Hertz at Johan Adolf Pengel Airport: Your Wheels Into the Wild
Global name, jungle-country adventure ΓÇö the trusted set of keys the moment you land in Suriname.
Why Go
Stepping off the plane at PBM into that thick, sweet Amazonian air is one thing; realizing the capital is still a 45-kilometer drive north through rainforest is another. The Hertz counter in the arrivals hall is where a lot of first-time Suriname travelers exhale ΓÇö a familiar red-and-yellow sign, an English-speaking agent, and a sedan or SUV that turns a long taxi negotiation into a road-trip prologue.
The Experience
The Hertz desk sits inside the compact arrivals hall of Johan Adolf Pengel International, tucked among a small lineup of rental booths that materialize the moment the immigration doors slide open. Because the airport is small and largely served by overnight flights from Amsterdam, Miami, and the Caribbean, the counter tends to get slammed in one big wave and then goes quiet ΓÇö pre-booking is genuinely the difference between driving off in twenty minutes and watching taxis pull away without you. Cars are pulled up curbside just outside the terminal, so the whole hand-off happens under the covered walkway. Fleet skews practical for the terrain: compact hatchbacks for city hoppers, and higher-clearance SUVs (RAV4s, Hiluxes when available) for anyone eyeing Brownsberg, Bergendal, or the road to Atjoni. Staff are used to briefing foreigners on Suriname's quirks ΓÇö left-hand traffic (a colonial legacy that surprises almost everyone), the toll booth on the Wijdenbosch Bridge, and where the last reliable gas station is before you head into the interior.
What to Try
Book an SUV rather than the cheapest sedan if you're planning anything beyond the ParamariboΓÇôNickerie coastal highway ΓÇö the roads to Brokopondo, Berg en Dal, and the eco-lodges south of the reservoir turn to red laterite fast, and clearance matters more than horsepower. Ask specifically for a vehicle with a full-size spare (not a donut) and confirm the jack works before you leave the lot; punctures on jungle roads are the number one call-out Hertz Suriname handles. If you're only staying city-side, the small automatics are perfect for navigating Paramaribo's one-way grid around the Waterkant and Palmentuin.
Insider Tip
Fill up at the Gow2Go or SOL station in Zanderij village ΓÇö about ten minutes north of the airport on the East-West Link ΓÇö before committing to the run into Paramaribo. Fuel there is noticeably cheaper than the stations closer to the capital, and if you're heading straight to a lodge on the Suriname River, it's the last modern pump you'll see for hours. Also: pay the small extra for the CDW upgrade. Suriname's roads are shared with cyclists, goats, and the occasional stray dog after dark, and the local excess without top-up coverage is steep.
The Practical Stuff
Location: Arrivals hall, Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport (PBM), Luchthavenlaan 1, Zanderij ΓÇö roughly 45 km / 45ΓÇô60 minutes south of central Paramaribo. Reservations are effectively mandatory; walk-ups are frequently turned away, especially on KLM and Surinam Airways arrival days. Bring your passport, a credit card in the main driver's name (debit cards usually refused for the deposit), and your home license plus an International Driving Permit if your license isn't in Roman script. Suriname drives on the LEFT. Most contracts include unlimited kilometers within-country but prohibit crossing into Guyana or French Guiana ΓÇö confirm before you plan any border runs. Airport pickup/drop-off is 24/7 to match flight schedules, but the counter is only physically staffed around arrival and departure banks.
Pair It With
- Brownsberg Nature Park — The classic first road trip out of PBM ΓÇö about 2.5 hours south into the rainforest above the Brokopondo reservoir, and exactly the kind of drive that justifies renting an SUV instead of taking a taxi.
- Waterkant, Paramaribo — Park up along the Suriname River waterfront and wander the UNESCO-listed wooden colonial center; the Hertz sedans are sized right for the narrow one-way streets around Fort Zeelandia.
- Bergendal Eco & Cultural Resort — An hour south on the road to Afobaka ΓÇö a natural first-night stop after a red-eye landing, and reachable in a standard rental without needing a 4x4 transfer.
- Commewijne plantation loop — Cross the Wijdenbosch Bridge and follow the old Dutch plantation road past Frederiksdorp and Marienburg ΓÇö a half-day self-drive that's genuinely hard to do without your own wheels.