By bus
Buses are small minivans that operate on the larger islands. On St Vincent, buses run from the bus terminal in Kingstown, next to the Little Tokyo Fishmarket, from 6am to 8pm, although service is much less frequent on Sundays than during the rest of the week. The terminal is organized into three lanes marked Leeward, Windward or Kingstown . Ask any driver if you're not sure which one you want.

Although buses pack in as many people as possible, play loud music and drive very fast around the steep mountain roads, they are very safe, fun and heavily used by locals. Though there are frequent bus stops , buses can be flagged down anywhere along the route - you'll always know when one is around by their incessant use of the horn. Let the conductor know when you want to get off and pay as you leave. Fares from Kingstown work out to around EC$1 to the airport, EC$1.50 to Villa Beach, EC$3 to Argyle and EC$2 to Buccament. Similar bus services run on Bequia and Union Island.

By car
To rent a car you'll need a local driving permit, available for EC$50 in Kingstown, either from the police station on Bay Street or from the Licensing Authority on Halifax Street (Mon-Fri 9am-3pm).

Avis (tel 784/457-2847) is the only international car rental company on the islands and has offices at E.T. Joshua Airport and on Paul's Avenue in Kingstown, but there are plenty of local agencies, including Slim's and Baba's (tel 784/457-0458); Ben's Auto Rentals (tel 784/457-2321), which rents jeeps; and Terry's Rental and Taxi Service (tel 784/457-9430). Remember that driving is on the left-hand side.

Prices range from US$50 to US$65 per day and there is little difference between local and international firms

By scooter and bike
Scooters can be rented from Speedway Bike and Scooter Rental (tel 784/456-4894) for US$30 per day or US$180 per week. Sailor Cycles on Middle Street in Kingstown (tel 784/457-1274) rents bikes for around EC$20 per day.
 

By taxi
Taxis are plentiful on St Vincent and tout aggressively for business around the jetty and waterfront area of Kingstown. Fares are regulated but there are no meters, so be sure to agree on a price before you get into the car. The central taxi rank is next to the Heron Hotel on Upper Bay Street and main taxi companies include Belford Taxis (tel 784/457-9190) or Terry's Rental and Taxi Service (tel 784/457-9430). Fares from Kingstown to the airport run about EC$20 and from the airport to Villa Beach EC$15.

By boat
The ferry is a wonderful way to see the islands - especially if you don't want to stay at them all - and makes for the cheapest "cruise" by far. The MV Barracuda plies the glorious waters of the Caribean between St Vincent, Bequia, Canouan, Mayreau and Union Island. (Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for flying fish, whales and dolphins.) From St Vincent expect to pay EC$15 to Bequia, EC$20 to Canouan, EC$25 to Mayreau and EC$30 to Union Island. Ferries also run frequently between Kingstown and Bequia.

To reach some of the smaller, uninhabited islands, yacht charters are the only option.

By plane
Planes are a fast, convenient and relatively inexpensive option for travelling between islands. Sample one-way fares from St Vincent are US$25 to Mustique, US$30 to Canouan, and US$33 to Union Island. Caribbean Star, LIAT, SVG Airways, Trans Island Air and Mustique Airways all provide frequent service, and Universal Travel on Upper Bay Street, Kingstown (tel 784/457-2779), is efficient in at organizing inter-island flights.