How to get around Barbados, Reggae Bus, Public Transportation Barbados | Taxi or Rent a Car
Channel: Bajan Lifestyles
Date: 2020-08-30

How to get around Barbados, Reggae Bus, Public Transportation Barbados | Taxi or Rent a Car. 
Looking to get around Barbados?
For the type of transportation to suit your vacation needs, Barbados offers many different methods to get around Barbados.

It’s a small island – just 21 miles (34 kilometres) long by 14 miles (23 kilometres) wide, and the terrain is relatively flat, so nowhere takes too long to get to and there’s a wide choice of transport options, to suit both your lifestyle and budget.

Car Rentals
The world is your oyster when it comes to renting a car and choosing the type of vehicle. From luxury vehicles with air conditioning to four-wheel drive jeeps, to the smaller, open-top mini mokes, you’ll surely find one that will help you get around Barbados during your vacation experience.

Just remember to bring your drivers license from home, as the car rental company requires this to get you insured and issue you with a local driving permit.

Hint: In Barbados, people drive on the left-hand side of the road. Make sure you are comfortable with this, before booking a car rental.

If having the freedom to drive yourself around the island sounds appealing, why not check out the local car rental companies for more information.

Taxi
There are many taxis on the island to chose from when you wish to get around Barbados.  Taxi drivers are more than happy to drop you from point A to B, or even take you on a full island tour, once you’ve settled yourself and are in full vacation mode.

Tip: Taxis in Barbados are not metered so make sure you agree on a fixed fee with the driver in advance, before setting off to your destination.

Licensed taxis have number plates starting with ‘Z, ‘ and the larger minibus taxis have ‘ZM’ number plates.

Note: If you get into a ZM taxi you will be charged a taxi fare, not the BBD 2 you would pay on a ZR.

Get more information about Barbados taxi rentals.

Limousines
It’s not too complicated to find a reputable limousine company to get around the island. If you want a luxurious start to your holiday, a limo might just be the way to go!

Get contact details from our recommended Barbados Limousines.

Bus
These government-owned buses frequently run on a schedule and can be caught from any bus stop, as well as from the bus terminals. They have painted the national colors of blue with a horizontal yellow stripe.

The island’s bus stops are marked ‘To City’ (towards Bridgetown) and ‘Out of City,’ so that you can gauge which direction you are heading in.

The standard bus fare since April 16th, 2019, is $3.50 BBD and it applies to any single/one-way trip on these buses, as well as on the privately-owned ZR vans and minibuses detailed below.

Tip: The bus drivers do not carry money, so you must pay your fare with the correct change.

Need to know more? See our Government owned Barbados Transport Board page for all the details.

There are two other types of buses to choose from in Barbados:

Mini-Vans
These privately-owned mini-vans are smaller than the big blue Transport Board buses, and other coaches are privately-owned. Mini-vans are painted bright yellow with a blue stripe. These are identified by a “B” at the beginning of their license plates.

You can also catch these buses from any of the buses stops all over the island, as well as the island bus terminals.

Fares on all of the buses are fixed at $3.50 BBD per trip, regardless of how far you go.

ZR Vans (pronounced Zed-R’s)
These are white privately-owned minibuses or vans that work specific routes and do not operate according to a schedule.

You’ll recognize them from the letters ‘ZR’ on their license plates.

You may find these are more frequent and get you into the local way of life – there’s generally music playing and you may even see yourself squeezed in tight between two total strangers.

This mode of transport is said to be a genuinely Bajan experience!

Sound like your kind of thing? For more information about this infamous form of island transport, see our ZR Vans page.

Airport Transport
When you arrive in Barbados, there are several transportation options to get you to your next destination.

Again, depending on your budget and taste, you can choose from transport such as a hire car, local bus, taxi, tour coach, and even a Rolls Royce Bentley!

Note: Some accommodations offer complimentary airport transfers, so you may wish to check this out before committing yourself to any of the options above.

Cruise Terminal Transport
Cruise passengers arriving in Barbados also have some transportation options when it comes to leaving the cruise terminal.

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