Basic facts you will need to know about arriving and staying on the island in a point form for easy reference.

Currency: Barbadian Dollar (BBD) but the US Dollar is also widely accepted

Language: English

Time Zone: AST (same time as EST)

Capital: Bridgetown

Electricity: 115 volts

Climate:

1. tropical with little seasonal temp variations.
2. Hurricane season is July to Oct
3. **some hotels and restaurants will close during Sept - Oct

Airport: Grantley Adams International

Airport Cruise Port: Bridgetown Cruise Terminal

Money / Banks:

1. credit cards are widely accepted
2. ATM's found in all the tourist zones, dispenses in BBD

Food:

1. safe to eat
2. when eating at a restaurant a 10% service charge is usually included in the bill

Water: safe to drink

Medical: good and easy to find

Safety:

1. Stick with normal tourist recommendations (ex. avoid flashy jewelry).
2. As always, be aware and respectful of locals and you'll have no issues.
3. Women can travel solo here and feel safe.
4. Theft is uncommon but does happen - secure your purses and wallets.

With a varied landscape made up of sweeping vistas, acres of sugarcanes, and cliffs this island is known for it's Bajan hospitality with lots of welcoming hotels and lots of sunny beaches. Rihanna is not the only reason people know Barbados anymore.

Bridgetown is the most like place where you will dock

1. Opened in 1961, the port includes tourist information and various shops
2. it is only a 15 minute walk to downtown
3. Taxi rates are posted in the terminal building in Barbadian dollars; these prices are fixed
4. Bus service is reliable and easy to take

Car rentals are readily available

1. roads are good but can be narrow and winding with low visibility
2. driving is on the left
3. roundabouts are used a lot, stoplights not so much
4. a temporary license needs to be purchased prior to rental (about U$ 5)