Transportation in Grand Cayman

From our travel guide

Skip the rental car and you still have options: taxis, the public minibus network, private shuttle vans, and a couple of ride-booking apps. Taxis are the simplest for visitors. They meet every flight at Owen Roberts International Airport, wait at hotels along Seven Mile Beach, and can be called for pickup anywhere on the island. Fares are set by the government and based on zones rather than a meter, so ask the driver for the rate before you set off; most taxis are minivans that carry up to six passengers and luggage.

Public buses cost the least of any option. Colourful minibuses run the main roads from George Town out to West Bay, Bodden Town, and East End, and there are no fixed stops: you flag one down and tell the driver where you're getting off. Fares run around CI$2.50 a trip, cash only, with buses passing roughly every 15 minutes on the busier routes during the day, though there's no published timetable and service thins out at night. The bus works fine between Seven Mile Beach and George Town; for the eastern districts or anywhere off the main roads, plan on a taxi or private driver instead.

Private car services and shuttle vans sit between taxis and self-drive, useful for airport transfers, group transport to dinner, and island tours; several companies run shared shuttles from the airport to Seven Mile Beach hotels for less than a private taxi would cost. Uber and Lyft don't operate here, though a local app called Ridez tries to fill that gap with limited availability.

A rental car gives you the most freedom if you want to get beyond the Seven Mile Beach and George Town corridor. A round-trip taxi to the East End or North Side can run well over CI$100, the point at which a day's car rental starts to look like the better deal. Driving is on the left, road conditions are generally good, and signage gets sparse outside George Town. Parking is free almost everywhere, restaurants, shops, beaches.