Things to know before you go – Barbados

Hello all! If you saw my last post, you know that it was all about the amazing adventure you can have in Barbados. However, visiting somewhere new can always present unique challenges.

There are a few things you should keep in mind so that you can get the most our of your trip:

Driving

We decided to rent a car, which proved to be an… interesting experience. Within the first 5 minutes of leaving the airport, we had hit a curb on the left side of our car, resulting in a flat. I was optimistic. I wanted an adventure and I took this as such!

We didn’t want to go back and have to wait to exchange the car, so we called the company and said we’d go on with the 40 mile spare until they were able to come to our hotel and replace it.

After that we decided to get lost! Well… we didn’t really decide too, it just kind of happened. You would think people who have never read a map in their lives would go all out on a GPS system, but this was not the case. What was the result of our decision? It took us about 2 hours to find out hotel.

So, for all you lovelies out there, these are some tips on driving on Barbados I wish we had known:

• Barbados driver’s stay to the left of the road while the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. Many of you reading in the United States will find this completely unnerving at first and it might come of as difficult. Do not fear! It’s quite easy to learn, but like everything, it takes time.
• Be cautious of the roundabouts. Instead of having traffic lights, many roads have roundabouts. At first we really had little to no knowledge of how these worked or what we were supposed to do. Just be sure to look in the direction of traffic and wait for a clearing. Like us, you’ll probably be in love with roundabouts by the time you leave.
• Learn to read a map. Even with a GPS, having a map is extremely useful.
• Ask for direction. Set aside the pride and pull over to ask for directions. People who live in Barbados are lovely and more than happy to give you directions. However, whether you understand those directions is something entirely different. Many times we’d receive direction in the context of “Turn at where Jo’s tractor used to sit and then a left where Maggie lived a couple years back.”. They meant well.
• The locals don’t honk to be rude, it’s simply their way of communicating while on the road.
• Roads are narrow so try and be aware of your surroundings and be careful of cars coming at you from the opposite direction.
• 103.3 was my favorite radio station :).

Money

Here’s something awesome, $1 USD equals 2 Barbadian dollars. So everywhere you go you can automatically make it half off! It may not be any cheaper than what it originally would be, but I just find it so satisfying to think of it that way. Instant discounts!!!

Food

To eat on vacation is usually expensive anyway, but you have to remember that it can get outrageous somewhere that’s landlocked. Here’s some tips on how to survive with your wallet intact:

• Get a hotel room with a fridge or condo with a kitchen. I see either one of these as a necessity in Barbados. Being able to cook for yourself and make sandwiches to take to the beach is convenient and a lifesaver for those on a budget. It can also help to limit the amount of times you go out to eat on your trip. We made a goal to go out only once a day at the most.
• Buy fresh foods. Things like chips and other junk food products are twice as expensive there than they are back home. Choose instead to spend your money on local produce such as fresh fruit and vegetables. Not only is it cost efficient, it’s also delicious!
• Look up restaurant prices before you go. Going to an expensive restaurant every now in then is a nice treat, but you can’t do it every night. Be sure to look up where your going to make sure it’s not pricier than you thought.
• Burger’s in Barbados don’t taste like ones from the States. You really don’t need this knowledge, I just thought you should know because I was a little disappointed.

These were some tips I wish I had known before making my way to the beautiful island! I hope they helped you out! If you want to read about the fun stuff, check out my last post Adventure in Barbados. There you can get tips on must see places and our favorite restaurants that you have to try!

Thanks for Visiting

I hope this post gave you everything you need to know to make your trip to Barbados a success! Be sure to stick around for more travel tips! 🙂

Let’s Chat

“I’m all alooooonnnnnneeeeee.” I’d love to here what you guys think in the comments below!

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