The short answer
- Compare prices, absolutely. But in Seychelles every quote you ask for usually puts a real car on hold for you, at a small local company with a limited fleet.
- Ask five companies and answer one, and four of them may be turning other travellers away while they wait for you.
- In busy months the €10 you save can cost you the car. Held cars are released the moment the next family says yes.
- The real price is not the daily rate. Deposit, card hold, excess, delivery fees and how days are counted decide what you actually pay.
- The fair way is simple. Ask two or three companies, decide within a day, and tell the others.
We want to explain something honestly, from the inside, because we see it every week and most travellers have no idea it’s happening.
A conversation we had this week
A guest asked us for a two-day rental in mid-November, the start of the busy season. We found them a Suzuki Swift, the only one we had left for their dates, and quoted €100 for the two days. No deposit, insurance, unlimited mileage and delivery included.
The reply was polite. They had a few other options at €50 a day, they said, and had chosen us because we were at €45. Could we give a better total price, and they’d confirm.
Nothing wrong with asking. We’d ask too. But think about what that message tells us. Several other rental companies had each quoted this person. That means several other cars, at several small companies, were very likely being held for the same two days, for the same person, who could only ever drive one of them.
How a car rental quote works in Seychelles
This is the part almost nobody outside the islands knows.
Car rental in Seychelles isn’t run by global brands with thousands of cars behind the airport. It’s run by small local companies. Many have a fleet you could count in one morning. Some are a family with a handful of cars and a WhatsApp number.
When you send a request with your dates, here is what usually happens on the other side.
A person checks
Someone stops what they’re doing and checks the calendar. That’s a person, not a system. Often the owner.
A car is held
They find you a car and place a tentative hold on your dates, so that when you say yes the car is really there.
Others are turned away
While that hold is in place, another family asks for the same dates and hears “sorry, we’re fully booked.” That car is yours, on trust.
Now multiply that by every company you asked. You can only drive one car. Every other hold is a car sitting idle, an owner turning away real bookings, and someone checking their phone wondering whether you’re coming.
The cost nobody puts in the quote
Time. Fifteen minutes, thirty, sometimes an hour across a day of messages. For a small operator that’s time away from delivering cars, cleaning cars or being with family. They never get those minutes back.
A lost booking. The car held for you could have gone to someone ready to book. In peak season it nearly always would have.
Stress. It sounds dramatic until you’ve run a small business on an island. An unanswered hold is a car you can’t plan around. Do you release it? Do you wait? What if they come back tomorrow and it’s gone?
And then silence. The hardest part isn’t “no thank you.” It’s nothing at all. A short “we’ve booked elsewhere, thank you for your time” takes ten seconds and frees a car for someone else today.
Let’s do the maths on €10
A €5 a day difference on a two-day rental is €10. On a week it might be €35.
For context, €10 is less than one cocktail at most resorts in Seychelles. It’s a fraction of the taxi rides you’d take if your rental fell through.
Now set it against what you’re risking when cars are short. In November, December, around Easter and in July and August, the island can genuinely run out of small automatic cars. A held car is released the moment the next family says yes. Come back two days later and it may be gone, along with every other car like it. The cheapest car is the one you actually get.
What really makes a car rental cheap in Seychelles
The lowest daily rate is not always the lowest price. Before you choose, ask every company the same five questions.
| Ask this | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is there a deposit or a card hold? | Some companies freeze a deposit on your card until well after you fly home. We don’t, on most of our cars. |
| What is the excess, and what does lowering it cost? | A cheap car with a high excess isn’t cheap if you scrape a wall on a narrow mountain road. |
| Is airport and ferry delivery included? | Or is there a fee each way? |
| How are days counted? | A rental from 10:00 to 15:00 the next day can be one day or two, depending on the rule. |
| Can I pay in cash or by debit card? | Not every traveller has a credit card with a big limit. |
Our answers to those five questions
No deposit, no card hold, delivery included, a 24-hour clock and cash or debit card welcome. Here is what that looks like on the three cars our guests book most.
Suzuki Swift automatic
- Automatic, 2025 and 2026 models
- 5 seats, easy to park
- No deposit, no card hold
- Mahé, delivered free
Suzuki Brezza automatic
- Automatic SUV, higher seat
- Room for 5 and the luggage
- Made for the mountain roads
- Mahé and Praslin
Mini Moke convertible
- Open top, the classic beach car
- Manual (one automatic on request)
- No deposit, no card hold
- Mahé, delivered free
Every car includes insurance, unlimited mileage, a free second driver, delivery and collection, and free cancellation. Pay on the day, cash or card. See the whole fleet
Add those up and the “€5 cheaper” car is often the more expensive one. Our insurance and excess guide shows exactly what ours includes.
What you’re really choosing
When a small company answers you quickly, explains everything clearly and holds a car for you on trust, you’ve already learned the most important thing about them. They show up.
And on holiday, that’s what you’re paying for. Someone standing at the airport with your name on a sign at 6 am. Someone who answers your message on a Sunday when the car makes a strange noise. Someone you can count on.
We’re dependable. We’re transparent about every price. Our cars are new and reliable, and we answer late at night and early in the morning, because that’s when flights land. That’s worth more than €10.
How to shop around fairly, and still get a great price
We’re not saying don’t compare. Compare. It’s your money and your holiday. Just do it in a way that’s fair to everyone, including you.
- Ask a few companies, not ten. Two or three quotes tell you the market.
- Put everything in one message. Dates, times, place, car type and number of drivers get you an accurate quote faster.
- Decide within a day, especially from November to April and in July and August.
- Tell the others. “Thank you, we’ve booked elsewhere” releases their car for the next family.
- If price is your only concern, say so up front. A good company will tell you honestly whether it can do better. Sometimes we can, especially on longer rentals. Sometimes we can’t, and we’ll say so.
If you find a genuinely better offer, go for it with our blessing.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rent a car in Seychelles?
Small automatic cars on Mahé start from around €45 to €50 a day and compact SUVs from around €60 to €65 a day. Check the deposit, the excess and delivery before comparing daily rates.
Is it cheaper to book a car in Seychelles in advance?
Booking early doesn’t always lower the price, but it secures the car. In peak months small automatic cars can sell out across the island.
Why do car rental companies in Seychelles ask me to confirm quickly?
Because the car is usually held for you while you decide, and the company turns other requests away for those dates. Small fleets can’t hold cars open for long.
Is it rude to ask several car rental companies for quotes in Seychelles?
No, but tell the ones you don’t choose. A short message releases the car they’re holding for you so they can rent it to someone else.
Do Seychelles car rentals require a deposit?
It depends on the company. Many hold a deposit on a credit card. On most SeyBooking.com cars there is no deposit and no card hold, and you pay at delivery.
What is the cheapest way to get around Seychelles?
Public buses are the cheapest, but they are slow and don’t reach every beach. For freedom on Mahé or Praslin, a small automatic rental car with delivery included is the best value for most visitors.
One honest price, first time.
Send us your dates, times and where you’d like the car. We’ll give you our best quote with everything included and nothing hidden.
Regardless of who you choose to book with, have a great holiday and enjoy our beautiful islands.
Related reading: Car rental insurance in Seychelles · Airport car rental · The best family car in Seychelles · Car rental terms and conditions
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