Barbados Economy Article

Important Information for Those Heading to Barbados

While traveling to Barbados can be a lot of fun, there are some things that you should know first, which will make your travel time much better. You will need to familiarize yourself with their currency, know about how much money you will need, and know how you plan to get from place to place while you are there, as well as how to stick to your travel budget.

The money in Barbados is called the Bajan, and one Bajan is usually equal to about two US dollars. That may seem like a lot, but when you start looking at the average costs of things on the island, you may change your mind.

For the most part, the prices of goods and services are fairly similar to those found in the United States. Typically, dinner in a decent restaurant, with wine, will cost about $100 American dollars, or $200 Bajan dollars. If you decide to shop for souvenirs to take back home, you can expect to pay about $40 Bajan for a T-shirt, and about $20 Bajan for the smaller items, such as cups, hats, etc. If you plan to shop while you are here, you will need to make certain you have enough money, travelers checks, or credit cards with you do to so.

Once you arrive in Barbados, you will leave the airport for your hotel, so you can check in and store your belongings. You can choose to ride a shuttle from the airport to your hotel, or you can travel by taxi, or even rent a car. In general you can expect to pay a minimum of $40 Bajan for the taxi ride, while if you go by shuttle you will only have to pay for storing your belongings, usually about $10 Bajan. The average cost of a rental car in Barbados is about $100-$120 Bajan for each day you have the car. For some people, it can be difficult to drive these cars, as they are the opposite from what we are used to here in the United States, with the steering wheel being on the opposite side of the car, and people driving in the opposite lanes of traffic. This is one reason why so many people choose not to drive themselves while visiting the island, as you can expect; it could potentially lead to some hair-raising events.

Many people end up blowing their travel budget when they book their hotel. You have many hotels to choose from, all in different price ranges, so it really shouldn’t be that difficult to find one that will suit both your needs and your budget. For those with minimal travel funds, you might want to check out the Sandy Bay Beach Club, where for a decent price you can get great service from the staff, with the costs of your food and gratuities already added into the price. There are many other services offered, for additional fees, but even these are reasonably priced, more so than some of the other hotels on the island.

For a step up, you can stay at the Hilton, if you can afford to pay the fee, which ranges from $450 all the way up to $1500 each night. You will have all the amenities at your disposal, and could potentially spend your entire vacation at the hotel, if you chose to do so.

If you really want to stay in the lap of luxury, you might want to check out the Sandy Lane hotel, well-known to golf fans, since it was where Tiger Woods wedding was held. The rates start at $800, and go all the way to a whopping $10,000, for each night you stay. WOW!