Below is some basic information that is good to know before travelling to Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Getting Around St. Kitts and Nevis
If you reach the country with a cruise boat, you can easily explore the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Basseterre, within 60 minutes via a walking tour, as the city planning is very convenient (everything is laid out in square blocks).
Alternatively, you could rent a car and drive to other popular attractions across both islands using the affordable and efficient Sea Bridge drive-on, drive-off ferry service that runs daily and will take you across The Narrows (the name of the shallow strait) from 08:00 to 19:00. The service connects Saint Kitts’ Majors Bay with Cades Bay in Nevis (around 6 kilometres or 3.7 miles apart) and it takes around 15 minutes.
Now, if you want speedier transfers between the two islands, you can have a rented car for your inland explorations and opt for a yacht cruise via one of the many private boat tour operators on both islands.
Finally, St. Kitts & Nevis is served by minibuses, which are available at the airports, the Basseterre marina area, around the Circus, and in major towns.
Renting a Car
You can find motorbikes, SUVs, vans, and luxury cars that can even be arranged to be available for pick-up right outside your airport or port for maximum convenience. To rent a vehicle in Saint Kitts and Nevis, you will need to get a local driver’s permit that you may use for 3-12 months (it doesn’t matter if you already have an international driver’s licence). This can be acquired from the Traffic Department. However, the majority of car rental agencies can also assist you with getting the permit. Once you get the permit, please remember that driving in Saint Kitts and Nevis is on the left-hand side of the road and that wearing a seatbelt is obligatory.
Taking a Taxi
The minibus taxis in the country are not metered but are licensed by the government. Most of them are privately owned, have a yellow licence plate, and run at fixed rates from the local airport. To ensure you are getting into a licensed taxi, please check that the licence plate starts with the letter “T” (and, of course, it is yellow). A cheaper alternative to the yellow minibus taxis is the green-plated buses (their licence plate starts with the letter “H”) that you can find everywhere. The only downside is that they don’t run inside the main areas.
Tips:
- Before taking a taxi for a quick tour (taxi drivers make great tour guides), do negotiate the hourly rates in advance.
- Pay attention to the currency the quote you get is in – is it USD or EC$?
- Most of the time, taxi drivers charge a surcharge for fares between 22:00 and 06:00.
- If you need any help with getting a taxi or another taxi-related service, you can call the St Kitts Taxi Association (+1 869-465-8487). It can be found at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport.
The Railway
The railway is also a historic landmark with a 29-kilometre-long (18 miles) railway line that runs along the major sightseeing locations of the northeastern shores. This is probably the most idyllic way to get around the country. The privately-owned St. Kitts Scenic was originally constructed to help transport sugarcane from the plantations to the mill in the capital of Saint Kitts, in the early 1900s. It changed roles, though, in the early 2000s, as the country was gradually becoming a popular tourist destination. If you opt for the train ride experience, expect a 2-hour tour filled with heart-stopping views and landscapes dotted with verdant scenery, abandoned windmills, imposing sugarcane estates, and more.
Getting to Your Hotel
It depends on which of the three following ports of entry you will be using:
1. Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (SKB)
It is the main international gateway to the country and is situated in Basseterre, the capital of Saint Kitts, serving both regional and international airlines, including:
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Trans Anguilla Airways (for flights from other Caribbean destinations, such as Antigua, Anguilla, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico).
- Seaborne Airlines (same as Trans Anguilla Airways).
You can check the available airlines and flight schedules by visiting the official Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport website, here: Flight Schedule – (SCASPA) Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (scaspaair.com).
Note: If you are headed to Nevis, you may be escorted by taxi from Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport to Cockleshell Beach, and then either take a water taxi or boat to reach Oualie Beach on Nevis, 10 minutes later. This is, of course, if your hotel or resort does not have other arrangements for you.
2. Vance W Amory International Airport (NEV)
It is a relatively small international airport on the west of New Castle but a great option if you will be staying in Nevis and don’t want to take a water taxi or boat from Saint Kitts to get to Nevis. That is, of course, as long as you feel comfortable with flying in a smaller aircraft, regional or private.
It is located on the northern tip of Nevis, in the St. James Windward Parish, and is most regularly served by Air Sunshine, a Puerto Rico and US-based airline also connecting Nevis with other Caribbean islands, such as the US British Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, Dominica, and Anguilla. Also flying to Nevis, though with smaller planes, are Tradewinds Aviation and Seaborne Airlines.
3. Port Zante
Port Zante is a port serving both Saint Kitts and Nevis-headed cruise ships and yachts that can dock at the 36-wet-berth marina. Overlooking the namesake bay, the port also has a ferry terminal adjoining it and is even filled with several interesting sights, places to eat, shops, and more. The impressive National Museum of St. Kitts and Berkley Memorial is also here.
Climate
The country’s climate is humid, dry, and tropical year-round with a relatively dry and cool period between January through mid-April. Nevertheless, it is rainy, humid, and hot from mid-June through mid-November. The good thing, though, when the temperatures reach over 32oC (89.6oF) is the northeast trade winds that blow and reduce the sense of sultriness significantly. The country also has two transitional seasons, one from mid-April to mid-June, when the frequency of downpours increases gradually, and from mid-November to early January, when the temperatures drop slightly and the weather becomes better, rain-wise.
