How to Take an Island Hopping Tour of the Caribbean
The Caribbean refers to the island chain located southeast of North America and comprises an area in length of 2,500 miles and 160 miles wide. Consisting of more than 7,000 islands--most of which are uninhabited islets and the cays of reefs--there are many things to do and places to explore when visiting this unique island chain. Whether you're looking for a lazy beach getaway or an action packed adventure, the Caribbean has a little bit of everything for each individual traveler. With an easy and accessible way to island hop to over 20 islands in the Caribbean island chain, there's virtually nothing holding you back from the perfect beach filled getaway.
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Instructions
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Join a networking group. Island hopping in the Caribbean is a very popular vacation; so popular in fact, that there are many networking options available to help you plan your trip. Join the Yahoo networking group, hop the Caribbean and gather advice from its list of seasoned Caribbean explorers. Explore the threads to get advice or pose a new question for others to answer.
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Plan ahead. The Caribbean is a vast region of islands to enjoy and you will not be able to see them all, so do your research and see what trips are accessible from each island in your allotted vacation time. Read a few articles online and skim through guidebooks in order to see what most interests you and plan your trip accordingly. Island hopping is a great way to tour an island group, but you need to do a lot of planning in order to successfully enjoy it.
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Shop for an airfare deal. Before you can begin your island hopping adventure, you need to first find a flight to the Caribbean. Start planning early. The sooner you start looking for a flight, the more likely you are to find a good deal. Check ticket saver resources like Cheapticket.com or Expedia. Be patient and test a few different plans by creating a few mock trips to see if you can get a deal with creative planning.
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Build an island hopper air pass. Once you've narrowed it down to your favorite islands, visit one of the many air carriers that serve the Caribbean and look into buying an air pass. Air Jamaica, LIAT and BWIA are among the airlines that offer special deals for people looking to island hop while visiting the Caribbean. Twenty-one-day and 30-day package deals allow unlimited travel to any of the islands served by the carrier, as well as deals for visiting three or four specific islands. Air passes range from $300 to $600, as of 2008. Certain restrictions do apply, so check with the airlines for special rules and more information.
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Be aware of additional fees. Like all domestic and international travel, there are certain taxes and fees that come with any flight package. Most air passes do not take into account these taxes and fees and so you may end up paying more when it comes to your actual travel. Look into the complex set of airport taxes on your chosen route or ask your travel agent for advice.
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Create a custom package. Several websites, airlines and special resort packages offer all-inclusive package deals, which include airfare, hotel, island hopping discounts, transfers, tips and even food and drink for one set price. Look into package deals and then price a package you create on your own to see which option is cheaper.
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Check baggage restrictions on flights. Island hopping, in general, is made aboard very small planes and the luggage restrictions for these planes are strict. Check into luggage restrictions before you leave for your trip and don't make a fuss. Luggage restrictions are for your own safety and are implemented because of weight limits on small aircraft. They are not to be fooled around with.
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Don't be late for check-in. Check-in requirements aren't flexible with small carriers and on leisurely islands, like in the Caribbean, flights have been known to leave early. Check the requirements for your airline and follow them. Call the night before to reconfirm your seats, arrive at the airport before the requested check-in time and have all the required paperwork ready for your flight.
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Look into a cruise. There are several options, fitting every budget, when it comes to island hopping by cruise ship in the Caribbean. No-frills cruise lines offer an affordable way to get from point a to point b, while luxury cruise ships can offer a more celebrity type of vacation. Cruise ship packages can take you to six islands and usually include the most popular destinations like Barbados, St. Vincent, Martinique, the Grenadines, Grenada and St. Lucia. The Caribbean is rather spread out, so island hopping by cruise ship isn't the most popular way to travel, but it is doable if you plan accordingly.
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Tips & Warnings
If you're planning on doing guided tours, check to see if you need advance reservations for day trips.
Vieques and Culebra are both very popular weekend destinations for Puerto Ricans, so the ferries are very crowded on weekends.
When traveling to the smaller islands try to plan those trips for the weekdays when they are less busy.
Resources
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