Flights
Direct connections from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and across the Caribbean to Port of Spain in Trinidad; Tobago has its own airport with regional and some seasonal European flights. Nine to ten hours from London. From continental Europe, usually one stop.
Between the islands
A twenty-minute flight, cheap and frequent but heavily booked, or a fast ferry of around three hours from Port of Spain to Scarborough. Both sell out around holidays and Carnival; book early.
Getting around
Trinidad has a good road network and heavy traffic around Port of Spain. Maxi taxis — shared minibuses colour-coded by route — are the everyday transport, along with route taxis. Driving is on the left. In Tobago a hire car is the practical choice; the island is small and the roads are quiet.
When to come
The dry season runs January to May and is the best period, and it includes Carnival. The wet season, June to December, brings afternoon downpours rather than continuous rain, and the landscape is at its greenest. Leatherback turtles nest on the north-east beaches from March to August — one of the great wildlife events of the Caribbean.
Orders of magnitude
| Return flight from Europe | £600 to £1,000, far more around Carnival |
|---|---|
| Mid-range hotel night | $80 to $180 |
| Local restaurant meal | $8 to $25 — and a doubles from a street stall costs almost nothing |
| Flight between the islands | $25 to $50 |
What holds everywhere
- Insurance covering medical costs and repatriation stops being optional as soon as local healthcare is limited. Check it actually covers the destination: many policies exclude areas under adverse travel advice.
- Carry cash. In much of the world cards work in the big cities and nowhere else. Check the ATM situation and your bank's charges before leaving.
- Leave margin on connections. A tight transfer on a thinly served route is expensive: the next flight may be tomorrow, or in three days.
- The real budget runs over two years, not one trip: repeated flights, paperwork, translations, legalisations, any support sent. It is always underestimated.