Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

In the United States, the St. Lucia Tourist Board office is located at 800 Second Ave., Suite 910, New York, NY 10017 (tel. 800/456-3984 or 212/867-2950). In Canada, information is provided at the tourist board at 8 King St. East, Suite 709, Toronto, ON M5C 1B5 (tel. 416/362-4242).

On the island, the main tourist office is at Sureline Building, Vive Boutielle, Castries (tel. 758/452-4094). In Soufrière, there's a branch on Bay Street (tel. 758/459-7419). St. Lucia information is on the Web at www.stlucia.org.

Getting There

Before you book your own airfare, consider a package deal -- it can save you a bundle.

The island maintains two separate airports, whose different locations cause endless confusion to many newcomers. Most international long-distance flights land at Hewanorra International Airport (tel. 758/454-6355) in the south, 72km (45 miles) from Castries. If you arrive here and you're booked into a hotel in the north, you'll spend about an hour and a half traveling along the potholed East Coast Highway. Many hotels arrange transfers to and from the airport, but if not, taxis are available; the average fare is US$65 (£34) for up to four passengers. Many visitors now prefer to take helicopter flights from Hewanorra International Airport to their resorts rather than endure the long, stomach-churning car ride. St. Lucia Helicopters (tel. 758/453-6950; www.stluciahelicopters.com) offers flights between Castries and Hewanorra Airport or Soufrière, costing US$105 (£55) per person one-way. Flights can also be arranged to the Jalousie Plantation, which has its own helicopter pad.

Flights from other parts of the Caribbean usually land at the smaller, somewhat antiquated George F. L. Charles Airport (formerly known as Vigie; tel. 758/452-1156), in the northeast. Its location just outside Castries affords much more convenient access to the capital and many of the island's hotels. It is a long (about an hour and a half) twisting drive to lodging in and around Soufrière, but you'll pass through beautiful terrain and quaint fishing villages along the way.

There are now nonstop flights from the United States to St. Lucia. Delta (tel. 800/221-1212; www.delta.com) flies once daily from Friday to Tuesday from Atlanta; and American (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) flies daily from Miami to the island.

American Eagle (tel. 800/433-7300 in the U.S. and Canada, or 758/452-1820; www.aa.com) serves George F. L. Charles Airport with nonstop flights from San Juan. Connections from all parts of the North American mainland to the airline's enormous hub in San Juan are frequent and convenient. American also offers some good package deals.

US Airways (tel. 800/428-4322; www.usairways.com) flies two times a week from Philadelphia to St. Lucia's Hewanorra Airport.

Air Canada (tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.ca) has two nonstop weekly flights to St. Lucia's Hewanorra Airport that depart from Toronto.

British Airways (tel. 800/247-9297 in the U.S.; www.britishairways.com) offers two flights a week from London's Gatwick Airport to St. Lucia's Hewanorra Airport.

LIAT (tel. 758/452-3051; www.liatairline.com) has small planes flying from many points throughout the Caribbean into George F. L. Charles Airport. Points of origin include such islands as Barbados, Antigua, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Martinique. On some LIAT flights, you may visit all these islands before arriving in St. Lucia.

Air Jamaica (tel. 800/523-5585 in the U.S. and Canada; www.airjamaica.com) serves the Hewanorra Airport with nonstop service from New York's JFK 4 days a week.

Another option is BWIA (tel. 800/538-2942 in the U.S. and Canada; www.bwee.com), which offers two weekly flights on Sunday and Tuesday from London's Heathrow to St. Lucia's Hewanorra Airport. All flights make a quick stopover in Barbados.

Getting Around

By Taxi -- Since driving St. Lucia's unmarked, bad roads is rather difficult, a taxi is recommended for all but the most adventurous. Taxis are ubiquitous and most drivers are eager to please. The drivers have special training that allows them to serve as guides. Their cabs are unmetered, but the government fixes tariffs for all standard trips. From Castries, the fare to Marigot Bay should be US$25 to US$30 (£13-£16); to Rodney Bay, the fare is US$18 to US$20 (£9.35-£10). Always ask if the driver is quoting a rate in U.S. dollars or Eastern Caribbean dollars (EC$). For more information, call the Taxi Associatino at tel. 758/454-6136.

By Rental Car -- Avis (tel. 800/331-1212 in the U.S. and Canada, or 758/452-2046 or 758/454-6325; www.avis.com), Traders Auto Rentals (tel. 758/452-0233), and Hertz (tel. 800/654-3131 in the U.S. and Canada, or 758/454-9636; www.hertz.com) have offices at (or will deliver cars to) both of the island's airports. Each also has an office in Castries and, in some cases, at some of the island's major hotels.

Avis' rates begin at US$82 (£43) per day, and Hertz's begin at US$91 (£47) per day. You can sometimes save money by booking through one of the local car-rental agencies, where rates begin at US$60 (£31) per day, depending on size. Try C.T.L. Rent-a-Car, Grosislet Highway, Rodney Bay Marina (tel. 758/452-0732). Cool Breeze Car Rental, New Development, Soufrière (tel. 758/459-7729), is also a good bet if you're staying in the south. Prices are US$50 (£26) and up.

Remember: Drive on the left, and try to avoid some of the island's more obvious potholes. Drive carefully and honk your horn while going around the blind hairpin turns. You'll need a St. Lucia driver's license ($20/£10), which you can purchase at either airport when you pick up your rental car.

By Bus -- Minibuses (with names like "Lucian Love") and jitneys connect Castries with such main towns as Soufrière for EC$7 (US$2.60/£1.40) and Vieux Fort EC$5 (US$1.85/£1). They're cheap but they're generally overcrowded and often filled with produce on its way to market. Buses for Cap Estate, in the northern part of the island, leave from Jeremy Street in Castries, near the market. Buses going to Vieux Fort and Soufrière depart from Bridge Street in front of the department store.

By Helicopter -- In addition to providing the fastest mode of transport on this island (preferred by such visitors as Harrison Ford), St. Lucia Helicopters (tel. 758/453-6950; www.stluciahelicopters.com) offers the island's most dramatic sightseeing. The 10-minute North Trip, costing US$70 (£36) per person, flies you over Castries, the major resort hotels, the elegant Cap Estate homes, Pigeon Point, Rodney Bay, Rat Island, and the more turbulent Atlantic coast. The longer 20-minute South Tour, costing US$120 (£62) per passenger, flies over Castries, the banana plantations, beautiful Marigot Bay, fishing villages, the lush rainforest, the Pitons, the Soufrière volcano, and even remote waterfalls, rivers, and lush valleys. Another tour, combining both the north and south, costs US$155 (£81) per person.