The short answer
- The best family car to rent in Seychelles is the Suzuki XL6, a six-seat automatic people carrier from SeyBooking.com at €60 a day on Mahé.
- It costs the same as a five-seat SUV. The Toyota Urban Cruiser and the Suzuki Fronx are also €60 a day, and they seat five with less room.
- Six real seats in three rows, with two captain chairs in the middle and a walkway to row three. Nobody climbs over a folded seat.
- Luggage depends on the size of the family. Four people fold the third row and take every suitcase. Five fold half of it. Six travel with day bags and we add a second small car for the big cases on the airport run.
- Everything a family needs is in the price. Insurance, unlimited mileage, a free second driver, free delivery to the airport or your hotel and free cancellation are all included. No credit card is held. A €100 cash deposit is handed back at return.
- Mahé only. No car crosses between islands, and on Praslin the largest car we supply seats five.
Families get car hire in Seychelles wrong in the same way, year after year. They book the cheapest small car they can find, land on Mahé after a long-haul night with two tired children, a pushchair and four suitcases, and discover that the boot holds two of the cases and the rest go on someone’s lap. Then they spend the week squeezed in, or they pay for taxis on top of the car.
This guide is about avoiding that. It explains what a family actually needs from a rental car on Mahé, why the Suzuki XL6 is the car we point families to, what fits in it at each family size, what it costs against the alternatives, and how the collection works when you arrive at the airport with children in tow.
Why a family needs a bigger car in Seychelles than at home
Mahé looks small on a map. It is about 27 kilometres long. But the island is a granite ridge with the roads wrapped around the coast and climbing over the middle, so a short distance on the map is a long, winding drive in practice. A day out with children means a lot of time in the car, and time in a cramped car is the part of the holiday everyone remembers for the wrong reasons.
Then there is the kit. A beach day in Seychelles is not a towel and a book. It is towels, snorkels, a cool box, sun cream, spare clothes, a beach umbrella, the pushchair and the bag of things the youngest cannot be without. All of it goes in and out of the car twice a day, often in the heat of the afternoon.
And the beaches are spread out. Part of the year the calm, child-friendly water is on one side of the island and part of the year on the other, so the families who enjoy Mahé most are the ones who can simply drive to the calm side. A car that carries everyone and everything without a puzzle every morning makes that easy.
Why the Suzuki XL6 is the family car
The XL6 is the only car in our fleet with more than five seats, and it was chosen for families. Three things make it work.
Captain chairs
The middle row is two separate armchair seats with armrests, not a bench. Two children each get their own seat and their own space.
A walkway to row three
The gap between the captain chairs lets a child walk through to the back row. Nobody folds a seat and nobody in the back is trapped.
Room for the kit
Fold the third row flat and the back becomes a large load bay. The third row splits in half, so you can keep one seat and still carry the cases.
The rest of the car is equally sensible for a family holiday. It is an automatic, with a six-speed gearbox, so the steep hill starts on Mahé are no effort. The air conditioning has rear vents, which matters more than it sounds in tropical heat, because in most small cars the front gets cold air and the back seat gets nothing. The middle row has ISOFIX mounts if you are bringing your own child seat. There is a Bluetooth touchscreen for the music that keeps the peace on longer drives.
Under the bonnet it is a 1.5-litre petrol engine with Suzuki’s mild-hybrid assist, using roughly 5 litres per 100 kilometres. It sits 180 mm off the ground, which helps on the steeper driveways of hillside villas. At 4.4 metres long it is bigger than most of our fleet, so you will notice it on the narrowest stretches. It is not a sports car. It is the car for getting a family and its day out from one side of Mahé to the other, comfortably and in one go.
What fits: the XL6 by family size
Be realistic about luggage and you will never be caught out at the airport. With all six seats up the boot holds 209 litres, which is shopping and day bags. Folding the third row changes the car completely.
| Your family | How the seats are set | What fits |
|---|---|---|
| Four people | Third row folded flat | Every suitcase, the pushchair and the beach kit, with both children in captain chairs |
| Five people | Half of the third row folded | The fifth seat stays up and the folded half takes the cases |
| Six people | All three rows up | Day bags and beach kit. For six large suitcases on the airport run, add a second small car and we price both together |
Six people and six big cases?
Tell us when you book. The usual answer is the XL6 for the people and a small second car for the airport run with the cases, both delivered to the airport. It still costs less than two cars for the whole week.
What a family car costs in Seychelles
The XL6 is €60 a day on Mahé from two days. A single day of 24 hours or less is €120, charged as two days. Rental days run on a 24-hour clock from the time the car is delivered. That is the whole price. There is no booking fee, no airport surcharge and no charge for the second driver.
| Option for a family on Mahé | Seats | One week |
|---|---|---|
| Suzuki XL6, six-seat automatic | 6 | €420 |
| Toyota Urban Cruiser or Suzuki Fronx, five-seat SUV | 5 | €420 |
| Two Suzuki Celerios, four seats each | 8 in two cars | €630 |
For the same money as a five-seat SUV, the XL6 gives you an extra seat, captain chairs, rear air vents and a load bay. Against two small cars it saves €210 a week and keeps the family in one vehicle, with one set of parking, one set of fuel and nobody split up on the way to dinner.
It also tends to beat taxis. Taxis and one-way transfers add up quickly in Seychelles once you are a family making two or three trips a day, and a car parked outside your villa means the beach, the shop and the restaurant are all on your own timetable.
What is included in the price
- Insurance. Collision damage waiver is included, with an excess of €1,300 on the XL6. Our car rental insurance guide explains exactly what that covers.
