Travel Essentials New Entry Requirements will be effective January 23 2007. Click here. Saint Lucia is an island in the Caribbean sea, which is south of Florida and the U.S. gulf states. One of the Windward islands, we are situated between Martinique and St. Vincent, and to the northwest of Barbados. One of the wonderful things about Saint Lucia is the wide choice of transportation available to the Island. There are more than a dozen airlines that service Saint Lucia’s two airports Hewanorra International Airport and George Charles Airport, from a host of international and local destinations. For those visitors arriving by sea, cruise lines and local ferry’s tie up daily at Port Castries and Soufriere. Whether you choose to fly direct, stop off on a cruise or just pop over from one of the neighboring islands you will find a warm Caribbean welcome awaits you. St. Lucia A to Z A  Airlines, Airports, Automobile Rental B  Banking C  Churches, Credit Cards, Crime, Currency, Customs Regulations D  Departure Tax, Domestic Travel within the Island E  Electricity, Emergency Telephone Numbers, Entry Requirements G  Geography, Government H  Health, Hospitals L  Language P  Ports S  Service Charges & Tax, Shopping T  Taxis, Telecommunications, Time, Tipping, Tourist Information, Tours & Tour Companies W  Weather Y  Yacht Charter and Private Moorings Airlines Air Caribe, Air Canada, Air Martinique, American Airlines, American Eagle, Delta, US Airways, British Airways, LIAT, Virgin Atlantic WESTJET and International Charters. For more detailed information on this topic Click here Airports Hewanorra International Airport at Vieux Fort is located 40 miles south of Castries. George F. L . Charles Inter Island Airport in Castries. For more detailed information on this topic Click here Automobile Rental Cars, 4 wheel drive vehicles and scooters can be booked in advance through your travel agent or at the airports, hotels or car rental offices on the island. For more detailed information on this topic Click here Banking Banks open Monday to Thursday, 8.00am - 2.00pm and Friday, 8.00am - 5.00pm For more detailed information on this topic Click here Churches Almost 80% of Saint Lucians are Roman Catholic. Other denominations include Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Seventh Day Adventists, Church of the Nazarene, Christian Science and the Salvation Army. Times of services vary at individual churches, so it is best to inquire at your hotel reception. Credit Cards Major international credit cards are widely accepted at all large shopping centres, restaurants, hotels, etc. Crime Crime in Saint Lucia can be considered consistent with that of similar countries. It is unfair to say that it doesn’t exist, however, to say that it is minimal and well under control by our competent police force, is a well placed statement. We do advise all visitors and even our nationals that common sense should prevail when traveling abroad. Refrain from making large displays of wealth (such as wearing expensive jewelry, producing large wads of cash, etc.), avoid venturing is areas that may appear to compromise safety. Crimes of any sort should be reported to the hotel, the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, and/or the Police Currency The currency of Saint Lucia is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar which is linked to the US Dollar at the exchange rate of 1 US$ to 2.70 EC$. US$ are widely accepted on the island. For more detailed information on this topic Click here Customs Regulations The duty free allowance into Saint Lucia is 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco or 50 cigars, one litre of spirit or wine. Duty free shopping is available at Pointe Seraphine, La Place Carenage and at the departure lounge of Hewanorra Airport. Luxury items include Jewelery, Batiks, Giftware,Local Crafts, Liquor, Cigarettes and Cigars. Departure Tax Departure Tax of EC $68 (US $26) for all passengers over 12 years is applied to ticket prices at the time of purchase. Domestic Travel within the Island Minibuses serve as as the main ground transportation medium for the island. These buses run up to varied times depending on the route one desires to ply. Buses to Gros Islet, for example, run until around 10.00pm: (longer on Friday nights when the weekly “jump-up” takes place at Gros Islet). However, there is no scheduled bus timetable. Bus fares: Castries - North end of the island EC $2.50, Castries - South end of the island (Vieux Fort) EC $8.00. Car travel via the new West Coast Road from Castries to Soufriere takes about an hour. From Hewanorra Airport to Castries takes around an hour. For your added comfort, Helicopter transfers are available from Hewanorra to Castries. There is a Heli-pad located at Vigie Hanger and the Jalousie Hilton Hotel. This can be booked directly with St. Lucia Helicopters Ltd on Tel: 758 453 6950, Fax: 758 452 1553 or Paradise Helicopters 758 450 9203. Electricity 220 volts, 50 cycles AC (a few hotels are 110 volts, 60 cycles). Most sockets take 3 pin square plugs (UK standard) but some take 2 pin round plugs or flat American plugs, which are more rare. Adaptors are generally available at the hotels. Emergency Telephone Numbers Police, Fire and Ambulance - Tel: 911. Police Headquarters - Bridge Street, Castries, Tel: 758 452 2854 or request the Police Rapid Response Unit - Tel: 758 452 2854 ext. 167. You may also contact the Saint Lucia Tourist Board - Tel: 758 452 5968/453 0053/452 4094. Entry Requirements Visitors must carry valid passports. Visas are not required where the visitor is a citizen of the USA or certain Commonwealth countries (please click here for visa exempted countries), or where there is agreement for exemption between the home country and Saint Lucia As of January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries. This information does not reflect