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Transportation to Nelson's Dockyard, Shirley Heights, Devils Bridge


SKSMIKE5
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A group of six of us will be on Grandeur of the Seas in Feb 2018 and would like to go see Nelson's Dockyard, Shirley Heights and Devils Bridge. Is it possible for all six of us to get a cab together to see these sights and what might the cost be? Is there another mode of transportation suggested? Thanks!

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Upon further research, it looks as though a taxi from St. John's to Nelson's Dockyard is a set fare of $24. There's also a bus that costs $1.50, so that's what we'll be doing! As far as I can tell there's no way to get to Devil's Bridge without a taxi, but I haven't been able to find out what the estimated cost of that might be. I'm thinking we will take the bus to Nelson's Dockyard and walk to Shirley Heights, then try to negotiate a decent price for a taxi to take us back to St. John's via Devil's Bridge. Might be a good way to see a few other sights on the eastern side of the island as well.

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According to the taxi chart at this site:

http://www.antiguanice.com/v2/documents/Taxi%20and%20tour%20fares%20-%20ABTB%20final.pdf

the set fare to Devil's Bridge is $26 for the first 4 passengers (from St John's). It does not give rates originating from Nelson's Dockyard, but it does mention tours that I think you can customize for $24 an hour - minimum of 2 hours (4 people, each additional passenger $6 an hour)

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

If you are thinking of taking the bus to Nelson's Dockyard, just be aware that a public bus in Antigua is a minivan holding maybe eight or so passengers. DH and I have taken it twice with no problems, although the last time we waited a long time for the bus to arrive to take us back to the ship. The first time we went there, we were with several other CC members and there was room for all of us. The second time (2/17), we went by ourselves and were among the last to be able to squeeze into the van. This can be a problem if a group wants to travel together. We had good experiences, but I want people to know what to expect. We may take the bus again at the end of this month, as we enjoy strolling around Nelson's Dockyard.

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If you are thinking of taking the bus to Nelson's Dockyard, just be aware that a public bus in Antigua is a minivan holding maybe eight or so passengers. DH and I have taken it twice with no problems, although the last time we waited a long time for the bus to arrive to take us back to the ship. The first time we went there, we were with several other CC members and there was room for all of us. The second time (2/17), we went by ourselves and were among the last to be able to squeeze into the van. This can be a problem if a group wants to travel together. We had good experiences, but I want people to know what to expect. We may take the bus again at the end of this month, as we enjoy strolling around Nelson's Dockyard.

 

 

After discussing this info with DH, I agree with him that the minivans accommodate more than 8 passengers, although we can't recall the exact number. I saw another post that said there were 15. Some seating consists of "jump seats".

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If you are thinking of taking the bus to Nelson's Dockyard, just be aware that a public bus in Antigua is a minivan holding maybe eight or so passengers. DH and I have taken it twice with no problems, although the last time we waited a long time for the bus to arrive to take us back to the ship. The first time we went there, we were with several other CC members and there was room for all of us. The second time (2/17), we went by ourselves and were among the last to be able to squeeze into the van. This can be a problem if a group wants to travel together. We had good experiences, but I want people to know what to expect. We may take the bus again at the end of this month, as we enjoy strolling around Nelson's Dockyard.

How long is the bus journey and how frequent are the buses? Can you pay with Us$? How far is the bus stop from where the ship docks/

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Yes, you can pay in USD. You will get change back in local currency so take small notes. St Johns is tiny so nothing is far from the port. Buses to Nelsons Dockyard leave from the bus station by the market.

Thank you for the info. Very helpful

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When you exit the port/pier area there will be loads of taxis and hawkers trying to get you to book taxis, tours, etc. These folks can be a bit assertive (it is a very competitive business) but you are "da boss." There are plenty of van/taxis that can handle a group of 6...and everything is negotiable. Once you get to the taxi area just make sure the folks know you want a single vehicle for your group (if you want to share a larger vehicle you might save a little money) and do not settle for anything less. An island tour that takes you to Shirley Heights and the Dockyard is a pretty standard type tour and you would probably want to hire a van/driver for part or all the day. Just make sure you negotiate the price, itinerary, and amount of time you will have the driver, before you get in the vehicle.

 

I will add that DW and I have often used the island public buses (primarily to head down to Darkwood or another distant beach) but this does not make a lot of sense for a group of 6. A group that size can get a pretty decent deal (when calculated at per person) and buses do involve dealing with schedules, waiting, etc. And with the island buses there is no guarantee that you would even find 6 empty seats...especially on a return journey.

 

Hank

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  • 2 weeks later...
leaving Nov. 18th on Adventure of the Seas - has anyone done these tours since the hurricanes????

Any RECENT tours? Lawrence or Scenic Tours of Antigua????

 

We were just in Antigua last week and all looked fine. We did not go to a beach (we normally take a bus to Darkwood) so cannot personally vouch for their condition, but did not hear anyone on our ship (Regal Princess) mentioning any kind of problems. The island was pretty much missed by the worst part of the hurricanes.

 

Hank

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  • 2 weeks later...
How much time do you get to spend at Nelsons with this tour? Did you feel rushed there?

 

with the tour you get about an hour at Nelsons----you get about a 20 minute stop at Shirley Heights

 

what we plan to do this year is take the tour thru Shirley Hts and on to Nelsons---then leave the tour at Nelsons and take the bus back--

 

Paul

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