Top Tips for Travelling to St Barts

St Barts is one of the most stunning Caribbean Islands. Located in the northern Caribbean next to its neighbouring islands of Anguilla and St Martin lies this chic French island full of glamour and sophistication. St Barts is well known for its stunning beaches, gourmet restaurants and upmarket villas and hotels. I am lucky to travel frequently to St Bart, and I am delighted to present some of my top tips for travelling to St Barts.

Arrive by Plane

We recommend arriving into St Barts by air, especially if it’s your first time to visit the island. The landing is one of the most exciting parts of the journey, and you will have the best adrenaline rush. You will land onto the second shortest runway in the world and see some of the most stunning scenery on the way. If you are travelling from San Juan in Puerto Rico, you get to see all the British Virgin Islands, St Martin and Anguilla. The journey takes just under an hour. If you are coming from St Martin, the journey takes 10 minutes.

Rent A Car

Every visitor to St Barts should rent a car while on the island, there is so much to see and explore and getting around is super easy. There are only a few roads on the island, and it takes just 20 minutes to drive from one point to the other. St Barts is just 8 square miles, in size and is easy to navigate. No matter where you stay, you can reach lots of beaches, bars and restaurants within a short drive.

Don’t Stay on the Beach

Yes, that’s right! We recommend staying in a property that is not on the beach in St Barts. Besides the fact that they are difficult to find you can get a much better experience by staying in a luxury villa on the hillside that offers the most amazing views and you can easily explore lots of beach by staying on the hillside. Click Here for some wonderful options.

Stay in a villa rather than a hotel

Although St Barts offers some of the best hotels in the Caribbean such as the Eden Rock Hotel and Cheval Blanc, I would highly recommend staying in a luxury villa instead. The island is full of the most breathtakingly beautiful homes, and many of the villas that are offered by luxury villa rental company Exceptional Villas offer VIP access to the Eden Rock Hotel, so you get all of the privacy of your own home plus you get 5-star service and amenities.

Bring your camera

St Barts is by far one of the most scenically beautiful Caribbean destinations; you will want to pack a camera to ensure you capture every moment of this vacation.

Don’t forget your walking shoes

Although St Barts is known for its glitz and glamour, it also has a rugged beauty which can often be overlooked. You can enjoy some excellent hiking trails in St Barts, most notably the trail to Colombier which leads you to the most stunning beach – ideal for a picnic.

Pack your souvenirs in your luggage, not your carry-on

Many guests like to take sand and shells from St Barts to bring home with them, but if you are flying via Princes Juliana Airport in St Martin then it can be confiscated on arrival, so we recommend you bring it in your carry-on bag.

Practical Tips

Some other more practical tips to follow would be:

• Don’t forget your passport, since the island is French you will need to provide your passport on entry whether it is by boat or by plane.
• Bring your adapter when travelling as it is European plugs, voltage is 220v
• Language: French is the official language spoken, but most people speak English as a second language.
• Euro and US dollars are both accepted everywhere; however, we recommend you take Euro as the primary currency. All prices in Shops and Restaurants are quoted in Euro, and even though everywhere accepts US dollars, the exchange rate is not as good as at the bank.

Book with a reputable company

Exceptional Villas is a luxury villa rental company featuring only the best hand-picked and personally inspected properties in the world. The company has clients from all over the world. Exceptional Villas have been in the travel business for over 25 years and offer a bespoke service to their clients. This service includes matching the perfect villa to each of their clients and providing complimentary concierge service. This service includes organising all aspects of the client’s vacations such as VIP airport arrival, ground transportation, restaurant reservations, tours and excursions, water sports and pre-arrival stocking. Unlike some of their competitors, they do not provide a membership fee. Likewise, their villa experts are indeed experts. They visit every single villa and have a wealth of information regarding each villa, as well as each destination. Exceptional Villas take total pride in the customised service they offer. The company operates two other brands; Villas Barbados and Dream Ireland, which are designated rental brands for Barbados and Ireland.

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