any public transport to gros piton ?

[cochin321]

From Castries , any buses run down this far ? Thanks...

[reedprincess]

Not all the way to Gros Piton itself or the base of it. You would need a bus to Choisel and then a taxi or private vehicle to get from the highway turn off into the base - about a 20 minute drive on some pretty narrow, winding roads. Also, bus service down the West Coast is very unreliable - buses don't run on a schedule here, they go when they are full. You could waste a lot of time waiting on a bus to fill up, given that in the mornings, most traffic is from the south to the north, not the other way. And same goes for the afternoon when you would want to return - you would be waiting on a bus to pass you that hopefully had room for you and yours. Given that you are on a tight schedule, the ride down without any stops or waiting is about 1.15 hours, and you would need around 3-4 hours to climb Gros Piton - public bus is most definitely NOT the way to go. Hire a taxi to take you down or go on one of the tours - you are much better off that way.

Hope that doesn't disappoint you too much and enjoy your visit.

[cochin321]

Hey thanks for the info. Think at this point i'll just grab a bus and head to pigeon island instead. Seems like a decent place to wander for a bit and transport seems a bit more reliable in this direction....

[reedprincess]

sounds like a better idea. Keep in mind, buses don't run all the way out ot PI - you would need to get off at the turn off and walk in - about 15-20 minute walk. You need a bus that goes all the way to Cap Estate on the Gros Islet run. You can catch the bus right on the highway by the Rubis gas station if you are docked at Pointe Seraphine or you will need to walk to the Gros Islet bus stand from the dock at La Place Caranage. Any Looshan can point you to the bus stand.

Buses are not frequent coming down from Cap Estate, so leave yourself plenty of time to catch one, or count on walking further down the "highway" into Gros Islet itself.

Enjoy your visit.

[cochin321]

Thanks again...Trying now to figure out what beach will be better, reduit,choc or just stay at pigeon island beach...any thoughts. I don't want anything too quiet, just want a good nice clean beach with some activity ...:)

[reedprincess]

Of those choices - rule out Choc. Not a great beach and no facilities - no bars, or restaurants, no chairs for rent, etc.

PI has the most to offer overall as far as other non-beach activities - small museum, ruins, hiking, etc. Reduit is going to be the busiest - it is the main tourist beach - lots of chairs and umbrellas for rent, watersports for rent off the beach, over 30 restaurants and bars in the area to walk to, etc - it is one of the main cruise ship beaches for "beach breaks", has several hotels that front the beach, etc. Great long stretch -but usually fairly busy. As far as bus travel - it is very easy to get to.

Enjoy, whichever you choose.

[cochin321]

Thanks ....:)

[faroozi]

How much would a taxi from the cruise port to the trail head cost?

And how easy will it be to get a taxi when you are done? How long is the drive? Trying to see if we can do the hike without the tour, just the guide and bringing our own water/snacks.

And when you are done are there beaches or waterfalls that would be good to stop at for a little while on your way back to the port? And would the Taxi wait for you? I really would like to do our own thing, but am not sure how practical that is.

[reedprincess]

How much would a taxi from the cruise port to the trail head cost?

And how easy will it be to get a taxi when you are done? How long is the drive? Trying to see if we can do the hike without the tour, just the guide and bringing our own water/snacks.

And when you are done are there beaches or waterfalls that would be good to stop at for a little while on your way back to the port? And would the Taxi wait for you? I really would like to do our own thing, but am not sure how practical that is.

See your stand alone post....answered there.

[marycwilmes]

From the ship, we wanna go to the Castries Market and then take a bus to Rodney Bay/Reduit Beach? Is that possible? How do we do it?

[marycwilmes]

bump

[reedprincess]

From the ship, we wanna go to the Castries Market and then take a bus to Rodney Bay/Reduit Beach? Is that possible? How do we do it?

 

Yes, easy enough - bus transport in the north of the island, especially between Castries/Rodney Bay - is pretty reliable and fairly frequent.

You can head to the Market and explore, then go tot he bus stand for RB, which is behind the Market - ask any local to point you in the right direction. Buses leave when they are full, so you may have a few minutes wait. Tell the bus driver you are heading to Rodney Bay - he will tell you when to get off (your stop will be at the entrance to the Village, there are 2 malls in the area, lots of people off/on the bus at the stop - tough to miss). From the bus stop, it's about a 10-15 minute walk over to Reduit beach, just follow the main road through the Village past the restaurants and hotels down to the police sub-station and hang a left to the beach - there are chairs/umbrellas to rent, beach bar, watersports for hire, etc.

Enjoy your visit.