Most hotels have courtesy vehicles for airport transfers. Hotel hotline telephones are located at the airport outside the customs exit.
Major international and local car rental firms operate from counters at the airport, in hotel lobbies, and other locations around the island. Rates are comparable to the U.S., and most companies accept major credit cards. A valid U.S. or international driver’s license is required. Mass transit service is provided by the Guam Mass Transit Authority (GMTA). Buses operate on nine routes, connecting nearly all of the villages on Guam.
Taxis are readily available at all hotels and major shopping centers. All taxis have regulated meters.
In addition to Guam Mass Transit Authority, transportation is available to select areas by bus route. Transportation on the line includes most major shopping centers as well as the hotels in TUmon and Hagatna. To identify pick-up and drop-off points, look for the bus signs at designated points.
Trolleys are readily available at all hotels and major shopping centers and along Pale San Vitores Road. Look for the bus schedule signs. Fees are very reasonable and average around $3 per ride.
Shopping and Tour Busses
Several private companies on Guam operate special shopping and tour busses that make regularly scheduled runs between the Micronesia Mall, KMART, Guam Premier Outlets and other selected points. You can select one of the open air single or double-decker Tumon “Guahan” Trolleys or one of the large enclosed shopping busses which stop at guam shopping trolley most major hotels or numerous well marked bus stops located along the routes. In addition to the Micronesia Mall, KMART, and Guam Premium Outlets shopping shuttle routes, Gray Line Guam operates shuttles to the Fish Eye Marine Park, Hagatna Shopping Center, Chamorro Village and Two Lovers Point.
Fare for a single ride is $2 or $4 for two rides (one round trip). However, the better values are the one-day and 7-day passes. A one-day pass ($5.00), permits you unlimited rides on any route for an entire day while a one-weekguam shopping bus pass ($8.00), provides unlimited rides on any route for 7 days. Note: Be aware that there are two separate companies that make virtually the same shopping runs. The rates are the same, but passes are not transferable, so make sure you know what service your pass is for and what busses to take. Check with your hotel desk if you are not sure.
Gray Line Guam operates a 4-hour island tour starting at the Micronesia Mall, circling the entire Southern end of the island and including all major landmarks and attractions. As of this writing, the fare for this trip is $25 per person. However, if you have a one day or seven day Gray Line Guam pass, the cost of the pass will be deducted from this fare and passengers will pay the difference ($17 if you have a 7-day pass or $20 if you have a one day pass).
Taxi Cabs
Taxi cabs on Guam are generally readily available and reliable, but they are fairly expensive on Guam. You might use a taxi from the airport to your hotel or for short rins, but if you have a lot of travel or want to drive around the island on a sightseeing excursion, you will probably want a rental or you might consider one of the sightseeing busses. As indicated above, authorized airport taxi’s are not always available and call taxi’s are not permitted make pick-ups at te airport, so you might want to make arrangements for transportation with your hotel. Elsewhere, the average wait for a call taxi is between 7 and 15 minutes. As of 2005, the standard flag rate is $2.40, $4.00 for the first mile, and $0.80 every 1/4 mile thereafter. Rates may vary, so you may want to check before you book a taxi for a long trip. Also, if you have any problems with any taxi service, or believe the meter may be overcharging, the Guam Visitors Bureau would like to know and provides pre-addressed post cards for reporting any such incidents.
Getting to your hotel
Most hotels on Guam offer guests free airport pickup and return. Many hotels also offer rental cars which can be booked with room reservations. The rental will be waiting for you at your hotel, saving the need to find the hotel and navigate Guam traffic after a long flight.Rentals are also returned to the hotel and guests are shuttled to the airport for their departure flight, relieving guests of the hassle of returning the car to the airport on the day of departure. Also, guests are dropped directly in front of their check-in counters eliminating the need to get luggage from the rental car to the check-in.
Rental Cars
Guam is not a large island, 30 miles long, 4 to 9 miles wide, and many attractions, such as Tumon beach, shopping, dining and nightlife, are located within within walking distance of Tumon hotels. However, the majority of historical and cultural landmarks, remote beaches and many other items of interest are scattered across the island and a rental car is best way to get there. Many hotels have on premise rental agencies that will book a car for you at the time you make your hotel reservations and have it waiting for you when you check in. Some hotels may offer room and car packages, within military TLA allowances. Other Guam rental agencies will pick customers up at their hotels or deliver cars to the hotel. A number of major US car rental companies have service desks in the arrival terminal. Major rental companies include, Avis, National, Dollar and Payless. If you are on a budget, some local rental car companies offer significantly lower rates if you don’t mind an older car.
Maps
If you will be driving, you will need to obtain a detailed street map from your rental car company or your hotel. Guam maps on this site will get you from the airport to the major Tumon hotels, but do not contain the detail you will need for driving around the island. We also hope you will use our maps to locate some of the recommended local establishments on our site.
Guam Public Transportation
The Government run Guam Mass Transit Authority (GMTA) currently operates buses on nine routes, connecting nearly all of the villages of the island. The standard fare is $3.00 per day. However, GMTA routes were not designed to support visitors, there are not very many runs per day and GMTA is generally not considered that reliable. Privately operated shopping and tour busses, below, are considered better options for off-island visitors. For more information concerning routes, rates and to schedule transportation, visit the Guam Regional Transit Authority (GRTA) web site
SOURCES: GuamOn-Line.com & VisitGuam.org
