Bridgetown Transportation

Getting There:

By Air:

Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) (+246 428 7101 / http://www.gaia.com.bb) is the only airport in Barbados and is located on the island's south coast in Christchurch. The airport provides direct service and connections to international destinations from airlines including:

Air Canada (+246 428 5077 / http://www.aircanada.com)

Air Jamaica (+1 800 523 5585 / http://www.airjamaica.com)

Air Martinique (+809 458 4528)

American Airlines (+1 800 744 0006 / http://www.aa.com)

British Airways (+246 436 6413 / http://www.britishairways.com)

BWIA (+1 800 538 2942 / http://www.bwee.com)

Caribbean Star (+246 436 1858 / http://www.flycaribbeanstar.com)

LIAT (+1 888 844 5428 / http://www.liatairline.com)

Virgin Atlantic (+1 246 228 4886 / http://www.virgin-atlantic.com)

Mercedes Benz buses provide service to Bridgetown approximately every 15 minutes. These buses depart from the Main Road outside the terminal and cost approximately Bds$ 1.50.

Taxis are available at the airport 24 hours daily and operate on a fixed-fare from the following companies:

Barbados Tours (+246 420 2877)

Quintette (+246 428 8735)

Getting Around:

Frequent bus service is available throughout Barbados for Bds$1.50. All buses end at Speightstown.

ZR Vans service the entire island at the rate of Bds$1.50. These vans do not have fixed schedules, but service is frequent.

Taxis are an easy way to get around Barbados, however they do not have meters so make sure to always ask the driver the price before traveling.

Barbados has a large network of roads covering the entire island making driving a convenient way to get around. A Barbados driving permit is required along with an International Driving Permit or national license. Obtain permits at car hire companies, the Ministry of Transport, the airport or at police stations. There is a registration fee of Bds$10. There are several rental car companies in Barbados including:

Best E Car Rentals (+246 425 9751 / http://bestecarrentals.com)

C.J.H. Enterprises (+246 428 0442 / http://www.barbados.org/carrentals/cjh)

Coconut Car Rentals (+246 437 0297 / http://www.coconutcars.com)

Courtesy Rent-A-Car (+246 431 4160 / http://www.barbados.org/tours/courtesy)

Direct Rentals (+246 420 6372 / http://barbadosrentals.net)

RDH Transport Services (+246 435 9754 / http://www.rdhgroup.org/transport.htm)

Southern Rentals Limited (+246 428 7013 / http://www.southernrentalsbarbados.com)

Sunny Isle Sixt (+246 422 3000 / http://www.carhire.tv)

Top Car Rentals (+246 435 0378 / http://barbadoscarrentals.com)

Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

In the United States, you can contact the following offices of the Barbados Tourism Authority: 800 Second Ave., New York, NY 10017 (tel. 800/221-9831); 3440 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 1215, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (tel. 213/380-2198); or 150 Alhambra Circle, Ste. 1000, Miami, FL 33134 (tel. 305/442-7471).

The Canadian office is at 105 Adelaide St. West, Ste. 1010, Toronto, Ontario M5H 1P9 (tel. 800/268-9122 in the U.S. and Canada, or 416/214-9880). In the United Kingdom, contact the Barbados Tourism Authority at 263 Tottenham Court Rd., London W1T 7LA (tel. 020/7636-9448).

On the Internet, go to www.barbados.org. The tourism office may be able to help you track down condo and villa rentals.

On the island, the local Barbados Tourism Authority office is on Harbour Road (P.O. Box 242), Bridgetown (tel. 246/427-2623).

Getting There

More than 20 flights arrive on Barbados from all over the world every day. Grantley Adams International Airport (tel. 246/418-4242; www.gaiainc.bb) is on Highway 7, on the southern tip of the island at Long Bay, between Oistins and a village called The Crane. From North America, the four major gateways to Barbados are New York, Miami, Toronto, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Flying time to Barbados is 4 1/2 hours from New York, 3 1/2 hours from Miami, 5 hours from Toronto, and 1 1/2 hours from San Juan.

Virgin Atlantic Airways (tel. 800/821-5438 in the U.S. and Canada; www.virgin-atlantic.com) flies daily from London's Gatwick Airport to Barbados.

American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300 in the U.S. and Canada; www.aa.com) has dozens of connections passing through San Juan, plus daily nonstop flights to Barbados from Miami. US Airways (tel. 800/622-1015 in the U.S. and Canada; www.usairways.com) flies daily from New York's LaGuardia to Philadelphia, Washington, or Baltimore, then on to Barbados. There are no nonstop flights on US Airways from New York to Barbados.

All flights are nonstop from Toronto to Barbados. Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262 in the U.S. and Canada; www.aircanada.com) has daily flights from Toronto in winter. From Montréal, connections are made through Toronto.

Barbados is a major hub of the Caribbean-based airline LIAT (tel. 888/844-LIAT [5428] within the Caribbean, or 268/480-5601 for reservations, or 246/428-0986 at the Barbados airport; www.liatairline.com), which flies to most points within the Caribbean but provides generally poor service to Barbados from a handful of neighboring islands, including St. Vincent and The Grenadines, St. Lucia, Antigua, and Dominica.

