Trinidad travel guide

Air

Charter flights can be difficult to book without an accommodation package.

From North America Air Canada and Caribbean Airlines from Toronto; American Airlines from Miami, New York and San Juan; Caribbean Airlines from Miami and New York, all to Port of Spain.

From Europe Caribbean Airlines direct from London to Port of Spain; or go with American via Miami, or else British Airways, Excel or Virgin Atlantic from London Gatwick to Tobago and get a connection from there to Port of Spain. Several charters from London Gatwick to Tobago. Martinair from Amsterdam to Tobago, weekly.

From South and Central America To Port of Spain, Aeropostal from Caracas, Conviasa (T6274118) and Avior (T6238201) from Margarita, with connections to Barcelona and Bogotá; Caribbean Airlines and LIAT/Caribbean Star from Georgetown, Guyana; Surinam Airways and Caribbean Airlines from Paramaribo.

From the Caribbean Caribbean Airways, LIAT/Caribbean Star connect Trinidad and Tobago with other Caribbean islands including Antigua, Barbados, Curaçao, Grenada, Jamaica (Kingston), St Lucia, St Maarten, St Vincent, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Boat

Drug dealers and pirates operate in these waters so behave with extreme caution. Small boats are likely to be intercepted by Venezuelan or Trinidad coastguards, or both.

Pier One, Chaguaramas, T6344472 (Acosta Asociados, Güiria, T294-9821556), runs a ferry to Venezuela on Wed, check in 0700 for 0900, buy ticket in advance with passport, 3½ hrs, leaves Güiria about 1730, US$138 return, departure tax US$12, plus US$23 from Venezuela.

Bus

Express Commuter Service (ECS) every 15-30 mins, 0600-2100 Mon-Sat, every 30 mins 0700-2100 Sun, from City Gate Terminal, Port of Spain, to San Fernando, US$1, or US$0.60 to other destinations: Arima, Chaguanas, Five Rivers. PTSC (T6237872) bus from City Gate to Chaguaramas every 60-90 mins, 0500-2200, US$0.30. Bus to airport from City Gate, 4 times daily, 0630, 0700, 1515, 1700, 45 mins, return 0715, 0745, 1610, 1800.

Car

Car rental firms are numerous and include: Auto Rentals Ltd, Lady Young Rd, Morvant, T6757368, Piarco Airport, T6692277, http://www.autorentalstt.com; Bacchus Taxi and Car Rental; 37 Tragarete Rd, T6225588. Kalloo, Southern Main Rd, Caroni, also airport, and Woodbrook, T6229073, T/F6695673, helpful, check tyres. Singh’s, 7-9 Wrightson Rd, T6230150, and at airport, T6695417, singhsautorentals@singhs.com, Southern Sales and Service Co Ltd, El Socorro Extension Rd, San Juan, T6752424, 24-hr service. Autocenter Car Rentals, 6 Ariapita Av, T6284400, friendly and helpful. Econo Car Rentals, 191-193 Western Main Rd, T6228074, and airport, one of the cheapest, but do not take bookings more than a couple of days in advance. International companies, Avis (T6277753), Budget (T6691635) and Hertz (T8003131) are more expensive. If you prefer a smarter car, contact Executive Limousine Service, 11Tragarete Rd, Port of Spain, T6278247.

Cycle

Excellent bike shop, Geronimo’s Cycle and Sport Ltd, 15 Pole Carew St, Woodbrook, Port of Spain, T6222453, owned and managed by former professional cyclist, Gene Samuel. Bike Inn, St James and 3 branches, T6455575, has new bikes from around US$140.

Taxi

Maxi-taxi These are colour-coded: yellow for Diego Martin and west, red for east, green for San Fernando, brown or black for maxis which start in San Fernando and travel south from there. The green and red ones set off mostly from the City Gate terminal; the yellow band from further west on South Quay; most Carenage and Chaguaramas maxis start from Green corner on St Vincent and Park streets (Globe cinema); Maraval maxis start from Oxford and Charlotte streets. Check route before starting, eg east taxis are either ‘San Juan’ or ‘all the way up’ the Eastern Main Rd to Arima, or ‘highway’, which is faster and closer to the airport but misses places like Tunapuna and Curepe. Fares start at US$0.30 and run to Arima, US$1; to Chaguanas, US$1; to San Fernando, US$1.75.

Route taxi

In Port of Spain most sedan taxis (saloon cars, often rather beat up) set off from close to Independence Sq and use fast food restaurants as markers. They leave to the west from Chacon St on south side of square, for Chaguanas and San Fernando from near KFC, close to Royal Castle for Arima. Those for St Ann’s and St James leave from Woodford Sq or Bell’s Quay, for Carenage from Green Corner (St Vincent and Park Sts), and for Maraval, Belmont and Morvant from Duke and Charlotte Sts (also from here infrequently on to Maracas and the north coast). Fares in town US$0.50, further out US$0.75. If in a hurry you can pay for any empty seats and ask the driver to go. They will also go off-route for a little extra but this depends on how many people are in the car.

