I'll be on Bonaire for six weeks starting 1/29, and it looks like we'd be paying a minimum of $1500 for car rental. I wondered about the possibility of buying a car locally, even if we couldn't resell on return. We can buy a "clunker" here for around $500. Don't care what it looks like, just that it's reliable, and we can get liability ins.

Has anyone done this? Seems as if we might end up ahead? Anyone on island have a car to sell, or know someone who does. Feel free to email me direct at: jestill@rochester.rr.com

Welcome any input.

Six weeks! I'm jealous....

Guess your staying at a place that you have to have a car?

Ida, I stay at Bonaire Town Homes, which is about a km outside of downtown, so definitely need a car. For that amount of time, however, where ever I stayed, I'd want the freedom of a car.

Bonaire Town Homes is real convenient, as well as providing clean, comfortable, excellent budget accommodations --- which is the only reason I could afford to stay so long. Luckily, I'm just about retired (just work occassionally, when I'm in town...), but that also means we have to travel economically -- and we're so grateful we can do that on Bonaire.

Josie, we rented from Netty for five weeks at about 207 a week for all, mini van, no insurance ( mc and amex covered it) you probably have to switch credit cards after thirty days, I would talk to your credit card auto insurance people twice and take names, dates, and times when you do.
I like the idea of buying a car though the selling might be a chore.

Seb, thanks for that info on making it two rentals. We'll have no problem there, now that I know it. Looks like we'll end up renting.

It was a realization to me that instead of switching from Netty I could just use another card.
We went to Kooeyman on the island store road and bought two or three feet of nice chain for 3 or 4 dollars and chained up our spare tire to the vehicle frame with a lock we had brought with us, a good sesamee four pin combination brass lock we brought along for the purpose ( bring your lock to the store when buying the chain) and put in a baggie and rubber banded it to keep it clean.

I tend to check the apparent inflation a lot in Bonaire due to those giant thorns and sharp coral rubble, and the possible lack of an inner tube in a tire.
We like a tatami mat for shore diving as well, helps keep sand out of the car and off your wetsuits. they have them at the island store too.
And a nice sun shower, and a two liter bottle filled with water to rinse the sand off the booties, and sultanas in the glove box for the after dive snack....