How to Get Around Barbados

Getting in. Grantley Adams International, in the south-east, is a regional hub with direct flights from the UK, North America and across the Caribbean. Cruise ships dock at Bridgetown.

Buses are cheap, frequent and cover the island. Blue government buses and yellow privately run minibuses take the same flat fare; the ZR vans, white with a maroon stripe, are faster, louder and stop anywhere. All routes radiate from Bridgetown, so crossing between two points on the same coast is easy and crossing the island often means changing in town.

Taxis are not metered; agree the fare first. Rates are often quoted in US dollars.

Driving is on the left, and a temporary local permit is required, issued on the spot. Roads are narrow, winding and poorly signposted inland, and the island’s system of roundabouts and unmarked junctions takes adjusting to. A car is genuinely useful for reaching the east coast and the interior.