Car hire in Seychelles from $40/day

Car rental in Seychelles at a glance

Collect your car at Seychelles International Airport when you land on Mahé, or have it brought to your hotel in Beau Vallon, Victoria or Eden Island. Praslin has its own, smaller fleet delivered to where you stay. We compare car rental offers from local and international companies, all of them automatics, from $39.86 a day.

In the week starting 11 Oct, the cheapest day to pick up a car for a 7-day rental is Monday (from $39.86 a day) and the most expensive is Wednesday (from $44.42). Dates further ahead also fall into another season, so compare them with the prices by month.

Renting without a deposit in Seychelles

80 of 90 cars can be rented with no deposit at all, starting at $39.86 a day. Nothing is blocked on your card, which is why many travellers choose these offers. Use the “No deposit” button above the search; for offers with a deposit, the amount is shown on each car before you book.

Key facts: car rental in Seychelles

• 90 cars are listed in Seychelles today: from $39.86 a day for a 7-day rental, a typical car about $56.95.
• 89% of cars need no deposit; the rest of the price is paid at pick-up, in cash for 100% of cars.
• Of the months that are already fully listed (October to February), the cheapest to start a rental is November (from $39.86 a day) and the most expensive is October (from $44.42).
• In the week starting 11 Oct, the cheapest day to pick up a car for a 7-day rental is Monday (from $39.86 a day) and the most expensive is Wednesday (from $44.42). Dates further ahead also fall into another season, so compare them with the prices by month.
• Last-minute choice: 69 cars for pick-up in 3 days, 90 when you book two weeks ahead.
• For a 30-day rental the lowest price is $39.86 a day.

Car hire on Mahé: Victoria, Beau Vallon, Eden Island and the airport

Almost every visitor to the Seychelles lands on Mahé, and that is where most rental cars are. It helps to know how the island's car hire works before you compare offers: the airport, Victoria and the rest of Mahé draw on one island-wide fleet. Suppliers bring the car to you, so the choice you see for Beau Vallon is the same choice you see for Victoria or the south coast. The cities table on this page lists the 4 pick-up points we check, with the number of cars and the lowest daily price in each.

Where people usually ask for a car:

• Victoria: the small capital, with the Inter-Island Quay for the Praslin ferry. The centre is the only place on Mahé with real traffic, and parking there is tight.
• Beau Vallon: the long beach on the north-west coast, with most mid-range hotels and guesthouses. A car is handy here because the mountain road to Victoria is slow by bus.
• Eden Island: the marina development next to Victoria, a short drive from the airport.
• The south and west coast: resorts and villas around Anse Royale, Takamaka, Port Glaud and Baie Lazare, where a car makes the biggest difference.

Delivery works the same everywhere: give the address and the time when you book, the supplier's representative meets you at reception with the paperwork, and collects the car at the end. You can usually have the car delivered to your hotel and hand it back at the airport on your last day; check the offer conditions for any fee for a different return point. If you would rather drive away as soon as you land, see car hire at Seychelles Airport.

Which car for the islands

Seychelles roads decide the car for you. The coast roads are narrow with little room to pass, and the roads across Mahé's mountains are steep, winding and lined with open drains. A small car is the easy choice for a couple: it fits on the hairpins, it is simple to park at a beach, and it costs least, from $39.86 a day. Every offer we list is an automatic (100%), which helps if you are not used to driving on the left: only the side of the road is new, not the gearbox.

For a family or a lot of luggage, look at SUVs and crossovers, from $44.42 a day. They are not needed for the roads, which are sealed, but they give you room and a higher seat on the steep sections. The models that appear most often right now are Suzuki Swift, Suzuki Brezza, Hyundai Grand i10, Suzuki DZire, Suzuki Fronx.

What you will not find: 4x4s, premium cars or convertibles are not part of the fleet we compare, and nothing on the islands requires them. On Praslin most of the smaller fleet are SUVs, so the choice there is different from Mahé.

Island hopping: renting on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue

Most trips combine Mahé with Praslin, and often La Digue. Plan the car hire around one simple fact: rental cars stay on their own island. The fast ferries between the islands carry foot passengers, and rental contracts usually do not allow taking the car to another island. So you return the Mahé car, cross, and rent again on Praslin if you want to drive there.