- Unlimited mileage. Drive to every beach on the island as often as you like.
- A second driver at no charge. Both parents can share the driving. Every driver must be named on the rental agreement and be present at handover with their licence.
- Free delivery and collection at Seychelles International Airport or your hotel or villa on Mahé, at any hour.
- Free cancellation.
- No credit card held. You pay in cash or by card when the car is delivered. The XL6 carries a €100 cash deposit, paid at handover and handed back in cash when you return the car.
Arriving at the airport with children
This is where the XL6 earns its rate. There is no rental desk to queue at in arrivals. We bring the car to Seychelles International Airport, meet you after you clear arrivals, hand over the keys and the paperwork, and you load up and drive away. If your flight is late, the car waits, because we watch the arrival rather than the booking time.
For a family that has been travelling all night, that is the difference between a long wait with tired children and being on the road to the hotel within minutes. Load the cases into the back with the third row folded, put the children in the captain chairs, and the holiday starts in the car park.
Driving on Mahé with a family
Seychelles drives on the left. Any national driving licence is accepted, from any country and in any script, with no International Driving Permit needed, as long as the driver is at least eighteen and has held the licence for twelve months.
The roads are good but narrow, with steep sections over the mountain passes, sharp bends and deep drainage gutters along the edges. Take the cross-island roads slowly, give way generously and let the locals pass. The automatic gearbox takes the work out of the hill starts. Never drive or park on sand. It is not allowed under any rental agreement in Seychelles and it voids the insurance completely.
Family days out from the driver’s seat
A car turns Mahé into a choice of calm beaches every morning. From December to March the north-west monsoon makes the south and east coasts the calm side, so families head for beaches such as Anse Royale. From May to September the south-east trades turn that around, and the north and west, Beau Vallon and Port Launay among them, are the calm side. April, October and often May and November are calm almost everywhere.
Away from the sand, the Botanical Garden in Victoria, the tea plantation in the hills and the old Mission ruins with their view over the west coast all make easy family stops by car. With six seats and a load bay, a picnic, the snorkels and a change of clothes for everyone come along without a second thought.
Mahé only, and what to do on Praslin and La Digue
The XL6 is available on Mahé only. No car crosses between the islands, so if your family is island hopping, book the XL6 for the Mahé part of the trip and we will arrange the rest. On Praslin the largest cars we can supply seat five. La Digue is a bicycle island, and most families explore it on two wheels.
How to book the XL6
Open the Suzuki XL6 page, choose your delivery and return times and the place, and send the request. The quote shows the exact total before you send anything, and we confirm availability by email. Tell us in the notes how many of you are travelling and how many big cases you have, and we will say plainly whether you need a second car for the airport run.
Family car rental in Seychelles: frequently asked questions
What is the best family car to rent in Seychelles?
The Suzuki XL6 from SeyBooking.com, at €60 a day on Mahé. It is a six-seat automatic with two captain chairs in the middle row, a walkway to the third row, rear air-conditioning vents, ISOFIX mounts and a third row that folds flat for luggage. It costs the same per day as a five-seat SUV.
How much does a family car cost to rent in Seychelles?
The Suzuki XL6 is €60 per day on Mahé from two days, or €120 for a single day of 24 hours or less, charged as two days. A week is €420. Insurance, unlimited mileage, a second driver, free airport delivery and free cancellation are included, with no credit card held and a €100 cash deposit handed back at return.
Will a family’s luggage fit in the XL6?
For a family of four, yes, with the third row folded flat. For five, fold half of the split third row and the fifth seat stays up. With all six seats up the boot holds 209 litres, which is day bags rather than suitcases, so six people with six large cases should add a second small car for the airport run.
Can I rent a seven-seater car in Seychelles?
We do not rent a seven-seater. Our largest car is the Suzuki XL6, which seats six because the middle row is two captain chairs instead of a bench. That layout is also why the third row is easy to reach. For seven or more people, take the XL6 with a second car and we will price both together.
Do we need a credit card or a deposit to rent a family car?
No credit card is needed and nothing is held on a card. The XL6 carries a €100 deposit, paid in cash at handover and handed back in cash when you return the car. You pay the rental in cash or by card when the car is delivered.
Can we collect the car at the airport when we land?
Yes, free of charge. We deliver the XL6 to Seychelles International Airport on Mahé and meet you after arrivals. There is no rental counter and no airport surcharge, and if your flight is delayed the car waits for you.
Can both parents drive the rental car?
Yes. The additional driver is free. Each driver must be named on the rental agreement and be present at handover with their licence. A car driven by someone not named on the agreement is not insured.
Can we take the XL6 to Praslin or La Digue?
No. The XL6 is Mahé only, and no rental car crosses between the islands. On Praslin the largest cars we supply seat five, and La Digue is best explored by bicycle.
Is it hard to drive a bigger car on Mahé?
No, but take it slowly. The XL6 is an automatic, which makes the steep hill roads easy. The roads are narrow in places with sharp bends and deep gutters, so drive calmly on the mountain passes. Seychelles drives on the left.
Can we rent the family car for just one day?
Yes. A single day of 24 hours or less is €120, charged as two days. From two days the rate is €60 per day.
Six seats. €60 a day. One car for the whole family.
The Suzuki XL6, delivered free to the airport or your hotel on Mahé, with insurance, unlimited mileage and a second driver included and no credit card held.
Related reading: Car rental insurance in Seychelles · Driving in Seychelles · Airport car rental · Car rental terms and conditions
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