Car rental prices at St. Maarten Airport

Across the year, a good price for a rental car at St. Maarten Airport is around $71 a day for a Compact (a Nissan Versa-sized car). An Economy is $61 a day. If your quote is well over these, the price checker will tell you for your exact dates.

Booking time barely changes prices at St. Maarten Airport, although across the year a Compact car averages its lowest price, $61 a day, in the last 2 weeks before your trip. Across the year, a Compact car averages $69 a day around a month before your trip and $71 around 9 months before, so you have not missed a substantial early-booking saving. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 65% of our customers book within a month of pickup, so do not rush solely because you think everyone else booked earlier.

Right Cars is the cheapest company at St. Maarten Airport for a Compact car, averaging $45 a day over the last 12 months, with an airport desk but a credit-card-only deposit. For a Compact car over the same period, Zezgo averages $52 a day and Mex averages $66, respectively $7 and $21 more a day than Right Cars. Right Cars, Zezgo and Mex do not yet have enough reviews for a score. All 4 desks require a credit card, so choosing a dearer company does not solve a debit-card problem.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

Right Cars, Zezgo and Mex do not yet have enough reviews for a score at St. Maarten Airport, so compare their rental terms rather than choosing by a rating. Right Cars is cheapest for a Compact car over the last 12 months at $45 a day on average, compared with $52 for Zezgo and $66 for Mex. Each requires a credit card and holds a typical $501 deposit, so check the terms beside your chosen car before booking.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

You need a credit card at St. Maarten Airport because all 4 desks reject debit cards, and typical deposits range from $501 to $1,001. If you only have a debit card, filter for debit-card acceptance before comparing prices rather than assuming you can arrange the deposit at pickup. Check the deposit and card rule beside each car; extras charged at the desk, such as a child seat or an additional driver, are listed under each car with their price.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

Watch for credit-card-only deposits at St. Maarten Airport: all 4 desks require one, and the amount held depends on the company you choose. America holds a typical $1,001, while Right Cars, Mex and Zezgo each hold $501. Before booking, check that your available credit covers the chosen deposit rather than arriving with only a debit card.

Only 57% of prices at St. Maarten Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

Choose a Compact car such as a Nissan Versa at St. Maarten Airport, averaging $71 a day across all batches, if 3 bags suffice; it seats 5 but carries only 3 bags. An Economy car such as a Chevrolet Spark seats 5 but takes 2 bags and averages $61 a day over that period, saving you $10 a day if your luggage fits. An Intermediate car such as a Nissan Qashqai also seats 5 but takes only 3 bags and averages $111 a day across all batches, so do not spend $40 more a day expecting extra luggage capacity. Over the last 12 months, 100% of cars offered are automatic, so you need not filter to avoid a manual; across all batches, an automatic Compact car averages $67 a day against $164 for a manual Compact car, or $97 less a day. No electric or hybrid cars are offered in that 12-month comparison, so plan to hire a conventional car.