Air Jamaica (tel. 800/523-5585 in the U.S. and Canada; www.airjamaica.com) offers daily flights that link Barbados to Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, and Miami through the airline's Montego Bay hub. Air Jamaica also flies between Los Angeles and Barbados on Monday and Wednesday (but it requires an overnight stay in Montego Bay). Nonstop flights from New York to Barbados are available at least 4 days a week (Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sun).

Cayman Airways and Air Jamaica have joined forces to provide an air link from Grand Cayman to Barbados and Trinidad, via Kingston in Jamaica. Flights wing out of Grand Cayman Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Friday, linking up in Kingston with continuing flights to Barbados and Port-of-Spain, with daily return flights. For reservations and information, call Air Jamaica at tel. 800/523-5585.

British Airways (tel. 800/247-9297 in the U.S. and Canada; www.britishairways.com) flies nonstop daily to Barbados from London's Gatwick Airport.

Getting Around

By Rental Car -- If you don't mind driving on the left, you may find a rental car ideal on Barbados. You'll need a temporary permit if you don't have an international driver's license. The rental agencies listed below can all issue this visitor's permit, or you can go to the police desk upon your arrival at the airport. You must have a license from home and pay a registration fee of $5. Within a city or town, the speed limit is 20kmph (12 mph), going up to 60kmph (37 mph) on secondary roads, and rising to 80kmph (50 mph) on major highways. Because of frequent delays at airport counters, we suggest taking a taxi from the airport to your hotel and then calling to have your rental car delivered. A 15% tax is levied upon all car rentals in Barbados.

None of the major U.S.-based car-rental agencies operates on Barbados, but a host of local companies rent vehicles. Except in the peak midwinter season, cars are usually readily available without prior reservations. Be forewarned that many local companies continue to draw serious complaints from readers, both for overcharging and for the poor conditions of their vehicles. Proceed very carefully with rentals on this island. Check the insurance and liability issues carefully when you rent.

The island's most frequently recommended agency is National Car Rentals, Lower Carlton, St. James (tel. 246/426-0603), which has a wide selection of Japanese cars. (Note that it's not affiliated with the U.S. chain of the same name.) National is 15km (9 1/4 miles) north of Bridgetown, near the main highway (Hwy. 1); it delivers cars to almost any location on the island, and the driver who delivers it will carry the necessary forms for the Bajan driver's license, priced at $5 per registered driver, and valid for a year.

Another comparable company is Sunny Isle Motors, Dayton, Worthing Main Road, Christ Church (tel. 246/435-7979).

By Taxi -- Taxis aren't metered, but rates are fixed by the government; one cab can carry up to four passengers for the same fare. Taxis are plentiful and easily identifiable by the letter Z on their license plates. Drivers will produce a list of standard rates ($25-$30 per hour). To call a taxi, contact one of the following services: Paramount Taxi Service (tel. 246/429-3718), Tamarind Cove Taxi Service (tel. 246/432-1701), Royal Pavilion Taxi Service (tel. 246/432-0857), or Lyndhurst Taxi Service (tel. 246/436-2639). A typical taxi ride from the airport to Bridgetown costs $23; to Holetown, along the western Gold Coast, $30; and to St. Lawrence Gap, site of many of the less expensive hotels, $15.

By Bus -- Take a bus only as a last resort, as the service is unreliable, in spite of the fact that many Bajans depend on this service to get to and from work. The nationally owned buses of Barbados are blue with yellow stripes. They're not numbered, but their destinations are marked on the front. On most major routes, buses run every 30 minutes or so. Wherever you go, the fare is BD$1.50, exact Barbados change required. Departures are from Bridgetown, leaving from Fairchild Street for the south and east, and from Lower Green and the Princess Alice Highway for the north going along the west coast. Call the Barbados Tourism Authority (tel. 246/427-2623) for schedules and information.

Privately operated minibuses, usually painted yellow, run shorter distances and travel more frequently. They are bright yellow with blue stripes, with their destinations displayed on the bottom-left corner of the windshield. Minibuses in Bridgetown are boarded at River Road, Temple Yard, and Probyn Street. The fare is BD$1.50, and unlike the larger, blue-sided government-operated buses, exact change is appreciated but not required.

Special Events

One of the hottest jazz festivals in the Caribbean is the Barbados Jazz Festival. Also known as "Paint It Jazz," it takes place in mid-January. International artists appear along with the best in local jazz talent. For tickets and further details, contact festival organizers at www.barbadosjazzfestival.com/schedule.html.

In mid-February, the Holetown Festival at St. James is a weeklong event commemorating the landing of the first European settlers at Holetown in 1627. Highlights include street fairs, police band concerts, a music festival in the parish church, and a road race.

During the first week of April, the Oistins Fish Festival commemorates the signing of the charter of Barbados with fishing, boat racing, fish-boning competitions, a Coast Guard exhibition, food stalls, arts and crafts, dancing, singing, and road races.

Beginning in mid-July and lasting until the first week of August, the Crop Over Festival is the island's major national festival, celebrating the completion of the sugar-cane harvest and recognizing the hardworking men and women in the sugar industry. Communities all over the island participate in fairs, concerts, calypso competitions, car parades, and other cultural events. The climax of the festival occurs at Kadooment Day, a national holiday on the first Monday in August, which becomes the biggest party of the year in Barbados.