Directory

Trinidad

A lot of places, eg University of the West Indies, are listed under ‘T’ for ‘The’ in the phone book.

Banks

Republic Bank Ltd), 9-17 Park St, Port of Spain, T6254411, F6241323, Mon-Thu 0800-1400, 1200-1400, Fri 0800-1300, 1500-1700. Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago (RBTT), 3B Chancery Lane, Port of Spain, T6234291, and Western Main Rd, Chaguaramas, not far from the marinas. Scotia Bank, Park and Richmond Sts, Port of Spain, T6253566. Citibank, Queens Park East, Port of Spain, T6251040. Citicorp Merchant Bank, same address, T6233344. Western Union Money Transfer, Uptown Mall, Edward St, Port of Spain, T6236000, and 45 other locations in Trinidad and Tobago. Bank branches in all major centres. Many suburban or shopping mall branches open 1000-1800. Republic Bank branch and ATM at Crew’s Inn Marina. Peake’s Yacht Yard has a branch with a 24-hr cash machine and a teller from 0900-1400.

Embassies and consulates

Australia, High Commission, 18 Herbert St, St Clair, T6280695. Canada, High Commission, 3-3A Sweet Briar Rd, St Clair, T6226232. France Embassy, 6th floor, Tatil Bldg, 11 Maraval Rd, T6227446, F6282632. Germany, 7-9 Marli St, PO Box 828 (T6281630/2, F6285278). Jamaica High Commission, 2 Newbold St, St Clair, T6224995/7, F6289180. Netherlands, Life of Barbados Building, 69 Edward St, T6251210/1722, F6251704. Suriname, 5th floor, Tatil Bldg, Maraval Rd, T6280704. UK High Commission, 19 St Clair Av, St Clair, T6222748, F6224555. USA, 15 Queen’s Park West, T6226371/6, F6285462, 0730-1600. Venezuela, 16 Victoria Av, T6279823/4, 0900-1700, Consulate at same address, T6279773/4, visa section only open mornings.

Internet

About 20 cafés listed in yellow pages, open and close frequently. Many in Newtown, such as L&C Internet Café, 26 Maraval Rd, T6226467. At Chaguaramas Mariner’s Office (Crew’s Inn Marina).

Medical services

There are hospitals in Port of Spain and San Fernando, as well as several district hospitals and community health centres. Port of Spain General Hospital, 169 Charlotte St, T6232951. Mount Hope, T6454673, has better facilities. St Clair Medical Centre, T6281451, is private, more comfortable, expensive, but not necessarily better equipped. West Shore Medical, 239 Western Main Rd, Cocorite, T6229878, is new, well-equipped and expensive.

Telephone

The main Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd (TSTT) offices on Chacon St and Independence Sq operate international telephone and fax. Charges for international calls are high. Independent operators offer net-based calls to public, several around Independence Sq but others elsewhere, charging US$0.16 per min. Companion phone cards are available for US$1.60, 4.80, 9.60, or 16 plus 15% VAT, from TSTT offices, banks, airport, etc. Can be used from any touch tone phone. Home Direct Service for AT&T, Sprint and MCI, also Canada Direct and UK Direct available from TSTT, cruise ship complex in Port of Spain, TTYC, TTYA and Peake’s Yacht Yard, also at Penitence St, San Fernando. To activate an overseas cellphone, visit a dealer (check yellow pages under ‘cellular’), or the TSTT office on Chacon St, Independence Sq, Port of Spain (Mon-Fri 0900-1700), West Mall or Trincity Mall (Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 1000-1700), DSM Plaza, Chaguanas (Mon-Fri

0800-1600), St James St, San Fernando (Mon-Fri 0800-1600), Wilson Rd, Tobago (Mon-Fri 0800-1600), with passport. Allow at least 1 hr for service. The charge is US$18.40 to activate for use with prepaid cards (which then cost US$3.20-16 plus VAT). There is a ‘roaming’ agreement with some US and other overseas cellphone systems, but per minute costs are very high. For a ‘postpaid’ service you will need a credit card. Alternatively, you can visit any Digicel dealer, T6287000 (Digichat, Excellent City Centre Mall, 60 Independence Sq, T6254111; Mobile Haven, 26 Cipero St, San Fernando, T6539991; Uptown Drugs Ltd, LP1 Main Street, Scarborough T6350368, and many other locations throughout both islands) to activate an overseas cellphone: US$16 plus prepaid cards (US$3.20-80 plus VAT). For a postpaid phone you need proof of a local address (such as a utility bill).