Private Tour or Taxi?

[Bluestocking]

Hi everyone! First time cruisers planning our honeymoon. We'll be in Barbados in July 2014 and want to visit St. Nicholas Abbey, Gun Hill and the Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill, plus spend some time on foot in the Garrison Area. We're considering booking a private 4 hour tour through Glory Tours for around $120US plus admission fees...has anyone had any luck with this sort of itinerary just hailing a cab at port? Many thanks!

[barbados]

I’m a big promoter of escorted tours, especially for first-time visitors, however……

 

They are structured, as they must be to accommodate the masses which limits your ability to see what you want to see.

 

The taxi drivers know their island and they want you to be pleased. It’s a great advantage over the tours to have a one-on-one encounter with someone that is willing to take you wherever you wish and places that you would generally never get to see.

 

Taxis usually charge the going government rate of US$25/hour for up to four (4) in the cab but……

 

If you walk out to the roundabout on Spring Garden Hwy from the cruise terminal, avoiding the organised drivers inside the compound, you’ll probably get a US$15-20/hour rate. US$100, or less, for a five (5) hour tour. A five (5) hour personalized tour.

 

And you’ll be one-on-one. A great advantage, yes?

 

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage and best wishes for a grand Barbados honeymoon! :)

[Bluestocking]

Hi Barbados, thanks for the suggestion. The tour we're considering booking is a private 4 hour driver through Glory Tours-- we pick where we want to go and they drive us around the island. That being said, would you still recommend just hailing a cab?

[Aplmac]

The cabs will hail you!

 

.

[gluvsgames]

We just came back from a Cruise, its very easy to take a taxi off the boat. Much cheaper then all the excursions and the island caters to tourist so we felt pretty safe. We had a great time on the Summit

[lwing69]

I concur that hiring a private taxi is the way to go but do not miss Harrison Caves! One of the more spectacular sights I have seen outside of Alaska.

Steve

[Casey2]

We just came back from our Caribbean cruise last week. On the advice of this board we used Tyronne Griffith for our private tour of Barbados. He did not disappoint. He took us where ever we wanted to go including Harrison's Caves. He booked the reservations for us and escorted us in to make sure that we got our tickets. He was very knowledgeable and very professional.

[kcdancerkc]

Look around tripadvisor,com for reviews?

[chelsearay]

I’m a big promoter of escorted tours, especially for first-time visitors, however……

 

They are structured, as they must be to accommodate the masses which limits your ability to see what you want to see.

 

The taxi drivers know their island and they want you to be pleased. It’s a great advantage over the tours to have a one-on-one encounter with someone that is willing to take you wherever you wish and places that you would generally never get to see.

 

Taxis usually charge the going government rate of US$25/hour for up to four (4) in the cab but……

 

If you walk out to the roundabout on Spring Garden Hwy from the cruise terminal, avoiding the organised drivers inside the compound, you’ll probably get a US$15-20/hour rate. US$100, or less, for a five (5) hour tour. A five (5) hour personalized tour.

 

And you’ll be one-on-one. A great advantage, yes?

 

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage and best wishes for a grand Barbados honeymoon! :)

 

thank you for this information! if we do walk out past the roundabout...is it quite a walk to get there or not? what would we call it if we wanted a 'custom island tour' would we just say that or 'private 5 hr. tour' or what?

 

also... did you say that the $100 would be for up to four people? if it were just my mom and i that would cover us both?? if so, that is WAAAAAAY better than some of these tour people who advertise on the internet. we have gotten quotes for $120 EACH for that much time!

 

thank you!

[barbados]

Here is a picture that might help. It is a view (thanks, Google Earth!) of the harbor area where you’ll dock.

 

 

The bow of the docked cruise ship is pointing to the big white Cruise Terminal (shopping Mall) where you will enter and you will exit at the back (bottom of picture)

 

You will continue to walk toward the 6-sided white graphic which is the roundabout where Princess Alice Hwy and Harbour View 2 roads meet.

This is where the “more reasonable” taxi drivers hang out. Maybe a 10 minute slow walk.

