Travelling through Netherlands Antilles - roads, airports, railway, bus transportation

The Antilles are considered by many to be the center of beach tourism. However, the country only recently began developing its infrastructure. Currently, the traffic intersection here is at an average level, but there are good prospects. Tourists usually come to the country by airplanes. There are only five major airports in the country, three of which accept international flights. You can find also, small landing areas for helicopters and charter planes near some high-class hotels.

Willemstad is considered to be the main seaport. It is worth noting that travelling by ferry is the most popular means of transportation on the island. The cost of tickets also varies depending on the degree of comfort on board. You can buy a ticket near the ferries. If a tourist needs to transport an oversized cargo with him, he will have to pay for it or purchase an additional ticket. It should be noted that a large number of sightseeing liners and ships, as well as small cruise yachts and boats, sail along the sea all year round. Catamarans can also be used (rented) to move between nearby islands. At the peak of the tourist season, the cost of tickets for transportation by sea increases slightly. Prices however are slightly reduced from mid-July to late autumn.

The most popular and common type of public transport within the island are buses. Nevertheless, there are some trips which shuttle between the islands using the services of a ferry link. In the Antilles, buses in general are in satisfactory condition. Some carriers equip their buses with air conditioners. The traffic interchange on each island is quite comfortable. The best quality road surface is located on the island of Barbados. Many tourists rent a car in order not to depend on public transportation and its corresponding schedule. The costs of these services are quite high in comparison with European countries. However, it enjoys no less popularity. It should be noted that all vehicles used in the Antilles are left hand driven. In order to drive a vehicle, it is necessary to have both an international driver’s license, as well as a separate local driver’s license which you can purchase in the country. You can also use the services of a taxi. The prices for transportation are fixed. They can be calculated by the taxi operator.

To date, only five airports are operational on the territory of the Antilles, three of which are international. One of the most famous air harbors is the international airport of Princess Juliana which is located on the Dutch part of the island of Saint-Martin. It should be noted that this airport is among the ten most dangerous airports in the world. The length of its runway is no more than 2,300 meters, and this is barely enough to land or take off the overall liners. The runway itself was constructed during the Second World War. Ever since that time, the airport continued to develop on this spot, and today tourists will see a modern air harbor with all the necessary facilities for a comfortable flight. There are various cafes and restaurants on the terminal’s territory, recreation areas, as well as nursing rooms. If you wish, you can withdraw cash here or contact the bank branch. There is a rather impressive parking space situated in front of the terminal for general use, and also a private parking lot for company cars. The capacity of the airport of Princess Juliana is about 1.5 million passengers per year. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Another popular airport in the Antilles is the air harbor of Juancho E. yrausqin, located on the island of Saba. It is worth noting that this airport is also considered to be quite dangerous. The thing is that the island regularly experiences hurricane winds and because of this, the landing and take-off of airplanes is usually complicated. The peculiarity of the airport is its very small take-off runway. It is only four hundred meters; therefore, the airport cannot accept large-sized aircraft. The runway itself ends up literally in the sea, so at the height of a hurricane, flights are completely canceled. The airport terminal is relatively small, but every tourist will find for himself a place to eat, and comfortable lounges to relax in. There are also small souvenir shops and a parking space for vehicles.

Bonaire Airport is located on the Bonaire Island. You can get to the airport by means of a taxi or by public transportation; after all it is only three and a half kilometers from the city of Kralendijk. This airport is considered to be central to the Antilles. In spite of the fact that only one terminal is situated here, there are no large queues thanks to the increased number of check-in counters. Several cafes, bars and restaurants are functional on the territory of the terminals. There are also branches of banks here. You can withdraw cash from ATMs or get your currencies changed in the exchange office. It is worth noting that this air harbor is also quite often called Flamingo Airport.

Antilles because of their specific relief, cannot afford to create a modern and diverse transport network. However, even experienced travelers will be quite comfortable here. The main medium of transportation between the islands of the country is sea transportation. The major seaport of the Antilles is Willemstad. However, ferries depart from almost every island in different directions every day. The cost of travel also varies depending on the level of service and the class of the ferry itself. In some areas though, ferry rides are absolutely free. It is worth noting that you can transport cargo and even vehicles on ferries, but you will have to pay extra for it. Also, there are quite often transport and sightseeing ships, liners, as well as boats and yachts along the entire coast. For those who want to economize, locals can offer you a catamaran for rent.

The quality of roads in the country is at a very high level despite the fact that most of them do not have asphalt pavement. Vehicles here are left-hand driven. There is also an opportunity for you to rent a car. This service is however quite expensive, and you will not be offered premium or top quality vehicles. But as a rule, if you make a custom order they will provide you with roadworthy, comfortable and clean cars. An alternative to a rented car will be a rented bicycle. There are not many bicycle rental outlets around the islands and there are no specially equipped bicycle trails either. However, if the purpose of renting the bicycle is to travel exclusively within one island, then this option will be quite relevant.

The most common type of public transport on the Antilles is the bus. They run quite often. They however do not run according to any prearranged schedule. Comfort in the bus depends on the carrier company. Tickets for trips can be bought directly from the driver or in special vending machines or newspaper kiosks. Another popular means of transportation in the country are taxi services. Usually, the tariffs in all services are the same. The main thing is to ask the taxi manager to calculate the cost of the trip. If there is a need to quickly get from one island to another, you can use air transport services. In addition, domestic postal aero operators offer quite attractive prices. However, be prepared for extreme take-offs and landings. After all, almost all airports have fairly narrow and short runways, which almost end in the sea.