Alamo Rent A Car ΓÇö Paramaribo
Wheels for the whole of Suriname, picked up on a leafy riverside road.
Why Go
Suriname rewards travelers who can drive themselves ΓÇö coastal Nickerie, the Commewijne plantations, Brownsberg ΓÇö and Alamo's Anton Drachtenweg branch is the easiest way to spring yourself from the taxi loop of downtown Paramaribo. It's consistently rated the top rental brand in town (around 8.4/10 in traveler polls) and undercuts most competitors on daily rates, which is why in-the-know visitors skip the airport counter and pick up here instead.
The Experience
The office sits on Anton Drachtenweg, the shaded ribbon of road that hugs the Suriname River on the city's north side ΓÇö you're a few minutes from the Presidential Palace, Waterkant and Fort Zeelandia, so grabbing keys and rolling straight into sightseeing is genuinely realistic. Staff work in Dutch and English, paperwork is quick if you've done the accelerated online check-in, and the fleet skews toward compact sedans and small SUVs suited to Suriname's mix of tidy city grid and pot-holed interior road. Because it's a city branch rather than an airport kiosk, queues are shorter and the vibe is calmer ΓÇö expect a five-minute walkthrough of the car, a reminder about left-hand driving, and you're off.
What to Try
Book a compact SUV rather than a sedan if you're going anywhere past Paramaribo ΓÇö the roads to Brownsberg, Bergendal or the Commewijne ferry get rough fast, and ground clearance matters more than fuel economy. Use the online 'accelerated check-in' (upload license and details before you arrive) to skip the desk work, and if you're arriving late, phone ahead about after-hours drop-off rather than assuming it.
Insider Tip
Suriname drives on the LEFT ΓÇö a hangover from the pre-1975 era that catches out almost every first-time visitor, especially because many rental cars here are left-hand-drive imports from the US, so you're sitting on the 'wrong' side of a left-lane car. Take the first ten minutes slow, avoid rush hour on the Wijdenboschbrug bridge, and never drive the interior roads after dark ΓÇö livestock, cyclists and unlit trucks are the real hazards, not the potholes.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Anton Drachtenweg 49, Paramaribo, Suriname. A riverside location on the north edge of the city center, roughly 45 km / a 45-minute drive from Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM). Bring your passport, a credit card in the main driver's name, and your home-country driver's license (an International Driving Permit is recommended but not always required for short stays). Payment in SRD, USD or EUR is generally accepted; fuel is cheaper than in Europe or North America. Reserve online in advance ΓÇö the Paramaribo fleet is small and sells out during Dutch school holidays and JulyΓÇôAugust high season.
Pair It With
- Fort Zeelandia — A ten-minute drive south along the river ΓÇö the obvious first stop once you have keys in hand, with easy parking and a compact museum on Suriname's colonial past.
- Commewijne plantation loop — The classic self-drive day trip from Paramaribo ΓÇö cross the Wijdenboschbrug, follow the old Dutch plantation road, and be back for dinner. Nearly impossible without your own car.
- Waterkant & Palmentuin — Park near Anton Drachtenweg and stroll the riverfront promenade and palm garden before you hit the open road ΓÇö the best free sightseeing in the capital.
- Galibi or Bigi Pan trip — Once you have a car, the coastal wetlands and turtle-nesting beaches become a realistic weekend rather than an expensive guided tour.