 

They like to quote fares per person, but published government guidelines state that fares are for up to four (4) in the cab, not per person.

 

Two people should be able to ride for $20-25/hr. Total. 8-10 passenger vans are a different story and generally cost more per hour.

 

Confirm that you are talking $US and not $BD. There are two (2) Barbados dollars to each US dollar.

 

I’d just ask for a 4-5 hour highlight tour. Up the West Coast to Speightstown. Head east and see St. Nicholas Abbey, maybe Morgan Lewis Mill. S-E and stop at Chalky Mount Potteries. Down to Bathsheba and Tent Bay (a couple of good places to have lunch in Bathsheba). Don’t miss St. Johns Parish Church.

Continue SE then SW to The Crane (a must see). Continue SW to Oistins and The Gap and back to Bridgetown. That's a tight five (5) hours with a brief lunch.

 

There are so many things to see it really depends on what you’re interested in. It could take most of a week to see it all. Your driver knows all of the spots and will suggest things that I haven’t. Attractions, like Harrison’s Cave are wonderful to see but it takes time. A 4-5 hour highlight trip will let you see what the island has to offer and perhaps you’ll come back and see what you missed the first time.

 

Have a wonderful holiday! :)

Edited January 24, 2014 by barbados

[sonnenstrahl]

Thank you very much, that is a big help!!! :cool:

[chelsearay]

thank you so so soooooo much!!!

 

another question for you... what do the taxi's look like? are they cars or minivans, etc? what color?

 

do the taxis just hang out around the roundabout, or should we walk up the street more?

 

thanks again!

Edited January 24, 2014 by chelsearay

[chelsearay]

Here is a picture that might help. It is a view (thanks, Google Earth!) of the harbor area where you’ll dock.

 

 

The bow of the docked cruise ship is pointing to the big white Cruise Terminal (shopping Mall) where you will enter and you will exit at the back (bottom of picture)

 

You will continue to walk toward the 6-sided white graphic which is the roundabout where Princess Alice Hwy and Harbour View 2 roads meet.

This is where the “more reasonable” taxi drivers hang out. Maybe a 10 minute slow walk.

 

They like to quote fares per person, but published government guidelines state that fares are for up to four (4) in the cab, not per person.

 

Two people should be able to ride for $20-25/hr. Total. 8-10 passenger vans are a different story and generally cost more per hour.

 

Confirm that you are talking $US and not $BD. There are two (2) Barbados dollars to each US dollar.

 

I’d just ask for a 4-5 hour highlight tour. Up the West Coast to Speightstown. Head east and see St. Nicholas Abbey, maybe Morgan Lewis Mill. S-E and stop at Chalky Mount Potteries. Down to Bathsheba and Tent Bay (a couple of good places to have lunch in Bathsheba). Don’t miss St. Johns Parish Church.

Continue SE then SW to The Crane (a must see). Continue SW to Oistins and The Gap and back to Bridgetown. That's a tight five (5) hours with a brief lunch.

 

There are so many things to see it really depends on what you’re interested in. It could take most of a week to see it all. Your driver knows all of the spots and will suggest things that I haven’t. Attractions, like Harrison’s Cave are wonderful to see but it takes time. A 4-5 hour highlight trip will let you see what the island has to offer and perhaps you’ll come back and see what you missed the first time.

 

Have a wonderful holiday! :)

 

may i ask... what is "the crane"???

 

I also posted another reply... if you could read that one too, that would be great.

 

thanks,

 

Chelsea Clements

[Bluestocking]

Thanks for the help, everyone! We've decided to book a private driver with Glory Tours. However, we're now looking for taxi rates from the Garrison area to the Cruise terminal for the end of our day. Is it difficult to get a cab near the Garrison? Thank you!

[MrsTinks]

Thanks for the help, everyone! We've decided to book a private driver with Glory Tours. However, we're now looking for taxi rates from the Garrison area to the Cruise terminal for the end of our day. Is it difficult to get a cab near the Garrison? Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

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