When is the Cheapest Time to Fly to Bridgetown?
July to November is the cheapest time to find return flights to Bridgetown. The weather is a little bit wetter – although still hot and mostly dry – and there is a higher chance of storms or hurricanes. Cheap flights to Bridgetown can also be found in the shoulder-season month of April, right after the peak season (November to March) comes to an end.
When is the Best Time to Book your Flight to Bridgetown?
To find cheap flights to Bridgetown, plan to visit during the wet season and search for flights a few months in advance. Keep an eye out for last-minute flight offers. Flights to Bridgetown during the peak season are likely to be more expensive, so book at least three months in advance and be flexible with your travel dates to get the best deals.
Flying to Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI)
BGI airport was renamed in 1976 to honour Barbados’s first Premier, Grantley Adams. It is located in the town of Seawell, which is about 16 kilometres from the capital city, Bridgetown. Not only is it the only port of entry for air passengers in Barbados, but it is also the largest airport in the Eastern Caribbean.
There are many options for direct flights to Bridgetown from the United Kingdom. London Gatwick has the most options for flights to Bridgetown; British Airways and Virgin Atlantic offer flights year-round, while you can book seasonal flights with Thomas Cook Airlines and TUI Airways. Virgin Atlantic also has flights to Bridgetown from Manchester year-round and seasonal flights only from London Heathrow. Thomas Cook Airlines and TUI Airways offer even more seasonal flights from Manchester Airport. TUI Airways also offers direct flights seasonally from Birmingham and seasonal charters from Cardiff, Glasgow and Newcastle.
On Arrival and Getting Around the Airport
The airport has two terminals connected by an open-air canopy, one for arrivals and the other for departures. Passengers can easily walk between the two in a few minutes. There are a number of amenities for travellers, including currency exchange services, which are open from 6:30am to 9:30pm in the arrivals terminal, and ATMs. The airport has free Wi-Fi. You will also find a lot of food and drink shops and duty-free stores on arrival and when you leave. Business and VIP lounges are also available to customers.
Getting to the City from Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI)
Several options are available for the short 16 kilometre journey into Bridgetown from BGI airport. There are plenty of taxis available outside the arrivals hall, but make sure you use an authorised taxi for travel. These are identifiable by a yellow sticker on the side of the vehicle. Taxis have a set rate for destinations; make sure you receive a travel slip from the dispatcher before leaving the airport. Public buses to the city centre leave hourly from the bus stop across the road from the terminal car park. Car hire companies can also be found in the arrivals terminal.
Why Visit Bridgetown?
Enjoy the hustle and bustle of Caribbean life in the Barbadian capital with a side of that famous, laid-back attitude. Stroll streets lined with colonial architecture, taste the country’s oldest and most famous export – rum – and shop to your heart’s content in the duty-free shops that make this Caribbean island a bargain hunter’s dream. The downtown area of the capital city was named as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012 for its historical significance.
Beautiful beaches line the coast of this island, but for a trip that delves into the history of the former British colony, look no further than Bridgetown. The island gained its independence from Britain in 1966, but Barbados still has a British feel to it with many of the buildings and churches looking like they’ve taken directly from England. Food lovers will delight in the Bajan dishes, centring on seafood; sea urchin is a popular delicacy, and tropical fruits and vegetables abound.
Don't Forget Before you Fly
As a British citizen, you do not need a visa to travel to Barbados, but your passport does need to be valid for the entirety of your stay in the country. The currency is the Barbadian dollar. While it’s smart to have some local currency with you at all times, you can pay for larger sums in US dollars or with major credit cards. Hotels, dive shops and some restaurants usually quote prices in US dollars rather than Barbadian dollars, but you can pay in either currency.
