In order to ease your vacation to Antigua, we offer the following travel tips for your convenience.
Appropriate Attire:
The attire on the island is considered informal, but conservative. Beach attire is appropriate for the beach but not town, shops, or restaurants. Some restaurants stipulate jacket and tie for men and dresses for women in the evening.
Banks:
Banking hours are from 8am to 2pm Monday through Thursday and 8am to 4pm Friday. Some open Saturday from 8am to Noon.
Currency:
Official currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar which is fixed to the US dollar. Recent exchange rate was US$1.00 = EC$2.65. US currency, traveller’s checks, and major credit cards are welcome everywhere.
Electricity:
Part of the island is 110 volts, the remainder is 220 volts. Blue Waters has both voltages available in most rooms.
Entry Requirements:
All travellers, including U.S. citizens, to and from the Caribbean, Central, and South America, and Bermuda are required to have a passport to enter or re-enter the United States. For information visit the U.S. State Department's website: www.travel.state.gov for more information.
Taxes:
Antigua & Barbuda has a US$20.00 (EC$50) airport departure tax (children free), a room sales tax of 10.5% and service charge of 10%.
Telephones:
Roaming is available on most networks in Antigua through Digicell and 'Lime' networks. International direct dialing is available in all rooms.
Time Zone:
Atlantic Standard Time is four hours behind GMT and one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time.
Tipping/Gratuities:
10-15% depending on the service. Some restaurants will automatically add a 10% gratuity. If in doubt, just ask. Give porters and bellhops 50 cents per bag, taxi drivers 10-15% of the fare.
Shopping Hours:
Monday thru Saturday 8:00am to noon and 1:00pm-5:00pm.
Weather:
Antigua and Barbuda enjoy normal daily temperatures of between 77º-86º F / 25º-30º C year round with cooling gentle trade winds.