Multi-Centre Holidays Including Saint Lucia

Can you combine Saint Lucia with another Caribbean island?

Yes. Saint Lucia combines easily with Barbados, Grenada, Antigua, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Martinique and Dominica, either by a short regional flight or, for Martinique and Dominica, by ferry. Most two-centre holidays work best with one flight connection and no more than two or three changes of hotel.

A multi-centre holiday means staying on two or more islands in one trip, rather than flying to one and staying put. People do it for contrast: Saint Lucia for volcanic scenery and rainforest, then a flat island for long beaches, a sailing base for the Grenadines, or a French island for markets and a different language. The trade-off is time. Every move costs half a day, and the connections in this part of the world are thinner than a UK traveller may expect.

That is why we have checked which links are real. Everything below is marked as confirmed where we found it on an operator or tourist board page or in recent press, and flagged where schedules are known to change. Treat any timetable as a starting point and confirm it with the airline or ferry company before you book anything non-refundable. Our main trip planning guide covers the rest of the preparation.

Which inter-island links are actually confirmed?

The ferry between Saint Lucia and Martinique is confirmed. L'Express des Iles runs a passenger catamaran between Castries and Fort-de-France, taking about an hour and a half. It carries foot passengers only, so there is no car ferry, and sailings run a few times a week rather than daily. Timetables change by season and there are maintenance periods, so check the operator's schedule when you plan. Allow time at the terminal in Castries for ticket control, baggage drop, a sea departure tax paid at the terminal, and passport control.

The same company also links Saint Lucia with Dominica, and Dominica's tourist authority lists Saint Lucia as one of the ports on that network, alongside Martinique and Guadeloupe. Services on that route are less frequent still. If Dominica is your second centre, fix the dates of the sailing first and build the rest of the holiday around it.

By air, the regional carrier interCaribbean Airways lists Saint Lucia among its destinations alongside Barbados, which is its hub, Grenada, Antigua, St Vincent and Dominica. Recent press describes added service between St Vincent and Saint Lucia and a Barbados focus for its network. Winair has announced services between Saint Lucia and Martinique and between Martinique and Barbados in recent schedules. We could not confirm the exact days operating now, so ask a specialist for the current timetable and do not plan around a single weekly flight without a fallback.

• Confirmed: Castries to Fort-de-France by catamaran, foot passengers only.
• Confirmed: a ferry link between Saint Lucia and Dominica on the same operator, with fewer sailings.
• Confirmed: interCaribbean air links from Saint Lucia to Barbados and several neighbouring islands, subject to the current timetable.
• Announced in recent schedules: Winair flights between Saint Lucia and Martinique.

How does Saint Lucia pair with each neighbouring island?

Barbados is the simplest partner. It is the main hub for regional flights, it has long-haul flights from the UK, and it offers long beaches, a lively west coast and a flatter landscape that contrasts neatly with Saint Lucia. Many specialists suggest Saint Lucia for the first half and Barbados for the second, or the other way round if you want to end on the beach.

Grenada is a natural second stop for the green, spicy, quieter side of the Windward Islands. British Airways has sold twin-stop itineraries from Gatwick that serve Saint Lucia and then Grenada on the same ticket, as trade press has reported. Check which of these is on sale for your dates, because dual-stop options are added and withdrawn from year to year.

Antigua has long beaches and a historic naval harbour, and it is a separate transatlantic destination from the UK, so it suits two trips better than a tight two-centre one. St Vincent and the Grenadines suits sailors and anyone who wants small islands such as Bequia, but the connections from Saint Lucia are limited, so expect to route through a hub. Martinique brings French food, markets and a different feel from a ferry crossing that fits in a morning. Dominica is for hikers and nature lovers. Each is worth a few nights, not a day.

If you are tempted by a honeymoon that spans two islands, read our honeymoon in Saint Lucia ideas before you decide how to split the time.

How should you split your nights?

Give each island enough time to feel like a holiday, not a transit stop. For a ten to fourteen night trip, a good split is six or seven nights on Saint Lucia and four to seven on the second island. For a shorter trip, a seven night holiday is really a one-island holiday with a day trip. Our guide to how many days to spend in Saint Lucia sets out what each length of stay allows.

On Saint Lucia itself, avoid splitting your nights between north and south if you also change islands. A single base such as Rodney Bay or a resort near Soufrière is enough, with day trips for the rest, and it keeps your departure day simple. Regional flights usually use the George F. L. Charles airport in Castries, which is closer to the north, while international flights use Hewanorra in the far south, so check which airport your onward flight uses before you choose where to sleep on your last night.

Think about the order too. Put the island where you most want to relax at the end, because travel days are tiring and the first few days of a long-haul trip are slower. If your second island has a long transatlantic return flight, make sure you are not cutting it close with a late regional connection.

What do UK travellers need to know about island hopping?

Start with the paperwork. Each island has its own entry rules, immigration forms and, for some, departure taxes, and Martinique is part of France, so passport and entry requirements follow French rules rather than Saint Lucia's. Our visa and entry guide explains the Saint Lucia process, and the UK government's travel advice for each island is the place to check the others. Carry your passport on every leg, including the ferry.

Book with protection. Separate tickets on different carriers are not protected if one flight is late and you miss the next, so leave a generous gap, or buy a package where one company is responsible for the whole itinerary. Keep your baggage allowance in mind, because regional aircraft have smaller allowances than long-haul flights, and those allowances can change between carriers.

Consider the season. Rain and the hurricane season affect all of the islands, and a storm can disrupt a ferry or small aircraft even when the weather on the ground looks fine, so check the best time to visit guide and take insurance that covers missed connections, as set out in our health, insurance and safety guide.

What should you ask a specialist?

A good Caribbean specialist plans inter-island holidays every week, and the questions below will show whether they know the region. Ask which links they have used recently, not which exist on paper, and ask what happens if a flight or sailing is cancelled.

Ask who is responsible for the whole itinerary, whether the flights are on one ticket, and what the baggage allowance is on the regional sector. Ask how long the transfer from the airport to the hotel takes on each island, as that time is part of the journey. Ask whether the resorts offer private airport transfers, and whether the cost of a second island is better spent on an extra week in the first. Finally, ask for the number of changes of hotel, and for their advice on where to stay in Saint Lucia if you are only here for part of the trip.

If you would rather see what a single island offers before deciding, our Saint Lucia itineraries show how much a week or ten days can include, and the getting here guide explains the flights from the UK.

From planning to booking

Most visitors fit this into St Lucia holidays, so choose your base first. Compare hotels in St Lucia by area and style, and read our guides to luxury hotels in St Lucia and all inclusive resorts in St Lucia if you are choosing between a boutique stay and an all in package.

Then set your dates with the best time to visit St Lucia, book flights to St Lucia and pick days out from our St Lucia itineraries. Couples can also read about a honeymoon in St Lucia or weddings in St Lucia.

Questions travellers ask