Getting There
The pristine, white-sand Caribbean
beach you?ve been dreaming of can
be as close as a single direct flight, but
the tranquility of a truly remote island
usually comes at a price—a greater
investment in travel time.
Hubs such as San Juan and St. Thomas
are the most accessible, but are therefore
highly touristed. Out-of-the-way
destinations, while far more tranquil,
can require a flight to a hub, a flight to
a smaller island, and then a boat or ferry
ride. To reach Palm Island in the Grenadines,
for example, requires a flight into
Barbados, a second hop to Union Island,
and then a boat ride. Other remote islands
include the Bahamas Out Islands,
St. Lucia, Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin
Islands, Mustique, and Nevis.
While most of the world?s major carriers
provide service to the Caribbean,
American Airlines has a virtual
monopoly on flights into the region.
Major tour operators? air-only charters
can be attractive—their flights may be
the only non-stops to some islands—
but they also have drawbacks. You
sacrifice flexibility (super-early Saturday
or Sunday departures only), and
there is often no backup if a flight is
delayed for mechanical reasons. Local
carriers pick up most of the intra-island
air business.
Fall 2001
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