Getting to Nelsons Dockyard???

We are going to be in Antigua later this month on a very port intensive cuise and were looking to go to Nelsons Dockyard for a few hours without booking an excursion. We will be "beached out" by then, but don't want to spend whole day on ship. Can you just grab a taxi at the ship, and about how much is it?? My biggest concern would be is there any problem getting a taxi back to the ship....any suggestions please!

We are going to be in Antigua later this month on a very port intensive cuise and were looking to go to Nelsons Dockyard for a few hours without booking an excursion. We will be "beached out" by then, but don't want to spend whole day on ship. Can you just grab a taxi at the ship, and about how much is it?? My biggest concern would be is there any problem getting a taxi back to the ship....any suggestions please!

We were "beached out and sunburned" on one of our visits to Antigua and went looking for last minute tour ideas. We went to the tour booth as you walk off the dock. We ended up signing up for a 3 hour tour of Antigua which included a visit to Nelson's Dockyard and some other scenic locations. We paid $25 each and there were 4 of us in the van with our guide/driver.

It turned out to be a perfect day for us because it gave us plenty of time to shop and sightee in St. Johns. The only minor downside is that we only had 45 minutes at Nelson's Dockyard; plenty of time to walk around but not enough if you wanted to stay for lunch or spend extra time. However, it was a much better bargain than just taking a cab there on our own and we got to see more of the island as well.

The tour booth is very reliable and can offer suggestions on how to best meet your needs.

There will be an ABUNDANCE of taxis waiting to take you to Nelson's Dockyard the minute you get off the ship, don't worry! There will also be loads waiting around at Nelson's Dockyard - it's a very 'developed' place these days (maybe too developed!) and you won't have any problems at all. There was a whole rank waiting there when I went recently.

The other thing is that your driver might want to wait for you and take you back again when you're done anyway. They often prefer that (and it's not like a cab elsewhere where you'd be paying for all that time in between).

What is the average price of a taxi ride to Nelson's from terminal? Also, do they have van taxis? We are a group of 6.

It's great fun to take the bus and very easy too. Happy to give you more details if you're interested. The bus starts in St Johns and ends at ND so you can't go wrong.

What is the average price of a taxi ride to Nelson's from terminal? Also' date=' do they have van taxis? We are a group of 6.[/quote']

 

Your best bet is to ask at the tour booth when you get off the ship. I'm not sure the exact price, but they do have van taxis available and the prices are much more reasonable if you go that way than by hiring an independent taxi on your own.

I second TartanExile's suggestion. Take the local bus. It starts at St John's and ends at Nelson's Dockyard, and you can't go wrong. Here are the instructions we followed from another CC traveler, and they were bang-on.

To Bus stop:

"From the dock, you walk straight -- Keep going straight to Market Street and turn right. Then it's a short walk and you'll come to a fork in the road where you bear right (there's an enormous sculpture at that fork, you can't miss it). There is also the big public marketplace. Once past the fork you'll come to the bus station on the right. Some posters have described this walk as going through "seedy" areas. If you have ever lived in any metropolitan area or ventured out at all, this area is not seedy; it's just 'real life.' Only danger is the uneven sidewalks. I would not recommend for anyone not physically fairly fit/active due to the uneveness of the roads and the fact that it is a good 10+ minute walk."

We were not sure what bus to take, but the local people were very helpful. The cost was only a couple of dollars each. The bus runs frequently, and it stops whenever anyone on board along the way calls out, "Bus Stop!" The island is small and the distance to Nelson's Dockyard is not far, so the bus trip is not long. You can get the same bus back if you ask the people hanging around the gate at Nelson's to tell you when it arrives (there is a lot of bus traffic there).

An enjoyable trip, very safe, and an interesting glimpse of local life. Do not be afraid.

I second TartanExile's suggestion. Take the local bus. It starts at St John's and ends at Nelson's Dockyard, and you can't go wrong. Here are the instructions we followed from another CC traveler, and they were bang-on.

To Bus stop:

"From the dock, you walk straight -- Keep going straight to Market Street and turn right. Then it's a short walk and you'll come to a fork in the road where you bear right (there's an enormous sculpture at that fork, you can't miss it). There is also the big public marketplace. Once past the fork you'll come to the bus station on the right. Some posters have described this walk as going through "seedy" areas. If you have ever lived in any metropolitan area or ventured out at all, this area is not seedy; it's just 'real life.' Only danger is the uneven sidewalks. I would not recommend for anyone not physically fairly fit/active due to the uneveness of the roads and the fact that it is a good 10+ minute walk."

 

We were not sure what bus to take, but the local people were very helpful. The cost was only a couple of dollars each. The bus runs frequently, and it stops whenever anyone on board along the way calls out, "Bus Stop!" The island is small and the distance to Nelson's Dockyard is not far, so the bus trip is not long. You can get the same bus back if you ask the people hanging around the gate at Nelson's to tell you when it arrives (there is a lot of bus traffic there).

 

An enjoyable trip, very safe, and an interesting glimpse of local life. Do not be afraid.

