Driving in St. Kitts and Nevis

A hire car is the easiest way to see St. Kitts at your own pace: the main road circles the island, and the Southeast Peninsula road runs down to the beaches at the southern tip. Nevis has one main road too, running around the island. Before you pick up the keys, there are a few things to know.

Drive on the left

Traffic in St. Kitts and Nevis keeps to the left, as in the UK.

You need a local temporary licence

Your home licence alone isn't enough. You also need a temporary St. Kitts and Nevis driver's licence, which is only issued to people who already hold a valid licence from another country.

• Where: the Inland Revenue Department, or an authorised car rental agency. Most rental companies arrange it when you collect the car.
• Cost: EC$62.50 for three months, or EC$125 for a year, per the Inland Revenue Department.
• Bring: your home licence and your passport.

Rental companies set their own minimum ages, and many ask for drivers to be 25 or older. Check when you book.

On the road

• Animals. Goats, sheep, cattle and dogs wander onto the roads on both islands, and green vervet monkeys cross them on St. Kitts. Take bends slowly.
• Speed. Limits are low, and many roads are narrow, with blind corners, speed bumps and people walking along the edge. Drive at the speed the road allows.
• At night. Many roads are unlit. If you're not used to driving on the left, plan to be back before dark on your first days.

If you'd rather not drive

• Minibuses have green plates starting with "H". They run between the villages and Basseterre, and they're the cheapest way around.
• Taxis have yellow plates starting with "T". Fares aren't metered: they're fixed by route, so agree the price before you set off. In Basseterre, the taxi rank is at The Circus.

Photo: Unnamed Road, Saint Kitts and Nevis by Luboš Holič, CC BY-SA 3.0.