Garage de Paarl: Your Keys to the Suriname Backroads
Family-run car rental in central Paramaribo, wheels since the 1960s
Why Go
Founded by Jansie Saliem when he was just 25, Garage de Paarl has been quietly putting travelers behind the wheel of well-kept automatics for more than six decades ΓÇö long enough to know exactly which car will survive your run to Brownsberg and which one is happier weaving through Paramaribo's colonial center.
The Experience
Tucked onto Kankantriestreet, a short hop from downtown Paramaribo, Garage de Paarl feels more like walking into a neighborhood workshop than a rental counter. The fleet is entirely automatic (a genuine rarity in Suriname, where stick shifts still dominate), the cars are notably well-maintained, and the same family that opened the doors in the 1960s still runs the show. Beyond straight rentals they handle airport pickups timed to your flight, chauffeured limo service for weddings and business runs, and multi-day hires for road-trippers heading out to Commewijne, Nickerie or the Marowijne river. Booking is refreshingly analog ΓÇö WhatsApp, phone, email or the website ΓÇö and staff will actually pick up.
What to Try
Grab the smallest automatic in the fleet (from around EUR 25/day) for tooling around Paramaribo's UNESCO-listed old town, or upgrade to something with clearance if you're pointing the nose toward the interior. If you're arriving jet-lagged from a red-eye into Johan Adolf Pengel, pre-book the airport shuttle so a driver is waiting curbside ΓÇö the 45 km stretch into the city is not one you want to negotiate blind. For special occasions (or a group splitting the cost) the limo service with driver is worth a look.
Insider Tip
Suriname drives on the LEFT ΓÇö a leftover Dutch-colonial quirk that catches almost everyone off guard. Take the first fifteen minutes of your rental to loop the quiet blocks around Kankantriestreet before you commit to the Waterkant traffic, and if you're planning a night drive out toward Albina or Nieuw Nickerie, don't. Potholes, unlit stretches and slow-moving trucks make it a daylight-only affair. Also: ask for the WhatsApp number when you pick up ΓÇö it's faster than calling if anything comes up on the road.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Kankantriestreet #42, Paramaribo. Phone: +597 403-600. Website: garagedepaarl.com. Bookings via phone, email, WhatsApp or website. Rentals from ~EUR 25/day, all automatic transmission. Bring your home license plus an International Driving Permit, your passport, and a credit card for the deposit. Minimum driver age is typically 21. Airport transfers and chauffeured limo service also available on request.
Pair It With
- 101 Suites Guide — Comfortable central Paramaribo base to park the rental overnight before an early interior run.
- 'T Vat Sidewalk Cafe Guide — Classic Waterkant terrace for a cold Parbo and a bite once you've mastered driving on the left.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — An easy day-trip destination that actually justifies picking up a rental car for the drive out.