi another 2.

for us, the troublesome problems were getting "stuck" in a line of cars behind a SLOW moving large truck (difficult to pass on a narrow road), and not getting speeding tix for driving too fast b/c speed traps are in the usual locales. fortunately the drivers coming the opposite direction will flash bright lights to alarm u of the "babylon" presence down the road.

yes, the jamaican drivers drive pretty fast, however the majority of their accidents happen on the winding roads up in the hills. the trip from mobay to hedo is along the coast, and tho there ARE tight bends at portions of the drive, most of the trip is spent on fairly straight sections, some stretches 2 lanes each way.

we say GO FOR IT!

[UniCarver]

Thanks a lot for the advices. I have never driven on the left side of the road (except by mistake), but to become "familiar" everybody should start with the first time. And also, without difficulties life would be too boring. So, I think I will stick to the original plan of renting a car there.

I hope "Why not stay in Hedo and party all the time?" is just a retoric question. I would like so, but I have to go to Mobay to attend a conference some of the days.

Again, thanks a lot for all the comments - I do appreciate them very much and I will keep in mind your advices once I hit the road in Jamaica.

Smile,
UC

[GandS]

Renting a car will be the most cost-effective solution by far and gives you a lot more freedom to explore a bit, although I think other than leaving Hedo for your conference you will be glued to the resort and having fun for the rest of your stay.

/Gary