Turks and Caicos Travel Tips

Social Conventions
Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. Hospitality is important and, when visiting someone’s home, normal social courtesies should be observed - if possible, a return invitation should be made. A souvenir from home is well received. Informal dress is accepted for most events, but beachwear should be confined to the beach.

International Travel:

Getting There by Air
The main airline is Air Turks & Caicos (QW) (website: www.airturksandcaicos.com).

Departure Tax
US$23. Children under two are exempt.

Main Airports
Grand Turk (GDT) is 3.2km (2 miles) south of Cockburn Town. To/from the airport: There is a taxi service from Grand Turk to hotels (journey time - around 5 minutes). Facilities: Left luggage, first aid, bars and restaurants.

There are international airstrips on Providenciales (PLS) and South Caicos (XSC).

Getting There by Water
Main ports: Cockburn Harbour (South Caicos), Grand Turk, Providenciales and Salt Cay.

The archipelago is generally off the beaten track for most major cruise lines.

Boats can be chartered to sail to islands in the Bahamas or Haiti.

Overview
The following items may be imported into the Turks & Caicos Islands without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 125g tobacco.
• 1l of spirits or 2l of wine or perfume for personal use.

Restricted items
Spearguns and Hawaiian slings. Firearms require a police permit.

Prohibited Imports
Drugs and pornography.

Internal Travel:

Getting Around By Air
In addition to the international airports on Grand Turk, Providenciales and South Caicos, there are landing strips on Middle Caicos, North Caicos, Parrot Cay, Pine Cay and Salt Cay. Turks & Caicos Airways runs a regular air-taxi service to all the inhabited islands, as well as flights to Cap Haïtien, Nassau and Puerto Plata. Charter flights are also available.

Getting Around by Water
Limited coast-hopping and inter-island services. Boats may be chartered at most of the inhabited islands.

Getting Around by Road
There are over 120km (75 miles) of roads on the islands, of which about one-fifth are sealed. Traffic drives on the left. If possible, driving at night in Providenciales should be avoided.

Taxi: Available at most airports, but the supply may be limited and sharing is often necessary. Negotiate on the fare beforehand.

Car hire: Available from some local firms on Grand Turk, Providenciales, and North and South Caicos.

Regulations: Seat belts must be worn at all times. Speed limits are 32kph (20mph) in town and 64kph (40mph) elsewhere.

Documentation: Local license available for a fee if holding a national driving license or an International Driving Permit. A tax is levied on all rentals.

Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Grand Turk to other major cities/towns on the islands:

	Air
Salt Cay	0.05
Middle Caicos	0.20
North Caicos	0.25
Providenciales	0.30

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