Join the Celebrities in St Barths

Q: We will be in New York in March and would love to visit St Barths in the Caribbean. Could you give us some guidance on flights and accommodation? - Felicity Ranger

A: . A number of airlines have flights from New York airports into St Maarten, a neighboring island to St Barths (St Barthélemy Island). These include American and Delta, but can involve stopovers en route. JetBlue offers a direct, non-stop servicc between the two centres. From St Maarten. local companies provide connecting flights to the island’s Gustave III Airport. Windward Express Airways, Winair and St-Barth Commuter make the ten minute shuttle flights to St Barths.This airport can only take small aircraft and landing conditions can be hair-raising during poor weather. Luckily, there is a regular ferry service from St Maarten to St Barths. You can also charter a speedboat. A good travel agent should be able to do the bookings for you, with all the connections. There are plenty of websites offering villas for rent on the island, with rates usually calculated by week. If you are travelling as a couple and prefer a shorter stay, you can book into one of the many small hotels dotted along the coast. Websites to try include http://www.st-barths.com/en/villas.html and http://www.stbarth.com/hotels/home.htm. (15/1/12)