St-Barthélemy Getting there & around

Getting around

There is no bus system on St-Barth. Taxis are pricey, so strongly consider renting a car.

Car & motorcycle

Fuel

There are only two gas stations – one in St-Jean and one in Lorient – on the island and both are closed on Sundays. During the week they are open during daylight hours (with the obligatory two-hour lunch break from noon until 2pm). If you’re a desperate, there’s an all-night gas pump at the airport, which only works with a credit card (although not usually with American plastic).

Rental

There are loads of car- and scooter-rental agencies throughout the island, with about a dozen concentrated in the airport terminal in St-Jean. The others mostly sit around Gustavia, although the cars are kept near the airport. In general, you will be discouraged from renting a scooter or motorcycle as the terrain is quite rugged and steep (and scooters aren’t really that much cheaper than cars, especially as you won’t spend that much on gas since the island is so tiny.) Prices between December and April hover around €60 for cars, while off-season prices drop to a less outrageous €35 to €40. Try the following options:

Avis (27-71-43; avis.sbca@wanadoo.fr) Located at the airport.

Barth’Loc (27-52-81) Located in Gustavia; also offers scooter rentals.

Budget (27-66-30; budgetsaintbarth@wanadoo.fr) Located at the airport and in Gustavia.

Chez Beranger (27-89-00; chezberanger@wanadoo.fr) Located in Gustavia; leases cars and scooters.

Dufau (27-54-83; nilsdufau@yahoo.com) Based in Public, mainly offers motorcycle rentals.

Gumbs Rental (27-75-32; gumbs.car.rental@wanadoo.fr) Located at the airport. Is also the front desk for Anse de Terre Neuve.

Meca Moto (52-92-49; mecamoto3@wanadoo.fr) Located in Gustavia. Specializes in motorbikes.

Soleil Caraibes (27-67-18; soleil.caraibes@wanadoo.fr) Located at the airport; offers some of the best deals on the island.

Tropic All Rent (27-64-76; tropicall.rent@wanadoo.fr) Located in Gustavia; offers cars and motorbikes.

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Local transport

Taxi

Taxi prices go from pricey to outrageous. There are no set fares, so prices are all over the board. Generally prices increase by about 50% when it’s dark out.

From Gustavia to the airport costs €10, while from Gustavia to Petit Cul-de-Sac it’s around €25. From the airport it’s €10 to St-Jean and around €12 to Lorient.

To book a taxi in Gustavia, call 27-66-31; at the airport, call 27-75-81. There’s a taxi stand in Gustavia. You can also contact drivers directly – a list of drivers and their phone numbers is available at the Office Territorial de Tourisme in Gustavia.

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Bicycle

Cycling around the island can be arduous, even for the healthiest individuals. The roads can be exceptionally steep.

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