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Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina |
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Cape Verde, Madeira,
Porto Santo, The Azores,
La Gomera, Caribbean
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Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily,
Aeolian Islands |
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| Atlantic & Caribbean > The Caribbean Islands > Barbados
An Introduction to Barbados...
Our Barbados Holiday Options offer a selection of travel options on this beautiful Caribbean Island for luxury beach holidays and all with flights from London.
Barbados Holidays – Our holidays to Barbados include the hotels – Cobblers Cove, Coral Reef Club and the Sandpiper.
Barbados Flights – Our flights to Barbados are based on flights from London.
Barbados is the island with the longest history of tourism, with daily flights from the UK. It has the best sunshine record, wonderful beaches and some of the most elegant hotels.
The people are known for their friendliness and the island evokes contrasts between colonial charm, steel bands and raucous laughter.
Enjoy an inter-island cricket match at the Barbados Kensington Oval, venue of the 2007 Cricket World Cup Final. Even if cricket is not normally your thing, you will be immersed in the carnival and fun atmosphere.
Time Difference: |
All islands are GMT- 4. |
Local costs: |
A typical set 3 course meal will cost approximately £25 excluding wine, a tea or coffee £1.30, a glass of wine or beer £2 and a bottle of wine £16. Prices are approximate and given for guidance only. |
| Local airport departure taxes: |
There is a departure tax payable on all islands. In Barbados it is included in the price of your air ticket. In the other islands it varies and is payable locally. The current cost will be advised to you when we send you your tickets. |
| Dress Code: |
Gentlemen are required to wear long trousers for dinner. Otherwise casual dress with comfortable clothes according to the climate is suitable. T-shirts, shorts and sandals are not normally appreciated after sundown as the dress code for dinner in most hotels is ‘elegantly casual’. |
| Hotel Ratings: |
Caribbean hotels are not officially graded. Brochure descriptions show a rating provided by Holiday Options where the Caribbean hotels have been judged in comparison with hotels featured by us in Madeira, Sardinia and Sicily, where the standards are normally very high. We hope the description will give you a correct idea of each hotel’s facilities and comfort. |
| Airline Upgrades: |
Please call for details of upgrades to VirginAtlantic Premium Economy and Upper Class cabins and BA Premium cabins. |
Electricity: |
Grenada and St Lucia - 220v with normal UK 3 pin plugs.
Barbados and Antigua – 110v with US plugs. An adaptor is necessary. |
Vaccinations: |
None required.
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Water: |
Bottled water is always available and tap water is also offered in most of the hotels. |
Language: |
English is the national language. |
| Children: |
Some hotels have restrictions concerning children and these are shown on the appropriate hotel page. Generally children under 8 years are not accepted in the main dining areas after 6pm. |
Visas: |
None required for UK and other EU passport holders.
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Flight time: |
Antigua, Barbados and St. Lucia is normally 8½ hours. Grenada is 10 hours. |
Money: |
Major credit cards are accepted and ATM cash machines are widely available. The Barbados dollar and the Eastern Caribbean dollar for Antigua, Grenada and St. Lucia are the official currencies, but the US dollar is widely accepted and recommended.
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| Weatherwatch: |
The islands are generally at their best between December and April, when they should be at their sunniest and fanned by the Trade Winds, which give a pleasantly dry heat. At other times you still enjoy the heat and sunshine, but with more cloud and humidity, Typically for the tropics it is more likely to rain after sunset than during the sunlit hours.
Hurricanes may occur in the Caribbean usually between June and October with most tropical storms usually occurring in September. It is difficult to predict accurately where and when a hurricane can strike as they often veer off course when nearing land. Hurricane occurrences are considered a force majeure. We will rely on FCO advice when making decisions about your holiday. Although it is unlikely that you will be affected we have ensured that all hotels we use have a documented hurricane plan to cope.
Climate charts for Barbados (the most easterly island) and Grenada (the most southerly) are given below. Antigua weather is similar to Barbados and mountainous St. Lucia is similar to Grenada.
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