Seychelles Airport Car Rental: Prices, Pickup & Tips (2026 Guide)

You've just landed. The flight was long, the air is warm, and the only thing between you and the beach is a rental car. Will someone be waiting? Do you need to find a desk? What happens if your flight is late?

Those worries are normal, and they're easy to fix once you know how Seychelles airport car rental really works. Most visitors collect their car at Mahé's international airport within minutes of clearing customs. This guide shows your three pickup options, what a car costs, the paperwork to bring and the mistakes that cost people time and money.

Seychelles International Airport opened in 1972 and handled 921,704 passengers in 2019, according to the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority. That makes it small and walkable, but arrivals still come in waves when long-haul flights land.

The two terminals sit very close together. A Seychelles News Agency report describes the domestic terminal as a two-minute walk from the international terminal. Domestic flights to Praslin and other islands leave frequently, with departures as often as every 10 to 15 minutes at busy times.

Why does this matter for car rental? Because your pickup point should match your plan:

• Staying on Mahé: collect at the international terminal.
• Flying on to Praslin the same day: you probably don't need a Mahé car at all. Book a Praslin car at the Praslin airport instead.
• Arriving late at night: confirm delivery with your flight number before you fly.

Papa Car Rental uses options 2 and 3. It delivers to the Mahé international terminal, the domestic terminal, the Catcocos ferry terminal and hotels, guesthouses and villas, at no extra charge. If you prefer a counter, brands such as Sixt and Avis list airport branches too, so compare the terms before you choose.

1. Before you fly: book online or on WhatsApp (+248 2780 254) and send your airline, flight number and arrival time.
2. Clear immigration and customs: your bags and your passport come first.
3. Look for your name board: the representative waits at arrivals, not in the car park.
4. Check your documents: original licence, passport and booking confirmation.
5. Walk around the car together: note scratches, check tyres and glass, and take your own photos.
6. Set off slowly: you drive on the left, and the first stretch is the airport highway with an 80 km/h limit.

The whole handover usually takes a few minutes when documents are ready. Rushing the walk-around is the one step people regret.

Every booking includes unlimited mileage, all taxes, free delivery and collection, collision damage waiver and one free additional driver. For comparison, one aggregator, VIPCars, advertises Mahé car rental from about USD 43 to 55 a day depending on the area, but its prices cover multiple suppliers, so always compare what is included.

Extras and the real excess

• Excess: €1,000 on budget cars and €2,000 on SUVs with the standard waiver.
• Safety Excess Reducer: €10 a day, lowering a budget car's excess to €500.
• Extra Safety Reducer: €20 a day, lowering it to €300.
• Tyre and glass protection: €5 a day on budget cars (standard cover excludes glass and tyres).
• GPS and child seats: a Garmin with a Seychelles map is available; child seats are €5 a day.
• Extra hours: €10 for one hour, €20 for two.

Is a rental car worth it from day one? Here's a simple comparison for a typical Mahé trip. The taxi figure is one published example from Rexby's travel guide, about €35 for a 20-minute ride. Many taxis are unmetered, so you agree the price first.

The rule of thumb: one taxi ride costs about the same as a day's rental. If you plan two outings a day, the car is clearly cheaper, and you also skip the wait for a ride after dinner.

Choose an automatic if you're not used to driving on the left. Papa Car Rental's Mahé budget fleet is all automatic, and the cars are listed 'or similar', so confirm your category rather than a specific model.

1. Fill the tank to the level you collected it at. Fuel was around €1.56 a litre in September 2026, according to Papa Car Rental's driving guide.
2. Clear the car: check the boot, glovebox and door pockets.
3. Share your return time so a representative meets you at the terminal or jetty.
4. Walk around again and compare with your pickup photos.
5. Keep your last receipt and confirm any extras, such as GPS or child seats, are noted on the return.
Allow extra time at the airport on departure day. International flights check in well before departure, and you don't want to be hunting for fuel at the last minute. If you need extra hours, Papa Car Rental charges €10 for one hour and €20 for two.

Some international flights land late at night or early in the morning, and plans can shift. Sixt's airport page lists hours of 6am to midnight, so a desk may be closed when a delayed flight lands. Papa Car Rental lists service hours of 24 hours a day.
• Share your flight number at booking, not just your date.
• Message WhatsApp +248 2780 254 or email booking@papacarrental.com if your flight is early or late.
• Add a hotel address as a back-up delivery point.
• Keep the representative's number saved before you leave the plane.
If your connecting flight changes, tell the team before you land. The delivery time can be adjusted.

Bring three things: your booking confirmation, your original driving licence (valid, in Latin letters) and your passport. Papa Car Rental requires drivers to be 21 or older with a licence held for at least one year. Any additional driver must be present with their own licence.

Visitors can drive on a valid foreign licence for up to three months, under Seychelles' recognition regulations. Chinese, Korean or Russian licences also need an International Driving Permit. Read the full rules in our driving licence guide.

The airport is about 11 km from Victoria, and Ferryscanner describes the Victoria ferry terminal as roughly a 30-minute drive from the airport. Your first 10 minutes set the tone, so go slowly.
• Drive on the left. Rental cars are right-hand drive. Roundabouts run clockwise.
• Know the limits. 80 km/h on the Victoria to airport highway, 40 km/h in built-up areas, 60 km/h on open roads.
• Keep a gap. Local buses move quickly and there are few pavements.
• Avoid dark hill roads on night one. There's almost no street lighting outside the main towns.
• Fill up before you return. Return the car at the same fuel level you collected.

For full road rules and costs, read our complete guide to driving in Seychelles.

Many travellers land on Mahé and fly to Praslin the same day. The domestic flight takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and the ferry about an hour or a little more. Papa Car Rental's cars can't leave their island, so you'll need a separate car on Praslin.
• Mahé only: international terminal pickup, return at the same terminal.
• Mahé, then Praslin: return your Mahé car at the airport or the Catcocos jetty, then collect a second car at Praslin airport (PRI) or either ferry terminal, Catcocos or Catrose.
• Praslin first: book the Praslin car from PRI and skip Mahé if you're not staying.
Praslin budget cars start at €35 a day with the same inclusions. Not sure whether you need a car on both islands? Our Mahé vs Praslin guide compares the two.

1. Booking without a flight number
Without it, the team can't track delays and your delivery could be missed.
2. Arriving with a licence that doesn't qualify
Check the alphabet, issue date and your age before you fly. A rental company can refuse a licence that is legal on the road.
3. Skipping the walk-around
Take your own photos, including tyres and glass, which standard cover excludes.
4. Choosing a car that is too big
A small automatic parks and turns better on narrow roads. Pick an SUV for luggage or steep accommodation.
5. Assuming one car covers both islands
It doesn't. Plan your Praslin booking when you book your flights.
6. Booking late in peak months
July to August and December are the busiest months, according to Papa Car Rental's team. Book as soon as your flights are fixed.

Papa Car Rental is a car rental broker serving Mahé and Praslin, and says it has helped more than 8,000 customers, a figure from the company's own driving guide. Guest reviews describe staff waiting on time and clean cars. One reviewer says both staff were waiting at the ferry port, and another says the car was delivered and collected on time.