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By
Plane
Neither
of the two airports on Dominica
is large enough to handle a jet, so there are
no direct flights from the U.S. or Canada. The
Melville Hall Airport (tel. 767/445-7100) is
on the northeastern coast, a 1 1/2-hour taxi
ride from Roseau on the southwestern coast.
The drive takes you across the island through
the forest and coastal villages.
The
more modern Canefield Airport (tel. 767/449-1199)
is about a 15-minute taxi ride north of Roseau.
The 600m (1,968-ft.) airstrip accommodates smaller
planes than those that can land at Melville
Hall. There's also a public bus (with an H that
precedes the number on the license plate); buses
come every 20 minutes and hold between 15 and
18 passengers.
For
many from the U.S., the easiest way to reach
Dominica
is via the daily American Eagle (tel. 800/433-7300;
www.aa.com) flight from American's hub in San
Juan, Puerto Rico.
From
Antigua,
you can board one of the three daily LIAT (tel.
868/624-4727 in the U.S. and Canada, or 888/844-5428
in Dominica; www.liatairline.com) flights to
Dominica. Another possibility would be to fly
via Barbados.
From there, LIAT offers one nonstop flight daily.
If
you're already in the Caribbean, you can fly
to Dominica from several other islands aboard
Caribbean Star (tel. 866/864-6272 in the United
States, 800/744-7827 in the Caribbean, or 268/480-2561
in Antigua;
www.flycaribbeanstar.com). The little airline
offers two daily nonstop flights from St.
Lucia, three flights daily from Antigua,
and two flights daily from Barbados.
There is one flight daily but with a stopover
from the islands of St.
Kitts,
St. Maarten, St.
Vincent, Tortola (B.V.I.), and Trinidad.
By
Boat
The
L'Express (tel. 767/448-2181 on Dominica),
sailing from the French West Indies, runs
between Guadeloupe
in the north to Martinique
in the south; Dominica is a port of call
along the way. Departures are 6 days a
week; call for exact schedules.
In
addition, car-ferries sail from Pointe-à-Pitre
to Roseau five to seven times a week,
depending on demand. For schedule information,
contact White Church Travel, 5 Great Marlborough
St., Roseau (tel. 767/448-2181).
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By
Car
By
Rental Car if you rent
a car, there's a fee to obtain a driver's license,
which is available at the airports. The island
has 499km (309 miles) of newly paved roads,
and only in a few areas is a four-wheel-drive
vehicle necessary. Driving is on the left at
Dominica.
There
are a handful of small, usually family-owned
car-rental
companies, the condition and price of whose
vehicles vary widely. They include Valley Rent-a-Car,
Goodwill Road, Roseau (tel. 767/448-3233); Wide
Range, 79 Bath Rd., Roseau (tel. 767/448-2198);
and Best Deal Rent-A-Car, 15 Hanover St., Roseau
(tel. 767/449-9204).
By
Taxi
You
can hire a taxi at either the Melville Hall
or Canefield Airport. Prices are regulated by
the government (see "Getting There,"
above, for airport fares). If you want to see
the island by taxi, rates are usually valid
for between one and four passengers. After 6pm,
taxis may be hard to find, so call ahead.
By
Minibus
The
public transportation system consists of private
minibus service between Roseau and the rest
of Dominica. These flamboyantly painted minibuses
are filled mainly with schoolchildren, workers,
and country people who need to come into Roseau.
On most Caribbean islands we don't recommend
buses, but on Dominica they afford terrific
insights into local life. Taxis may be a more
reliable means of transport for visitors, but
there are hotels at which buses call during
the course of the day. You can also just hail
a bus when you see it, and tell the driver where
you want to go. Buses are identified by the
letter H that precedes their license numbers.
Links
& Sources:
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