When I was in St. Lucia, I was mostly traveling by tour bus - some smaller vans and some larger buses. But for people not arriving by cruise ships, they have the option of bus, rental car or taxi. Keep in mind that they drive on the left and not on the right.Note that a BUS in St. Lucia is a mini-van. Buses are very affordable, but it may be easier to get TO a destination rather than back as some bus routes only run during hours when people will be working or shopping and so not after mid-afternoon.Buses run frequently on standard routes in northern St. Lucia from Castries to Gros Islet or to Rodney Bay. Travelers can catch one of the privately owned, 14-seater minivans at marked bus stops or by flagging one down along the three major bus routes on the coastal road: The Vieux Fort - Soufrière Route; the Soufrière - Castries route; and the Castries - Vieux Fort route. Catching a bus away...
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Island Surrounded by Water
by grandmaR
Obviously since St. Lucia is an island, you can't get there by driving. It's either FLY or come on a boat. Both times I have been there, I have been by cruise ship. But St. Lucia actually has TWO airportsCastries TLPC SLU George F. L. Charles Airport (formerly Vigie Airport)Vieux-Fort TLPL UVF Hewanorra International AirportSince George F. L. Charles Airport in Castries only handles turboprop and short distance local flights, most tourists are going to come in to TLPL Hewanorra International Airport down on the south end of the island which handles 500,000 passengers a year and has the capability to handle the Boeing 747, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Boeing 777 and other similar long range intercontinental aircraft. Hewanorra International Airport was originally named Beane Army Airfield and was used as a military airfield by the United States Army Air Forces Sixth Air Force and used in...
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Driving with a rental car
by rwjstoehr
You need to drive on the left hand side, and be aware that other drivers do not always keep to their side on the road. Apart from the main through roads, potholes, very narrow roads with bends and steep inclines are common. Be aware of pedestrians, dogs and other animals suddenly appearing on the roads. At night, the lights of traffic coming your way are sometimes blinding.But you still can get around nicely, and are independant.
Taxi
by cjg1
Taxis are an easy way to get into town. Just to be safe it is best to have the hotel arrange the taxi for you. Most drivers will arrange a pick up time with you so you are guaranteed to get the same ride back to your resort. A taxi from our resort into Castries cost $40 roundtrip; which isn't bad for a 15 minute trip.
From Airport to Rodney Bay
by Bonkers11
The easiest way to et from the airport to Rodney Bay is by taxi. 200ECdollars. I will recommend one particular person Stannis... if he cannot do the job he will arange another person to do it. My friend booked this for me, tellinghim that I couldnt see, I would be wearing a panama hat, the driver ( not Stannis for me trip form airport) cam and found me, ok St Lucia is a small airport but there was good intention there.Stannis also does island tours, I didnt do this , we hired a car so I cannot review this service.There is no bus from St Lucia Airport to Rodney Bay, you have to go into the closest town, then go to Catries then on to Rodney Bay
Cruise Ships
by cjg1
St. Lucia is a cruise ship port and during our trip we encountered several in Harbor. Holland America and Carnival were the two lines I remember seeing in the port by Castries. The cruise ships seem gigantic compared to the little island town.
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Helicopter
by cjg1
Taking a helicopter was an option for arriving at the Sandals properties. We were arriving at SLU so our drive was about 15 minutes but if you are arriving from Hewanorra Airport the drive is anywhere from one and a half to two hours depending on road conditions (and very winding narrow roads). We met a couple at our resort who took the long winding road to the resort and deciding to spring for the $250 one way fare back to the airport.
Airport Transfers
by cjg1
Airport Transfers were included in our Sandals vacation. After clearing Customs & Immigration we collected our luggage. Do not let the men in red shirts take your bags; they are just looking for money and the exit is only two feet away. After we exited; a representative from Sandals was waiting. We gave him our names and hopped into the shuttle van. We were with 4 other couples who were also going to the resort. The trip from airport to hotel was about 15 and gave a little tour of Castries.
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AA to SLU
by cjg1
As always we chose American Airlines as our carrier to SLU. We departed JFK to San Juan. A short layover later and we were on a prop plane to St. Lucia. The flight from JFK was a good one and not very full. We had an extra seat to ourselves to stretch out. Our friends Chris and Karen had the same situation.The plane ride from San Juan to SLU on the prop plane was a bit noisey and bumpy but it was a short ride.
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George FL Charles Airport
by cjg1
George FL Charles Airport (SLU) is the closer of the two airports to the major resorts of the island. This airport though is much smaller than Hewanorra International and you will be arriving via prop plane. I think despite it's small size it is the way to go if you want a short ride to your resort. Our ride from the airport to Sandals La Toc was under 15 minutes. The ride from Hewannorra can take up to two hours on winding and steep roadways.
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