Traveling by bus in St. Lucia???

[anastasia3939]

My family will be cruising to St. Lucia in February. Everything that I have read indicates that traveling by taxi is very expensive. I also really have little interest in taking any type of guided tour. We like to go it alone at all the ports so that we are free to spend as much or as little time as we wish. We really want to see the drive in volcano and do some snorkeling around Soufriere.

Does anyone have experience using the buses to travel from Castries to Soufriere? I haven't really found much information about the bus system, and any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!!

[J & G]

My family will be cruising to St. Lucia in February. Everything that I have read indicates that traveling by taxi is very expensive. I also really have little interest in taking any type of guided tour. We like to go it alone at all the ports so that we are free to spend as much or as little time as we wish. We really want to see the drive in volcano and do some snorkeling around Soufriere.

Does anyone have experience using the buses to travel from Castries to Soufriere? I haven't really found much information about the bus system, and any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!!

The so-called public buses are not really public, nor are they buses. They are actually privately-owned vans, some 12-passenger, but most were smaller minivans. For the most part, these vans have belonged to tour operators or taxi drivers, but have been resold because they are more than 5 years old. (In order for a taxi or tour bus to be licensed in St. Lucia, it must be less than 5 years old, according to our driver. Buses do not have that same restriction.)

 

The "bus drivers" make money according to how many people they are able to carry during the course of a day, so they are always in a hurry. We saw two of them almost have a head-on collision near the airport, due to careless and fast driving. :eek: We witnessed several of them driving very fast on the narrow, winding roads. We even saw wrecked ones here and there in people's yards.

 

The road between Soufriere and Castries is VERY winding and narrow through the mountains, with many blind curves. Because of the treacherous roads, the ride is over an hour. The buses have no set schedule and you take your chances that one will pass your way at the time you want it, and that it will have enough empty seats for your party. Personally, after what we saw, I would not ride on one of the "public buses."

[anastasia3939]

Yikes!!! Thanks for the info. Guess I'll have to look into alternate transportation. Anyone know if there are any ferries that make the trip??