Useful information about holidays in St Kitts & Nevis
Here’s some general information about holidaying in St Kitts and Nevis which we hope you find useful. If you have any specific questions please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 01373 814214 and ask away. For anything that’s not immediately at our fingertips, we’ll do a bit of research and give you a call back once we’ve found the answer.
Business opening hours
As a general guide you can expect the following:
Banks: Monday to Thursday 8am – 2pm; Friday 8am – 4pm; Saturday 8:30am – 11am.
Shops: Monday to Friday 8am – 4pm; Saturday 8am- 1pm.
Clothing
Light summer clothing may be worn all year. Dress is informal, even at elegant hotels and plantation inns. Nudity is not permitted at any beach. Swim wear or scant clothing should never be worn in towns or villages. Long pants and hiking shoes are recommended for hiking. You should also note that it is an offence for anyone, including children, to dress in camouflage clothing.
Credit cards and currency
Major credit cards are accepted by most hotels, car rental companies, and shops. The Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) is the local currency. It may be possible to order EC$ from your local bank or foreign exchange bureau before leaving the UK, but US dollars (US$) are widely accepted and can be used in many establishments, usually with change being given in EC$, however please note that smaller establishments may only accept EC$.
Should you wish to exchange currency it is advisable to do this at a bank, as the most favourable exchange rates may not be obtained elsewhere. You will normally need to provide your passport when doing this. Most banks have 24-hour ATM machines.
We suggest you take US$ and exchange them for local currency. Travelling with a credit card is also recommended.
Driving
We can arrange car or jeep hire for you when you book your holiday or our agents will be pleased to arrange car or jeep hire for you locally. They will arrange all necessary permits as well as insurance and your vehicle will normally be delivered to and collected from your accommodation. Driving is on the left-hand side, the same as the UK. While most of the main roads are in good condition, the quality can vary in more isolated locations, with steep hills and potholes quite commonplace. Observe the speed limits and take extra care on minor roads especially at night as some roads are unlit. Pedestrians often walk on the roads and indicators are not always used. Remember to take your UK driving licence with you.
Electricity
The standard voltage in St Kitts and Nevis is 230 Volts/frequency 60 Hz. The UK standard voltage is 240 V so any appliannces you take should work without a voltage adpater. Plugs and sockets can vary between accommodations and although many use UK 3-pin style it is also worthwhile taking an international plug adapter to convert to US 2-pin sockets.
How to get to St Kitts and Nevis
We can offer flights to St Kitts as part of a package holiday with British Airways:
British Airways from London Gatwick to St Kitts (Scheduled flight)
Wednesday and Saturday
Via Antigua* (year round)
*This means we can easily combine St Kitts and Nevis with Antigua as a two or three-centre holiday!
Travel onto Nevis can be arranged by public ferry (30 – 50 minute crossing) or private water taxi (10 minutes!)
Medical facilities
All hotels will offer necessary assistance. Pharmacies are very well stocked with all usual medications. The main hospitals are Joseph N. France General Hospital on St. Kitts and Alexandria Hospital on Nevis.
While these healthcare facilities provide a range of medical services, including emergency care, diagnostics, and treatments, it’s important to note that the size of the islands and the population might pose certain limitations in terms of specialised care and equipment availability.
In cases requiring highly specialised treatments, patients may need to be transferred to larger medical centres outside the country.
Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment and repatriation.
You should contact your insurance/medical assistance company promptly if you are referred to a medical facility for treatment. Before choosing to be treated at a private facility, you should check their policies on pre-payment. Private clinics may not accept medical travel insurance as payment for treatment.
Mosquitoes and other pests
While the islands have very few creepy crawlies and the like, mosquitos can be a nuisance. We suggest you take precautions by using repellent creams and sprays both day and night.
Water
The water is of good quality and suitable for drinking. It is collected from direct precipitation, mountain springs and wells and is chemically treated for purification. Locally bottled water is also available.
Safety and security
Virtually all the thousands of visitors to St Kitts & Nevis each year have happy and trouble-free holidays. This is a friendly island and visitors are very much welcomed. However, even in these idyllic surroundings you should not become complacent about safety and security. Isolated incidents, although very rare, can occur here as they can in any part of the world and visitors should exercise common sense wherever they travel. We would advise visitors to use taxis at night whenever possible if you do not have a rental car. Restaurants will always offer help with calling taxis to and from their premises.
We also advise all our clients travelling anywhere in the world to consult the Foreign Office website for detailed up-to-date travel advice. Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for information and feel free to talk to our staff for clarification of any information the web page contains.
Telephones
Most UK mobile phones will work in St Kitts and Nevis however it is advisable to check with your service provider before travelling to confirm roaming facilities and texting options. The bigger hotels will have in-room phones for local calls. The best option for calling long distance however is to switch off data roaming on your mobile phone prior to landing in St Kitts and Nevis and connect to wi-fi services wherever possible. Calls and messages to the UK can then be made using apps such as WhatsApp or Messenger.
Tax and tipping
The standard rate of VAT is 17% which is added to most goods and services including restaurant meals. Most restaurants also add a 10% service charge, but some do not, so check your bill before you settle. Additional gratuities are at your own discretion.
Valuables
Lock up as you would at home. Most hotels have safety deposit boxes and we advise you to use them. It is sensible to only carry a minimum amount of cash with you when you are out and we would suggest that you do not take valuables to the beach or leave possessions on view in your hire car. The police emergency number is 911 in St Kitts & Nevis.