Nassau: Getting there & around

Nassau is served by direct flights from numerous US cities, Canada, the UK, Jamaica, Cuba, and the Turks and Caicos. The vast majority of visitors to the Bahamas arrive at Nassau International Airport. Nassau serves as the hub for air service to all the other islands. Service to neighbouring islands is offered by Bahamasair and local charter airlines.

There are no buses to or from the airport. The taxi-drivers' union has things sewn up. Only a handful of leading hotels provide shuttle services. If you're prebooked into one of the major hotels, you'll be steered to minibuses operated by the bigger tour operators. Taxis are available immediately outside the arrivals lounge. There's an official dispatcher and no hustlers. Rates are fixed by the government.

More than a dozen cruise lines offer cruises from Florida to Nassau or include Nassau on their Caribbean itineraries. All berth at Prince George Wharf. Mail boats regularly depart Potter's Cay for Grand Bahama and all the Family Islands.

Nassau is well served by minibuses (called 'jitneys') operated by private companies (about 40 companies in all). Jitneys run throughout the day with no fixed schedules. Bus stops are well marked, but you can also wave the jitneys down or request a stop anywhere along their routes. To request a stop when you're onboard, simply shout, 'Bus stop!' You pay the driver upon exiting the bus.

Driving a car in Nassau is probably more trouble than it's worth. Most downtown streets are one-way and they are often congested. Parking downtown is at a premium.

Scooters are widely available and can be hired from most major hotels. You'll also find scooters for rent opposite the resorts on the south side of W Bay St in Cable Beach.

Cabs wait outside all major hotels. You may sometimes be able to flag down a taxi passing on the road. Usually taxis are radio-dispatched. Taxis are metered; most drivers use them. Fares are pre-determined by the government.

Ask if your hotel rents bicycles. Some places that rent scooters also rent bicycles. The bicycles are single-gear models, on which the pedal also functions as the brake.

Nassau's quaint horse-drawn surreys are a great way to explore downtown at an easy pace. They begin and end at Woodes Rogers Walk at Prince George Wharf. Rates are negotiable, and you can, also at negotiable rates, hire a surrey for longer touring.