Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

In the United States, you can get information at the St. Vincent and Grenadines Tourist Office, 801 Second Ave., 21st Floor, New York, NY 10017 (tel. 800/729-1726 or 212/687-4981). The website for St. Vincent and the Grenadines is www.svgtourism.com.

On St. Vincent, the local Department of Tourism is on Upper Bay Street, Government Administrative Centre, Kingstown (tel. 784/457-1502). Hours are Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.

Getting There

In the eastern Caribbean, St. Vincent -- the "gateway to the Grenadines" -- lies about 160km (99 miles) west of Barbados. There are no direct flights. The best connections are through Barbados and Antigua. From Barbados you can take LIAT (tel. 888/844-LIAT [5428] in most of the Caribbean, or 784/458-4841; www.liatairline.com), which connects the islands of Grenada and St. Lucia with St. Vincent, Bequia, Union Island, and Antigua.

American Eagle (tel. 800/433-7300 in the U.S. and Canada, or 784/456-5555; www.aa.com) flies nonstop from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Canouan, one of the most visited of the Grenadines.

Dependable Grenadine Airways (tel. 784/456-6793; www.grenadine-airways.com) makes daily shuttle runs from St. Vincent to the satellite islands of Mustique, Union, and Canouan, with per-person fares ranging from $46 to $62 round-trip. To connect with those Grenadine islands with airports, separate charter arrangements can be made from Union Island. The price of these chartered flights is less than you might expect and often matches the fares on conventional Caribbean airlines.

Getting Around

By Taxi -- Because of the bad roads, most visitors use taxis to get around. The government sets the rates, but taxis are unmetered, so be sure to agree on the fare before getting in. Figure on spending $5.60 to $17 or more to go from the airport to your hotel. You should tip about 12% of the fare.

You can also hire taxis to take you to the island's major attractions. Most drivers seem to be well-informed guides. (It won't take you long to learn everything you need to know about St. Vincent.) You'll spend from $20 per hour for a car holding two to four passengers.

By Rental Car -- Driving on St. Vincent is a bit of an adventure because of the narrow, twisting roads (sound your horn as you make the sharp hairpin turns). Most important: Drive on the left. If you present your valid driver's license from home at the police department, on Bay Street in Kingstown, and pay a $19 fee, you'll get a temporary permit to drive.

Avis (tel. 800/331-1084 in the U.S. and Canada; www.avis.com) has a branch at the airport. One local rental firm is Star Garage, on Grenville Street in Kingstown (tel. 784/456-1743). Make sure your car has a spare tire because the roads are full of potholes.

By Bus -- Flamboyantly painted "alfresco" buses travel the principal roads of St. Vincent, linking the major towns and villages. The price is low, depending on where you're going, and the experience will connect you with the locals. The central departure point is the bus terminal at the New Kingstown Fish Market. Fares range from 35¢ to $2.20.

Special Events

Late June brings St. Vincent's weeklong Carnival, one of the largest such celebrations in the eastern Caribbean. The festivities include steel-band and calypso competitions, parades, costumes, and the crowning of the king and queen of the carnival. The fun extends through the first 2 weeks in July, culminating in a huge street party.