Getting between the islands, all times approximate:

• Mahé to Praslin by ferry: about an hour from the Inter-Island Quay in Victoria to Baie Ste Anne.
• Mahé to Praslin by plane: about 15–20 minutes from the domestic terminal next to the international airport.
• Praslin to La Digue by ferry: about 15 minutes.

Before the ferry, hand the Mahé car back in Victoria (ask the supplier whether they collect at the Inter-Island Quay), or at the airport before a Praslin flight. On Praslin the car is delivered to your guesthouse, the jetty or the airstrip; how that works and what it costs is on the Praslin car rental page. La Digue is different again: there are very few cars on the island and we list none. Most visitors get around by bicycle or on foot.

Splitting the trip into two rentals is usually cheaper than keeping one car parked while you are away, and you only pay for the days you actually drive.

Local and international companies, deposits and cancellation

We compare offers from local Seychellois companies and international brands side by side. Local suppliers make up most of the delivered fleet on Mahé, and in practice the differences between offers are less about the name on the car than about four things: the deposit, the insurance excess, the age of the car and where the supplier delivers.

• Deposit: most offers ask for none (89% of cars right now). The cheapest car without a deposit costs from $39.86 a day.
• Credit card: 90 cars can be booked without a credit card; the balance is settled at hand-over.
• Cancellation: free cancellation is offered on about 56% of cars, so filter for it if your flights might change.
• Mileage: unlimited on 99% of offers. On islands this size it barely matters, but it is one less thing to check.

To keep the price down, book early for the busy weeks, choose a small automatic, and look at the price-by-month chart above before fixing your dates: the same car can cost noticeably more in the peak months. For a couple or a family staying outside Victoria, a car is often cheaper than taking taxis every day.

Driving in the Seychelles: left-hand traffic, mountain roads and rules

The Seychelles drive on the left and cars have the steering wheel on the right. Since every rental is an automatic, most visitors find the switch manageable after the first few kilometres. Is it safe? Yes, with care. The roads are narrow and winding, there are few pavements, and the edges often have deep open drains instead of a verge. Buses take up much of the lane and stop without much warning, and you will meet pedestrians and dogs on the road, especially around villages.

The slowest drives are the passes across Mahé's mountains, the Sans Souci road from Victoria to the west coast and La Misère further south: steep, with tight hairpins and oncoming buses. Take them in daylight on your first day, and avoid unlit roads after dark where you can. Victoria's centre is the only place with real traffic jams.

Paperwork: bring your national driving licence and your passport to the hand-over. Many suppliers accept licences in English; an International Driving Permit is often recommended for licences in other scripts, so check the conditions of your offer. Minimum age and any young-driver surcharge are set by each supplier and shown in the offer. Speed limits are low and seat belts and drink-driving rules are enforced; check the current limits before you drive rather than relying on what applies at home.

Do you need a car? Buses, taxis and a day around Mahé

You can get around Mahé without a car. Buses reach most of the island cheaply, but they are crowded, stop early in the evening and are awkward with luggage or beach gear. Taxis work well for an airport transfer or a dinner out, but they add up quickly if you use them every day, and ride-hailing apps are not something to rely on here.

A car pays off when you stay outside Victoria, want to see several beaches in a day, or travel as a family. Mahé is small, about 27 km from north to south, so a full loop with stops fits comfortably into one day. A classic route: Victoria to Beau Vallon, over the mountains on the Sans Souci road to Port Glaud and the west coast, south to Anse Soleil and Anse Intendance, then back north along the east coast past the airport. Plan for plenty of stops rather than a fixed schedule: distances are short, but the roads are slow.

Where these numbers come from

By the Autalo editorial team. Prices and car counts updated 27 September 2026.

Prices, car counts and conditions on this page come from live offers of local rental companies in the Localrent network and are refreshed daily by Autalo (Alto Media Limited). Prices are for a 7-day rental starting 2026-10-11 unless stated otherwise; your final price depends on dates, season and extras and is always shown in the search before you pay. Last checked 27 September 2026.

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