Santa Marta car hire
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Santa Marta car hire information
| Pick-up location | Santa Marta |
|---|---|
| Car types | |
| Hire locations | 17 |
| Airport locations | 10 |
Cheap car hire in Santa Marta
| Mini |
| Economy |
| Compact |
| Intermediate |
| Standard |
| Full-size |
| Luxury |
| People carrier |
| Passenger van |
| SUV |
| Commercial |
| Pick-up truck |
KAYAK’s top tips for hiring a car in Santa Marta
- Cheap car hire in Santa Marta will give you the freedom and independence to enjoy this beautiful Columbian coastline at your leisure. With public transport not being available for all areas, you can explore gorgeous colonial architecture and unique history while enjoying world-class beaches such as Playa El Rodadero with a vehicle. The city is a great base for your holiday if you want to venture into the Sierra Nevada Mountains or the Tayrona National Park. Taganga is a 10-min drive away and a great fishing town where you can learn to scuba dive. Take in the Museo de Oro Tairona and see old Columbian artefacts, or source local produce from the Santa Marta Market during the day. At night there are clubs, bars, and restaurants, in which to enjoy the festivities.
- The closest airport to Santa Marta is the Santa Marta Simon Bolivar Airport (SMR). It is based 9 miles (14 km) away and has several companies from which you can book your Santa Marta car hire, including Avis, Hertz, Budget and Localiza. There are others nearby that will send a shuttle to you, including Alamo, National and Rent-A-Car.
- When driving your cheap car hire in Santa Marta, you will enjoy a combination of wide, well-maintained streets and well as older, more narrow roads. The main highway running through Santa Marta is Route 90 and a great motorway to use for further travel into Columbia. You will drive on the right-hand side of the road and find traffic starting very early in the morning. Luckily, Santa Marta does not have the worst traffic in Columbia, as it is mostly occupied by tourists. The country has some of the toughest drinking and driving laws in the world, so be aware that there is a zero tolerance for drink-driving. Always drive buckled up when the car is in motion.
- Driving your cheap car hire in Santa Marta should not present any challenges, as the roads are very good in the city. The coastline has a solid road infrastructure and Route 90 provides an easy thorough-fare to other cities. However, if you plan on venturing into the rural areas you will find the roads are more of a challenge, with potholes and occasional dirt roads. Be aware of heavy pedestrian traffic around the beaches, and even in some parts of central Santa Marta, especially at night when people are feeling festive and have been drinking. You will be driving a manual transmission in Columbia, as that is the standard vehicle hire. Automatic vehicles need to be especially requested.
- Book your car hire in Santa Marta at least 7 days before your trip in order to get a below-average price
- Intermediate car hire in Santa Marta are around 47% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about hiring a car in Santa Marta
How much is the price of fuel in Santa Marta?
The average price of fuel in Santa Marta is €3.72 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a tank of fuel costs between €45 and €59, depending on the car size.
What is the most popular car hire in Santa Marta?
Intermediate (Chevrolet Onix or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Santa Marta.
How can I find car hires near me in Santa Marta?
Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.
How much does an Intermediate car hire cost in Santa Marta?
An Intermediate car hire in Santa Marta costs €29 per day, on average.
How much does a Mini car hire cost in Santa Marta?
A Mini car hire in Santa Marta costs €34 per day, on average.
How much does an Economy car hire cost in Santa Marta?
An Economy car hire in Santa Marta costs €36 per day, on average.
What type of car is recommended for driving in Santa Marta?
Santa Marta should be an easy driving experience that does not require any high-performance vehicle to get around. Choose a compact economy and save on fuel, or choose a saloon for more space. If you enjoy the wind in your hair, a convertible is always great fun on coastal roads.
What is the speed limit in Santa Marta?
There is a strong police presence in Columbia on the streets, and speeding is never worth a fine. In Santa Marta, the speed limit is observed in kilometres. You will be restricted to between 30 km/h (19 mph) and 50 km/h (31 mph) in any urban area, 80 km/h (50 mph) on the rural roads and up to 100 km/h (62 mph) on highways.
Where are the best places to park in Santa Marta?
When parking in Santa Marta, you will find many streets where parking is free and based on a first come, first served basis. It’s advisable to look for car parks belonging to supermarkets, hotels, and restaurants if you are downtown, and on the beach you can find many spots available. If you are looking for paid car parks, Parqueadero RCBA Parking is a popular option in the city, as well as Parqueadero Center Parking & Business.
