Turks and Caicos Islands Travel Guide

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

Most international flights are operated by American and British airlines to Providenciales, with onward connections available to Grand Turk and other islands. The national airline is Air Turks & Caicos (QW) (www.airturksandcaicos.com).

Departure Tax

US$40. Children under two are exempt.

Main Airports

Providenciales (PLS) is around 10km (6 miles) west of the main tourist center of Grace Bay. To/from the airport: There is a taxi service from Providenciales Airport to hotels (journey time - around 20 minutes). Facilities: Gift and duty-free shops, bar and restaurant.

There is an international airport on Grand Turk (GDT).

Getting There By Water

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

Grand Turk has a purpose-built cruise center, which is regularly visited by cruise lines. Boats can be chartered to sail to islands in the Bahamas or Haiti.

Duty Free

Overview

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

• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 125g tobacco.
• 1.136L of spirits or wine.

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

Prohibited Imports

Controlled drugs and pornography.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

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

Getting Around By Water

Limited coast-hopping and inter-island services are available. 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 an increasing number 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 the fare beforehand.

Car hire: Available from some local firms on Providenciales, Grand Turk, and North, Middle 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
South Caicos	0.10
Middle Caicos	0.20
North Caicos	0.25
Providenciales	0.30