How easy you'll find it to get around St Lucia depends very much on where you want to go. While the more populated parts of the island are well connected by buses, parts of the east and northwest coasts are only accessible to those with their own transport. If you're laid-back enough to cope with both waiting to be picked up and frequent stops along the route, travelling by bus is probably the most convenient and economical way to get around. Taxis are a more expensive alternative, though the ideal way to get around is, of course, to rent a car . If a car is beyond your budget, renting a motorbike is worth considering, though this isn't exactly the safest way of getting around. To drive a car or ride a motorbike on the island, visitors must purchase a temporary St Lucian licence . Valid for three months, these cost EC$54 (US$21) and are issued by rental companies, the immigration departments at the airports and any island police department on production of a valid licence (or an international permit) from your own country of origin. Remember that in St Lucia drivers stick to the left side of the road. In and around Castries, Soufriθre and Marigot Bay, it's also possible to take advantage of the convenient water-taxi system, mostly used by tourists and especially handy for getting to nearby beaches.
By bus
Identifiable by an "H" on the licence plate, St Lucia's buses are small vans with customized windscreens emblazoned with colourful names such as "Tempt Me" or "Redemption". Though all of the island's buses are privately owned, the inexpensive
fares are set by the government: you'll pay no more than EC$10 to travel between any two points on the island. From Castries, a ride to the north should cost EC$2.50, while a trip to Vieux Fort runs around EC$8.50. Schedules are less predictable, with most drivers waiting until the bus is full before setting off; still, as a general rule, services between major towns run every thirty to sixty minutes from about 6am until 10pm on weekdays, with an extended timetable on Fridays for the Gros Islet Jump-Up and a reduced timetable on Saturdays - practically no buses run on Sundays. Small cement pavilions serve as
bus stops , but if you flag a bus down anywhere along a route, it will probably stop if it isn't jammed full.
By taxi
Taxis are also identifiable by an "H" on the licence plate and are in plentiful supply. You'll see them cruising for fares on the streets of the main towns, and at obvious locations such as airports and tourist spots like Pigeon Island and Reduit Beach. Though all taxis are unmetered,
fares are expensive and also set by the government, and drivers are required to carry a rate sheet in their car. While most drivers stick to the already overblown set rates, it's always best to confirm the fare before getting in. Taxis also offer
guided tours for around US$20 per hour (for as many as four people), or US$140 for a full day, but unlike standard fares, this rate is often negotiable.
By car and motorbike
Car rental rates start at US$45 per day for a compact, manual-shift vehicle without air conditioning, and go as high as US$90 for a luxury model. Jeeps and other 4WD vehicles, which you'll need to explore some parts of the island, range from US$65 to US$100. You'll generally pay less during low season, or if you rent for three or more days. While mileage is unlimited, rates don't include
petrol , which at the time of writing costs around EC$6.75 per imperial gallon. Wayne's Motorcycle Centre, just north of Castries (tel 758/452-2059), is the island's only
motorbike rental outlet.
Tours
Several local companies offer conventional guided tours of St Lucia's east coast and central mountains aboard 4WD trucks. Most are all-day, all-inclusive expeditions averaging a hefty US$90 per person, with stops at waterfalls, high mountain viewing areas and beaches; some involve rainforest hikes of up to three hours. For more information, contact Jungle Tours in Castries (tel 758/450-0434, fax 450-9154, ) or Sunlink Jeep Safaris in Rodney Bay (tel 758/452-8232, ). A more adventurous option is the inland and coastal guided walks offered by the St Lucia National Trust (tel 758/452-5005, ) and the Forest and Lands Department (tel 758/450-2231 or 2078, ). Helicopter tours and airport transfers (tel 758/453-6950, fax 452-1553) are also available, costing around US$100 for a transfer from Vieux Fort to Vigie - not so bad when you consider the cost and time of a regular taxi - and from US$45 per person for a ten-minute jaunt round the north.