Santa Marta car rental reviews and directory
Avis
10.0
Wonderful
13 reviewsCleanliness
10.0
Comfort
10.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
10.0
Value for money
10.0
2 locations in Santa Marta
Locations in Santa Marta
Simon Bolivar Intl Apo
+57 1 6291722
Filters
Reviews
3.2 Poor
Feb 2019
Pros:
The car broke after 2 hours of use. Left indicator didnt work, drivers dook didnt look. We rang up and the team was unhelpful - we had to make an arranged time to change the car, miles from where we were! A nightmare, basically. Never using Avis again. + Service at collection was slow, rude, rubbishCons:
Everything4.0 Mediocre
Jun 2018
Pros:
How easy it was to arrange for the online rental. We will try to avoid using Avis again. They need to streamline the checkout process.Cons:
Twice we rented Avis Cars in International Airports in Colombia. What a mistake Santa Marta & Bogota- very long check out process, especially when compared to our Colombian experience with Localiza Santa Marta - The Nissan March car we were given was substandard to other rental cars that we have had. (After market radio, lots of dings, missing hubcap, made a squeaky noise- we feared it might break down. Santa Marta - At check out we had to defend that it was being returned exactly as we received it. Apparently there were traffic cones missing.- Bogota -1 hr. 45 min. time period between checking in at reservation time at the Avis Counter and actually driving the car from the lot Bogota - tacky paint, and no wet paint signs, at the Avis counter. I got paint on my shirt sleeve. Bogota - Bad check-int instructions were given at Check-out, so it made check out longer and more complicated.6.0 Okay
Feb 2018
Pros:
The employees were amiableCons:
the difficulty in getting to rental company from airport. trying to coordinate the drop-off with no airport Avis office there being up charged for the rental4.8 Mediocre
Dec 2017
Cons:
There is no AVIS station at the Santa Marta Airport. I had to drive to the city to pick up my car. No explanation, no word of excuse. The dropoff was set to be the airport. The AVIS employee showed up with 1 hour delay.4.8 Mediocre
Aug 2017
Cons:
I booked the car through kayak, when we came to pick it up the adress given was wrong and the Avis shop was not in santa Marta but in rodadero, 30 min away. when we came to Pick it up they said we had to call first to confirm the car and didn't have a car for us. I had a booking confirmation via email and no way of knowing that we had to call as well to confirm. After about 45 min discussion they all of a sudden had a car but only if we could bring it back the next morning at 10am. The car was fine to drive during the day but at night the shaded windows were so dark that you could barely see the road, I was very scared driving like that. Also the control panel (where you see how fast u drive) was so blinding that I had to cover it with a book to be able to drive.2.0 Poor
Aug 2017
Cons:
The car was a wreck with big scratches all over and it was lacking features which are now common on most cars even the cheapest. We thought about returning it several times but since it still took us from point A to point B, we preferred spending our time discovering the country instead. However, the drop-off was a nightmare. The employee at Santa Marta came up with new (tiny) scratches in the most random places and made us call the Cartagena office to explain it wasn't our fault. They said they will review all pictures of the car to determine whether it was caused by us with no apologies for the inconvenience. This whole thing took close to an hour, making us rush for our plane. We had substantially better service with Localiza for our rental between Bogota and Medellin, even though they are not international players. Avoid Avis.Localiza
7.3
Good
2 reviewsCleanliness
8.0
Comfort
7.3
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.3
Value for money
8.0
2 locations in Santa Marta
Locations in Santa Marta
. Calle 24, 03-04, Bella Vista
+57 1 800 0520001
Avenida Aeropuerto Km 80 Lo-11, 012a, Sal. Nacionales
+57 1 800 0520001
Filters
No reviews available
National
2.0
Poor
1 reviewCleanliness
10.0
Comfort
10.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
2.0
Value for money
2.0
2 locations in Santa Marta
Locations in Santa Marta
Carrera 4 No 11a 189 Local 4
+57 301 7560308
Simon Bolivar Intl Airport
+57 301 7560308
Filters
Reviews
2.0 Poor
Jan 2022
Alamo
6.6
Okay
No reviews available
Cleanliness
6.6
Comfort
6.7
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.5
Value for money
6.4
2 locations in Santa Marta
Locations in Santa Marta
Carrera 4 No 11a 189 Local 4
+57 301 7560308
Via Cienaga Troncal Del Caribe
+57 301 7560308
Filters
No reviews available
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
6.0
Okay
No reviews available
Cleanliness
6.0
Comfort
6.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.0
Value for money
6.0
2 locations in Santa Marta
Locations in Santa Marta
Carrera 4 No 11a-189 Local 4
+57 301 7560308
Simon Bolivar Intl Airport
+57 301 7560308
Filters
No reviews available
Hertz
6.6
Okay
No reviews available
One location in Santa Marta
Locations in Santa Marta
Calle 24, #4-15
+57 350 7439106
Filters
No reviews available
Royal Rent-A-Car
2.5
Poor
No reviews available
One location in Santa Marta
Locations in Santa Marta
Filters
No reviews available
Confort Rent A Car
2.0
Poor
No reviews available
One location in Santa Marta
Locations in Santa Marta
Filters
No reviews available
Renta facil
2.0
Poor
No reviews available
One location in Santa Marta
Locations in Santa Marta
Filters
No reviews available
FlexWays
2.0
Poor
No reviews available
One location in Santa Marta
Locations in Santa Marta
Filters
No reviews available
Sunnycars
No score available yet
2 locations in Santa Marta
Locations in Santa Marta
Filters
No reviews available
Car hire locations in or near Santa Marta
Good to know
Most popular car type | Intermediate |
|---|
When to book a car hire in Santa Marta
Car hire insurance in Santa Marta
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) & Theft Protection Waiver
Some Santa Marta car providers already include Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Protection Waiver into the hire price but not all of them. We recommend always be aware of your coverage when hiring a car in Santa Marta.
Deductible
Keep in mind that car hire insurances often have a deductible clause, which is the amount you’ll have to pay if something happens during the time of your hire. If you want to avoid unwanted surprises, you should consider adding a no-deductible option to your Santa Marta car hire.