General:

St. Barths is officially named St. Barthélemy, but you'll see it written as St. Bart, St. Barts, and St. Barth. I prefer St. Barths, but I'm sure there will be debate about it. St. Barths is now an autonomous collectivity, and recently voted Bruno Margas as President. The island subscribes to the laws of the Republic of France, and the European Union. You will need a valid passport to visit St. Barths and the neighboring islands.

Geography:

St. Barths is located in the Caribbean at 17˚55 N and 62˚50 W. Its nearest neighbor is St. Maarten, which only a 12-minute flight away. It is a small island. Only 8 square miles. Everything in St. Barths is about 15 minutes away by car, unless you have to go all the way from one end to the other, which may take you 25, at most. St. Barths is funny shaped; it looks sorta like a bat or a bird from the air. Many of its coves and inlets sport stunning beaches. There are mountains. There is a pond or two. The vegetation is tropical with palm trees a-plenty. The waters are turquoise blue and excellent for lounging about in.

Water:

Speaking of water, one thing you won't find on St. Barths are streams or rivers. St. Barths has no natural water sources. No springs. No aquifers. No wells. Basically, St. Barths is a big volcanic rock. A wonderful, lush, tropical rock, but a rock none the less. (In fact, I like to call it "The Rock", but fondly.) There are lots of different kinds of rock there. I'm no geologist, but if I find some information on the different types of rock, I'll let you know. Rocks aside, a very (VERY) important thing about this fact is that, water is precious, and pricey. You may turn on the tap and fresh cold water pours out like at home, but that water is costing someone money, and potentially taking water away from someone else. "City water" runs throughout the island, but many villas and residences use cisterns to collect the rain. This water is used for laundry, dishes, showers, etc. Although can drink cistern water, you're better off buying bottled water. But the most important point to remember is to conserve water. For example, don't leave the tap water running when you're brushing your teeth. As an experiment, close the sink stopper when brushing your teeth and see just how much water you use for this simple task that can be easily done with just one glass of water. When showering, be quick about it. You get the idea. City water costs, and when the cistern runs dry, your hotel or villa must resort to refilling it from the city. This price is passed on to you in various ways, so help St. Barths conserve water and control prices at the same time. Conserve!

Language:

French is spoken everywhere in St. Barths. You'll hear French on the radio stations, read French in the local newspapers, and see French on signs and in shops. This doesn't mean that English isn't a close second. Almost every menu has English "subtitles" (read some of our favorites here), most of the local people speak at least some English, and you'll have no trouble getting around, asking directions, or ordering some local fish. But please, at least make an effort. Bonjour and merci are not difficult words to pronounce, and even floundering through a "je voudrais le daurade, s'il vous plait" will get you a long way. Give French a try, you might just find yourself saying "Oui", even after you've gone home! Check out our page of helpful French for some "must-have" words and phrases.

Currency:

The Euro (€) is the local currency on the island. You can use US Dollars ($) at most places, but we'd prefer you don't, and your money goes further is Euro than in Dollars. We recommend stopping at one of the ATMs and withdrawing Euro upon arrival, and you won't have to think about how much this or that costs. You can also use Traveler's Cheques and most major credit cards. (Pay attention to what is accepted where, not everyone accepts American Express). You can exchange money at the banks or the currency exchange, but watch the hours. "Bankers Hours" has a very special meaning in St. Barths.

Voltage:

The island runs on 220 volts, just like most of Europe. The outlets accept the standard European plug. Most modern electronic devices can handle 220 alongside US 120, but read the fine print on the plugs before plugging anything in. You don't want to fry your CD player on the first day! You want to look for ~110-240v. Many high voltage appliances will NOT automatically adapt, such as hairdryers, curling irons, and the like. Don't bring these to St. Barths; they'll just take up space in your baggage. You CAN buy a transformer that will convert (step down) the power, but these are heavy, large, and expensive. Frankly, they're just not worth it unless you intend to stay for a long time. Personally, I use one for recharging my AA rechargeable batteries, but that's because I bought mine in the states. For €25, you can buy European voltage rechargeables at the hardware or electronics store.