important changes to the WHTI expected from pending legislation. We will update this page once that legislation has been finalized. For further details in the USA, contact the Saint Lucia Mission, 800 Second Avenue, 9th Floor New York, NY 10017 & for the UK contact the Saint Lucia High Commission 1 Collingham Gardens, London SW5 0HW. Geography Our neighbors are Martinique, 21 miles from our Northern tip and St. Vincent, 26 miles from our Southern tip. Both are visible on a clear day. Barbados is 110 miles Southeast. The island is 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, a total of 238sq. miles. Government An independent democratic nation and part of the British Commonwealth. For more detailed information on this topic Click here Health Immunization is not required unless coming from an infected area within six days of arrival, however, Hepatitis A, Polio and Typhoid are recommended. Drinking water is safe from the tap and bottled mineral/distilled water is also available. There are several pharmacies in Castries, one on the Gros Islet Highway and one in Gablewoods Shopping Mall and in JQ Charles Mall Rodney Bay. Most hotels have “over the counter” medication, such as Aspirin and first aid facilities. All hotels have doctors either resident or available on call. A resident doctor’s visit costs approx. US$ 15 (approx. EC$40- EC$50). For a "call-out" visit it may cost more. Hospitals In an emergency, call 911 - there are five medical facilities which are: Victoria Hospital   758 452 2421/7059 St. Jude’s Vieux Fort   758 454 6041 Soufriere   758 459 7258/5001 Dennery   758 453 3310 Tapion Hospital   758 459 2000 Language English is the official language, but Saint Lucians speak a French Creole commonly called Patois. Ports The main sea port is Castries and many cruise ships anchor at Pointe Seraphine and La Place Carenage. There is an additional deepwater anchorage for cargo and container ships at Vieux Fort in the south near the airport. Service Charges & Tax On hotel and restaurant bills there is a Government tax of 8%. A service charge of 10% is also applicable. In some instances these charges are included in prices quoted, so it is best to clarify. The prices on labels in shops are what you pay. Shopping Local shops are generally open weekdays 8.30am to 4.00pm and on Saturday 8.00am to noon. There are a wide variety of shopping experiences from Castries market, where local crafts are available, to Pointe Seraphine and La Place Carenage, two duty free shopping centers in Castries where resort wear, Colombian Emeralds jewelery, cosmetics and perfumes are available. A variety of shopping malls with extended opening hours offer a wide selection of boutiques and restaurants. Most hotels have boutiques and vendors' markets. For more detailed information on this topic Click here Taxis Taxis are easily available at taxi stands or by telephone. Fares vary by destination and nature of trip. For more detailed information on this topic Click here Telecommunications St. Lucia has two very competent telecommunications providers namely Digicel and LIME. They both offer cutting edge technology and can both be contacted on island to secure needed services. Pre-paid mobile phone cards can be purchased islandwide for either provider. Many card and coin public phone boxes are available around the island. Cellular phones are available for rent from either provider and more information is available at your port of entry or any tourist information centre. Internet access is available at most shopping malls and at LIME and also at a number of internet cafes islandwide. Both domestic and international direct dialing are available in St. Lucia. Facsimiles are available through most hotels or through the LIME office in Castries. The international dialing code for St. Lucia is 1 758. To call the UK from St. Lucia dial 011 44 plus number. To call USA dial 1 plus number. Time Saint Lucia is 4 Hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Tipping Tipping is not automatically added but is customary at about 10% to 12% of bills. Tips are generally accepted by bell hops in hotels, taxis and other persons providing service. Tourist Information Tourist Information can be obtained from hotel front desks and the Saint Lucia Tourist Board’s Information Centers: Pointe Seraphine and La Place Carenage, Castries Tel: 452 7577 or Soufriere, Tel: 459 7419 and at both airports; George F.L. Charles Airport Tel: 452 2596. Hewanorra International Airport Tel: 454 6644. Generally, the information centers are open from 8.00am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday. Pointe Seraphine is open whenever cruise ships are in port. Information Centres at the airports are open during flight times. Tours & Tour Companies Tours can be booked through your hotel’s Tours Desk or alternatively, you can book them direct with one of the following Tour Companies: Barefoot Holidays   758 450 0507 Cox & Company   758 452 2211 Heritage Tours   758 451 6058/458 1587 M & C Tours   758 458 8283 Solar Tours   758 452 5898 Spice Travel   758 452 0865 Saint Lucia Reps/Sunlink Tours   758 452 8232 Travel Concepts   758 458 2243/458 2244 For more detailed information on this topic Click here Weather Sub tropical climate kept mild by cooling trade winds make Saint Lucia a year round delight. From June to November be prepared for sporadic tropical showers. Yacht Charter and Private Moorings There are a wide variety of vessels available for both bare boat and crewed charters from Saint Lucia to the Grenadines and other destinations. The two most popular marinas are Marigot Bay and IGY Rodney Bay Marina. A number of companies offer yacht charter services, please check with your hotel or the Saint Lucia Tourist Board Information desk at the air and sea ports for assistance. For more detailed information on this topic Click here ©2010 St. Lucia Tourist Board