Saint Vincent & the Grenadines: Getting there & around

There are no long-haul flights into St Vincent & the Grenadines. Passengers coming from overseas must fly to a neighbouring island and then switch to a prop plane. LIAT, Airlines of Carriacou, Mustique Airways and Air Martinique fly between St Vincent and Trinidad, St Lucia, Martinique and Grenada.

Yachties can clear customs at Kingstown or Wallilabou Bay.

Buses are a good way of getting around St Vincent. In Kingstown, they're rolling discotheques, filled with people and loud reggae music, but they're cheap, reliable and plentiful. The buses on Bequia are essentially shared taxis. They're cheap and good for getting around during the day. Taxis - usually pick-up trucks with benches in the back - are a good option on St Vincent, Bequia and Union Island.

There are several car rental agencies on St Vincent, including an Avis at the ET Joshua Airport in Kingstown. There are few if any agencies on most of the Grenadines. The required local license can be obtained at the Traffic Branch in Kingstown. Driving is on the left.

Getting between St Vincent & the Grenadines is easiest by boat. A ferry makes a one-hour run between Kingstown and Port Elizabeth on Bequia several times a day. An inexpensive mailboat carries passengers and cargo three times weekly between St Vincent, Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island. From St Vincent, times range from one hour to Bequia to over four and a half hours to Union Island. You can also fly between St Vincent and Union Island and Bequia, though it's more expensive and generally less convenient than catching a boat.