For your US devices that do automatically step down, you will need to adapt the plug to fit the European socket. For some reason, these are outrageously expensive in the US, and dirt cheap on the island, so I recommend buying them when you arrive. They cost between €1-3 depending on where you find them. Be sure to look before you buy. Some don't take the polarized plugs found on many modern devices (polarized is when one prong is bigger than the other).

One more interesting note. The hertz (cycles) is not the same as Europe (or the US). Although it's claimed that it is 60Hz, I've found it to be more like 50. Normally this is not a problem for devices that step down, but it has a very interesting effect on time keeping devices. For example, VCRs and the clock on your oven will never say the correct time. We like to think of it as a blessing. Why are you looking at the time anyways, you're on St. Barths! If you MUST have a clock, rely on the ones with batteries, or stroll down to Gustavia and buy yourself a really nice watch!

Telephone:

St. Barths telephone numbers are composed of 10 digits. The numbers of residences (land-lines) begin with 0590 and mobile phones begin with 0690. Then dial 6 digit number of the person you wish to reach, for example, you can call me by dialing 0690 35 56 99. The country code for St. Barths is +59. The local phone system is run by FranceTelecom. St. Barths is covered by the Orange network for mobile phones. If you have an unlocked GSM phone, you can buy a pre-paid SIM card at the gas station, or FranceTelecom office and use it freely on St. Barths, French St. Maarten, and Guadeloupe. A SIM card will remain active for 6 months before it is canceled. Most cellular carriers in the United States use the CDMA protocol and therefore will not work on St. Barths. If you have a GSM phone, they tend to be locked to a particular provider (Cingular for example). Depending on the model of your mobile phone, you can have it unlocked and then use any SIM in it. I think Cingular/AT&T has support through their International plan on the island, but I'm not 100% certain.

To call other countries, you will need to prefix your number with international calling codes (country codes). A plus (+) means to dial whatever international prefix you need to dial. On St. Barths, plus means zero zero (00). Here's a quick list that covers a few countries and neighboring islands:

To call St. Barths from the United States, you dial the international prefix (011) the country code (59) and then the full 10-digit number. So to call me from the United States ($$$) dial 011 59 0690 35 56 99.

Security:

St. Barths is very safe, clean, and friendly. Weapons of any kind are forbidden on the island. You can walk around at night, anywhere, alone and feel safe. While nowhere is completely crime free, St. Barths enjoys a long-standing history of peace. Violent crime is unheard of, and you will not need to ties your personal belongings to you in fear that they will be snatched when you look away. Obviously, don't leave valuables lying about, either in your car or home, and if you follow that simple rule, there's no reason to lock your car. If you plan to take advantage of people, either by soliciting, theft, or other malfeasance, don't come to St. Barths, you aren't welcome.

Health:

When visiting St. Barths, you are not required to have any vaccinations. The only real heath concern on the island is Dengue Fever, which is transmitted by mosquito. If you find you're being frequently bitten by mosquitoes, definitely get yourself some "anti-moustique" and use it. I like the phrase, "Put some OFF on". Dengue Fever makes you feel completely awful for up to a week, there's nothing you can do once you have it, aside from staying in bed and wishing you were dead. Certain strains can cause more serious harm. I've found that mosquitoes like dark things. They hang out on dark furniture, and seem to be attracted to your ankles more if you're wearing dark pants or shoes. They also tend to come out in the early evening around sunset. I call it, "The Biting Hour", since they're pretty fond of me. Most restaurants are happy to provide you will a quick shot of OFF if you find yourself getting eaten under the table. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, and St. Barths asks residents to remediate any situations that may create a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and has a system of mosquito abatement in the form of periodic spraying.