Barbados, Caribbean » travel guide

General information | Barbados

Official language
English

Capital
Bridgetown

Head of state
Queen Elisabeth ??, represented by the general governor Sir Clifford Husbands.

Form of government
Parliamentary Monarchy (in the Commonwealth)

Size
430 km²

Population
277.264

Density of population
645 inhabitants per km²

Religion
Mainly Christians, most of them Anglicans

Entry requirements
Please check the visa requirements for your destination at the appropriate consulate or embassy in your county and do this as well in advance of your travel date.

Location
Barbados is the most eastern of the Caribbean islands. Its longitude is about 34 kilometres its latitude is not more than 30 kilometres. Barbados is part of the Commonwealth.

Language
English. Partly exists a strong Bajan accent.

Time difference
CET -5 hours.

Electricity
110-volt alternating current. An American adapter plug is necessary.

Telephone
The dialling code for Barbados is 001246.
Calling somebody by the use of telephone cards is possible in many places. The prices in the hotels are often very expensive and moreover, a minimum amount of time has to be paid irrespective of the actual time you spend on the phone.
Mobile network: only American system.

Internet
There are several internet cafés nearby or even in the hotels.

Climate/clothing
The climate is tropical. Easily washable light cotton clothing is recommended. For the cooler evenings during winter a light pullover is advisable. You also should take something with you to protect you from the brief but heavy showers.
In the restaurants of the upper class men should wear tie and jacket in the evenings. Beachwear should be confined to the beach.

Health regulations
If you travel from Europe there won't be any immunization required. Nevertheless it is recommended, especially for individualistic travellers, to get a vaccination against hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid.
Consult your family doctor before departure.

Transfer
The transfer from the airport to the hotels takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Rental car and transport
You can either rent a car for about 50 Euros a day or take the regularly running busses.

Currency/mode of payment
Local currency is the Barbadian Dollar (BDS$)
1 Barbadian Dollar = 100 Cents
Current rate of exchange
1 US-$ = ca. 1.98 BDS$
1 Euro = ca. 2.60 BDS$