- Destination over
- Language
- Flight times
- Airport
- Taxi fares from airport
- Departure tax
- Cruise lines
- Currency conversion
- Banking hours
- Principal banks
- Driving
- Electricity
- Public holidays
- Festivals
- Tourist offices
- Passport/Visa Information*** DESTINATION OVERVIEW ***
Barbados, the most easterly of the Caribbean islands, is struck by the pounding Atlantic surf on the East Coast and washed by the gentle Caribbean waters, which bathe its powdery white beaches, on the South and West Coasts. The landscape is terraced with gently rolling hills in the eastern areas, which rise to a peak known as Mount Hilaby, which is 1,115 feet tall. With 3,000 hours of sunshine recorded annually, and the cooling breezes of the tradewinds, which regulate the temperature between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, it is no wonder that visitors choose Barbados for their holidays. Barbados offers visitors a wide range of activities - shopping, particularly in the duty-free and souvenir shops, watersports of every type, particularly along the West Coast, and sightseeing.
Barbados has an area of 166 square miles - 21 miles long by 14 miles wide at its widest points. Its population is 262,000.
*** LANGUAGE ***
English
*** AIRLINES ***
Aeropostal, Air Canada, Air Martinique, American Airlines, B.W.I.A. International, British Airways, Caricargo, Cubana, Guyana Airways, LIAT, Mustique Airways, Air Jamaica
*** FLIGHT TIMES - APPROXIMATE ***
Miami: 3 hours, New York: 4 hours, Montreal: 5 hours, Toronto: 5 hours, San Francisco: 9 hours, Houston via Miami: 7 hours
*** AIRPORT ***
Grantley Adams International Airport is a 30 minute drive from Bridgetown, the capital.
*** TAXI FARES FROM AIRPORT ***
Hilton/Grand Barbados: US$10.00,
Bridgetown/Harbour City: US$13.00, Holetown/Porters: US$15.00, Speightstown: US$22.00 - 45 minutes,
Crane/Sam Lord's Castle: US$10.00
*** DEPARTURE TAX ***
US$12.50
*** CRUISE LINES ***
Baltic Steamship Company, Black Sea Steamship Company, Carnival Cruise Lines, Chandris, Costa, Cunard, Cunard - NAC, Cunard - Sea Goddess, Fritjbus, Hapag Lloyd, Holland American Lines, Home Lines, Kloster Cruise, Ocean Cruise, Paquet Lines, Peter Dielmann, P and O Cruises, Princess, Regency Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Royal Viking, Sitmar Lines, Sun Line Cruises.
*** CURRENCY CONVERSION ***
US$1.00 equals BD$2.00
*** BANKING HOURS ***
Monday through Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Fridays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Barclays and Royal Bank open at 8:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, and Royal Bank works 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Fridays.
*** PRINCIPAL BANKS ***
Barclays Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia, Barbados National Bank, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Caribbean Commercial Bank and Royal Bank of Canada
*** DRIVING ***
With a valid foreign license you may secure a local permit for US$5.00. Drive on the left hand side of the road.
*** ELECTRICITY ***
110 volts AC, 50 cycles. Most hotels have 220 AC.
*** PUBLIC HOLIDAYS 2000 ***
01JAN - News Years Day
21JAN - Errol Barrow Day
21APR - Good Friday
24APR - Easter Monday
28APR - National Heroesą Day
01MAY - Labour Day
12JUN - Whit Monday
01AUG - Emancipation Day
07AUG - Kadooment Day
30NOV - Independence Day
25DEC - Christmas Day
26DEC - Boxing Day
*** FESTIVALS ***
JANUARY - Jazz Festival
14FEB - Holetown Festival
APRIL - Oistins Festival
MAY - Gospelfest
JULY-AUGUST - Cropover Festival, Last three weeks in July ends the first Monday in August on Kadooment Day
NOVEMBER - National Independence Festival of Creative Arts
*** TOURIST OFFICES ***
BRIDGETOWN:
Barbados Tourism Authority
Box 242, Harbour Road
Bridgetown, Barbados
Telephone: 246-427-2623
. 246-427-2624
Telex: 2420WB
Fax: 246-426-4080
MIAMI:
Barbados Tourism Authority
150 Alhambra Circle, Suite 1000
Coral Gables, FL 33134
Telephone: 305-442-7471
Fax: 305-567-2844
E-mail: BTAMiami@worldnet.att.net
NEW YORK:
Barbados Tourism Authority
800 2nd Avenue
New York City, NY 10017
Telephone: 800-221-9831
. 212-986-6516
. 212-986-6518
Fax: 212-573-9850
E-mail: BTANY@barbados.org
LOS ANGELES:
Barbados Tourism Authority
3440 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1207
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Telephone: 800-221-9831
. 213-380-2198
. 213-380-2199
Fax: 213-384-2763
E-mail: BTALA@barbados.org
TORONTO:
Barbados Tourism Authority
105Adelaide St. West
Ste 1010
Toronto, Ontario M5H 1PQ
Telephone: 416-214-9880
Fax: 416-214-9882
E-mail: BTAPublic@Globalserve.net
*** Passport/Visa Information ***
American, Canadian and U.K. citizens visiting must be in possession of a valid passport or proof of citizenship with an original birth certificate along with a photo identification and onward or return tickets. Citizens of Eastern Bloc countries and Cuba require visas. All others must have a valid passport and return or onward tickets. For further information on other countries, please call the Barbados Consulate at: 212-867-8435 or visit the Barbados website at www.barbados.org.
Rates are in United States dollars, except as noted, and are subject to change without notice.
Information provided by the Caribbean Tourism Organization - CTO.
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