Below is some basic information that is good to know before travelling to Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Getting Around St. Kitts and Nevis
If you reach the country with a cruise boat, you can easily explore the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Basseterre, within 60 minutes via a walking tour, as the city planning is very convenient (everything is laid out in square blocks).
Alternatively, you could rent a car and drive to other popular attractions across both islands using the affordable and efficient Sea Bridge drive-on, drive-off ferry service that runs daily and will take you across The Narrows (the name of the shallow strait) from 08:00 to 19:00. The service connects Saint Kitts’ Majors Bay with Cades Bay in Nevis (around 6 kilometres or 3.7 miles apart) and it takes around 15 minutes.
Now, if you want speedier transfers between the two islands, you can have a rented car for your inland explorations and opt for a yacht cruise via one of the many private boat tour operators on both islands.
Finally, St. Kitts & Nevis is served by minibuses, which are available at the airports, the Basseterre marina area, around the Circus, and in major towns.
Renting a Car
You can find motorbikes, SUVs, vans, and luxury cars that can even be arranged to be available for pick-up right outside your airport or port for maximum convenience. To rent a vehicle in Saint Kitts and Nevis, you will need to get a local driver’s permit that you may use for 3-12 months (it doesn’t matter if you already have an international driver’s licence). This can be acquired from the Traffic Department. However, the majority of car rental agencies can also assist you with getting the permit. Once you get the permit, please remember that driving in Saint Kitts and Nevis is on the left-hand side of the road and that wearing a seatbelt is obligatory.
Taking a Taxi
The minibus taxis in the country are not metered but are licensed by the government. Most of them are privately owned, have a yellow licence plate, and run at fixed rates from the local airport. To ensure you are getting into a licensed taxi, please check that the licence plate starts with the letter “T” (and, of course, it is yellow). A cheaper alternative to the yellow minibus taxis is the green-plated buses (their licence plate starts with the letter “H”) that you can find everywhere. The only downside is that they don’t run inside the main areas.
Tips:
- Before taking a taxi for a quick tour (taxi drivers make great tour guides), do negotiate the hourly rates in advance.
- Pay attention to the currency the quote you get is in – is it USD or EC$?
- Most of the time, taxi drivers charge a surcharge for fares between 22:00 and 06:00.
- If you need any help with getting a taxi or another taxi-related service, you can call the St Kitts Taxi Association (+1 869-465-8487). It can be found at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport.
The Railway
The railway is also a historic landmark with a 29-kilometre-long (18 miles) railway line that runs along the major sightseeing locations of the northeastern shores. This is probably the most idyllic way to get around the country. The privately-owned St. Kitts Scenic was originally constructed to help transport sugarcane from the plantations to the mill in the capital of Saint Kitts, in the early 1900s. It changed roles, though, in the early 2000s, as the country was gradually becoming a popular tourist destination. If you opt for the train ride experience, expect a 2-hour tour filled with heart-stopping views and landscapes dotted with verdant scenery, abandoned windmills, imposing sugarcane estates, and more.
Getting to Your Hotel
It depends on which of the three following ports of entry you will be using:
1. Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (SKB)
It is the main international gateway to the country and is situated in Basseterre, the capital of Saint Kitts, serving both regional and international airlines, including:
- American Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Trans Anguilla Airways (for flights from other Caribbean destinations, such as Antigua, Anguilla, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico).
- Seaborne Airlines (same as Trans Anguilla Airways).
You can check the available airlines and flight schedules by visiting the official Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport website, here: Flight Schedule – (SCASPA) Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport (scaspaair.com).
Note: If you are headed to Nevis, you may be escorted by taxi from Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport to Cockleshell Beach, and then either take a water taxi or boat to reach Oualie Beach on Nevis, 10 minutes later. This is, of course, if your hotel or resort does not have other arrangements for you.
2. Vance W Amory International Airport (NEV)
It is a relatively small international airport on the west of New Castle but a great option if you will be staying in Nevis and don’t want to take a water taxi or boat from Saint Kitts to get to Nevis. That is, of course, as long as you feel comfortable with flying in a smaller aircraft, regional or private.
It is located on the northern tip of Nevis, in the St. James Windward Parish, and is most regularly served by Air Sunshine, a Puerto Rico and US-based airline also connecting Nevis with other Caribbean islands, such as the US British Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, Dominica, and Anguilla. Also flying to Nevis, though with smaller planes, are Tradewinds Aviation and Seaborne Airlines.
3. Port Zante
Port Zante is a port serving both Saint Kitts and Nevis-headed cruise ships and yachts that can dock at the 36-wet-berth marina. Overlooking the namesake bay, the port also has a ferry terminal adjoining it and is even filled with several interesting sights, places to eat, shops, and more. The impressive National Museum of St. Kitts and Berkley Memorial is also here.
Climate
The country’s climate is humid, dry, and tropical year-round with a relatively dry and cool period between January through mid-April. Nevertheless, it is rainy, humid, and hot from mid-June through mid-November. The good thing, though, when the temperatures reach over 32oC (89.6oF) is the northeast trade winds that blow and reduce the sense of sultriness significantly. The country also has two transitional seasons, one from mid-April to mid-June, when the frequency of downpours increases gradually, and from mid-November to early January, when the temperatures drop slightly and the weather becomes better, rain-wise.