We took the local bus from the port to Nelson's Dockyard last winter. We almost never go off on our own, but there were so many positive responses on the boards we decided to try. We had docked on a Saturday which was market day and when we turned right on Market Street we got to stroll past all the stalls and shoppers until we reached the bus depot. You'll want bus #17 whose route is from the bus depot to its last stop at the entrance to Nelsons Dockyard. Fare was $1.50pp. each way. We were on the bus with locals bringing home their groceries. Best tour without commentary we ever took. Loved the locals calling out "Bus stop" along the way. Ride out and back was about 25 minutes. There are some Mega yachts docked out at ND. Don't miss them. While there is a small expensive restaurant out there if you exit the complex and walk about two street back, there are several local eateries.

Do the bus drivers accept $US or do we have to have "local" currency? Thanks in advance.

Honestly, I can`t remember. We probably paid US$, but somebody local would help you. Don`t be afraid, everything will work out, whatever currency you have. All the local people know that making tourists welcome is their Number 1 industry.

The biggest challenge to doing this local bus trip on your own is getting past the screaming hawkers that flock onto you right after you get off the ship. They will be shoving tour photos into your face and yelling at you to hire them for a tour. This only lasts about two blocks. Once you get past that meat-show, just follow the directions I posted earlier, and you will have a genuine local experience. I think they will help you, whatever currency you offer.

Like Kitchenpen we don't go off on our own very often, but after reading the post we decided to go for it! The directions were perfect. The cost was $1.50 per person, payable when you get off the bus. They took American. What a hoot!! The buses are 15 passenger vans and seem to be privately owned. Our bus driver, on the way back to St. John's, stopped several times to pick up little kids. It looked as if they were on their way home from preschool. He would go into the school to do the pickup and in some instances would take a detour to the child's house for drop off. If the bus is full the bus just goes by with a wave. One of the last passengers to get on was a young man carrying a propane tank! Never in the States!! Everyone seems to know each other. So glad we took the plunge and did this!:D

1. About how long did it take you to go from St. John's to Nelson's Dockyard?

2. Was it 'crazy' driving? (We will have our 8 and 4 year old with us).

And how was there a special way to get back to St. John's by taking the bus? I'm thinking we might also go to Shirley Heights - so we may end up taking a taxi to do the 2nd half (unless there are other recommendations!)

It took us about a 1/2 hour to get from St. John's to Nelson's Dockyard. The driving wasn't crazy. The children on our bus didn't use seat belts and they were fine - traffic wasn't heavy, the speed was reasonable, and there were no sudden stops. I don't know if they have seat belt laws in Antiqua but no one was using them.

We didn't try to go to Shirley Heights since we had been there before. The locals were friendly and I'm sure would let you know if you could get a bus there.

The first stop on Route 17 is St. John's bus terminal and the last is Nelson's Dockyard so you can't go wrong or get lost as long as the bus says 17.

And how was there a special way to get back to St. John's by taking the bus? I'm thinking we might also go to Shirley Heights - so we may end up taking a taxi to do the 2nd half (unless there are other recommendations!)

Did you visit the Shirley Heights? How do you get there? I am going end of this month. Would appreciate your input

Just one more note. At Nelson's Dockyard, tucked away in a lane is a place noted on the map as a bakery. This is an excellent low-priced place to find a sandwich or a sausage roll and a fruit drink for a decent price. I think the mega bajillion yacht people's staff may be patrons of this place. Good food, reasonable price, good selection.

Our family of four is interested in trying the bus route to get to Nelson's Dockyard but we have a few other sights we'd like to see on the return trip. I see others requested information on getting to Shirley Heights from Nelson's...has anyone on here done this recently? Does anyone know approximate taxi fare to get from Nelson's Dockyard back to St. Johns by way of Shirley Heights/Fig Tree Drive? Any other suggestions for our day in Antigua? Thanks in advance!!

And how was there a special way to get back to St. John's by taking the bus? I'm thinking we might also go to Shirley Heights - so we may end up taking a taxi to do the 2nd half (unless there are other recommendations!)

We are considering the same option--taking the bus there and then taxi back...Did you do this? if so, did it work well? Any suggestions for us?

Our last trip to Antigua we took the city bus to Valley Church Beach AND LOVED IT! The entire experience - the most beautiful beach, the beach massage (cheap), taking the bus with school kids, the price, etc!

We have another cruise coming up and want to go back. However, we would also like to explore back in Nelsons Dockyard. Is this possible? Would we need to transfer buses? Would timing permit a few hours on the beach, beach massage and cocktails, and strolling the docks at the marina??

We don't want to overschedule, but we want to make the most out of the trip!

Any help and tips very much appreciated!!

OK, so in Antiqua, you take bus #17 to go to the Dockyards, right?

What bus # do you take to go to Valley Church Beach. I would like to check that out too.

We are going to be there in less than a month, so I'm trying to get my info now.

I would be interested in same questions as beshears. Any info appreciated regarding the difference in the buses to Valley Church Beach and Nelsons Dockyard. Will be there in April.

Don't worry about bus numbers. When you get to the bus station you will easily be able to sort things out by asking for your destination. Remember, buses are all minivans owned by the driver, it's his business. There is no schedule, he goes when the bus is full. That also means you can chat him up and he'll drop you anywhere you want.

Speaking from memory, I don't think there is a bus from Valley Church Beach to Nelson's Dockyard. If you really wanted to do that by bus, you would have to head back into St. John's to the bus station and set off again on a different line. It's not practical. Take a taxi.