Fun fact: There are no traditional rental cars on Bermuda! Would you believe it? It’s true! In fact, residents are only allowed to own one private vehicle per household. The island is small, so it’s not too hard to get around even without a car. And actually, you have a lot of great options! Here is your guide to all the ways to get around beautiful Bermuda!

Twizy Electric Car

We loved the Twizy! If we go back to Bermuda, and we hope we will soon, we will definitely rent a Twizy again. They are narrow little electric cars, truly made for island driving on narrow roads at low speed–the highest speed limit we saw was 35 km/h! Just keep in mind they are not made for luggage, and they are two-seater cars, with the driver in front and passenger directly behind the driver.

It was so cute, so fun to drive, and also easy to rent. You just sign up on their app and start going. Just be sure to watch their Intro Video and Safety Video on You Tube before you start!

The only thing we wish we had done differently was to rent one in advance. We didn’t know until we were already on the island that you can reserve a car through the Current app. We happened to be on Bermuda on a holiday weekend, so there were not many same-day cars available, and some of them were actually quite far away from where we were staying.

My advice is to download the app in advance, and reserve a Twizy at least a week in advance, if not more, just to make sure you get one!

(Coming soon) All the details: What It’s Like Staying at the Hamilton Princess, Bermuda

Bike

Here is what you need to know: Bikes belong on the road in Bermuda. The Rail Trail is not a reasonable bike trail.

Cars, Twizies, bikes, scooters, and pedestrians all share the road, even without a shoulder! But the nice thing is that drivers on Bermuda know how to drive around bikes and pedestrians, and they are looking out for–even expecting–them. It was definitely safe to bike on the roads, which is not always the case in the States, where Steve and I are from. Cycling is very popular on Bermuda, and is a great way to get around!

That said, every blogger I read said the same thing: “You have to bike on the Rail Trail!” But let me tell you the truth: You cannot reasonably bike on the Rail Trail, at least not as it is right now. We biked from Hamilton to the Dockyard, about 16 miles. It was endlessly frustrating and exhausting. The trail is beautiful, and we saw plenty of locals walking and running on it, but here are the reasons it’s not great for cyclists:

1. There are far too many places where you have to stop and dismount, either to cross a road with low visibility, or because there is a closed gate. When you come to a gate, you have to dismount, lift your bike up and over the gate, and then get back on and ride to the next gate–which was usually not that far away, maybe the equivalent of 2-3 city blocks, and sometimes less.
2. There are steep declines and inclines, as well as stairs. The declines were truly too steep to be safe for most people on a pleasure ride, and the inclines were impossible to go up on the bike. For one, the surface of the declines and inclines were slick, but also they were just too steep. And where there wasn’t an incline, there were stairs. Two of the sets of stairs we encountered had bicycle ramp next to them, but others did not. We just had to muscle-up our bikes. I’m a strong girl who loves to strength train, and this was almost too much for me.
3. The E-bikes cannot go on the Rail Trail. The other thing bloggers love to talk about is the e-bike option, which is an electric bike that can do some of the work for you when you get tired. These cannot go on the rail trail because they are prone to tire punctures. Our hotel doorman stopped us before we left and told us we had to get the regular bikes if we wanted to do the Rail Trail. We had no problem with that, until we got to about 10 miles into our challenging 16 mile bike ride and realized this was a very different experience than we expected.
4. Signage is largely hidden. The Rail Trail is marked on the map, but it was still challenging in some sections to know which direction the trail needed us to go. Signage was almost always hidden by overgrowth, a large tree, or some other obstruction. It was frustrating, especially in the places where we ended up having to backtrack.

Read next: The Best Things to Do on Bermuda

Ferry

Thank goodness for the ferry! Once we biked to the Dockyard, we were able to catch the ferry back over to Hamilton instead of biking back another 16 miles. We were so grateful! The ferry between Hamilton and the Dockyard runs daily, but the other ferries are seasonal, and not every day. Check this website for their operating processes and schedules. It was only $4.50 per person one-way, making this an economical way to get around the island.

Keep reading: What to Know Before You Visit Bermuda

Public Bus

Okay, so I didn’t grow up with bus transportation available, and when I moved to D.C., it was common knowledge that you can’t trust the buses to get around on any kind of a real schedule! But that’s not at all the case in Bermuda–thank goodness! This is actually a great way to get around Bermuda. It takes a bit longer than renting a Twizy, but if you have the time, you can cover a lot of ground in a long weekend.

Single trips can be made by paying cash (exact change only) or buying tokens at a ticket office. Buying tokens will save you $0.50 per ride, so it’s worth your while to get the tokens if you’ll be riding a lot. And if you’ll be riding quite a bit over the course of several days or weeks, you can buy a Transportation Pass, which is good for unlimited rides on buses and ferries!

Read on: How to Confidently Take Public Transportation Anywhere in the World

Walking

My husband and I are big walkers, runners, hikers, etc. It’s certainly worth traveling by car or bus for long distances, but sometimes you find the most charming spots by simply walking around. We would have totally missed the Admiralty House Park if we had chosen to drive or take a bus to Spanish Point just outside of Hamilton. As it turns out, this little gem is one of the most beautiful places we found on the entire island!

Bermuda is also incredibly pedestrian friendly. There are no traditional rental cars available, and even residents are only allowed one car per household. That means a lot of the locals are also walking, running, or biking on the roads. Drivers know to look out for pedestrians, even when there is no sidewalk or shoulder, so it truly is safe to walk here.

(Coming soon) More here: How to Spend 1 Day in Hamilton, Bermuda

And, Don’t Forget to Drive on the Left!

Bermuda is a territory of the United Kingdom, so they drive on the left, and you will, too. If you’ve never driven on the left, don’t worry! You’ll get used to it quickly, and the top speed limit is, well, not really “speedy” anyway. Remember: “Left is right and right is wrong!”

Also helpful: The Best Tips for Driving on the Left

Want more? Get everything you need to know on my dedicated Bermuda Page!

Love this post? Pin it for later!