Seeking Island Hopping Tips & Advise
 

I was wondering what you guys think ; I'm thinking with a girl going maybe Island hopping in the caribbeans, (dominica, guadeloupe) maybe more if we have the time.

Is it easy to find boats that go from an island to another? can you hitchhike those boats? how much can cost a boat from an island to another?

do you have to stamp passport on every island? what's the stay maximum for tourists on each island?

any reccomendations / tips / advise for us? would be awesome! :D

Here are some basic answers to your questions:

Is it easy to find boats that go from an island to another? - It depends on the island you are on and the island you wish to get to. Some island groupings like the US and British Virgin Islands are linked by a system of ferries. You can go by ferry between Guadalupe and Dominica and i think you can get from Guadalupe to Martinique by ferry. Other islands are much to far apart to travel by ferry or boat and the only practical way to travel between those islands is to fly.

Can you hitchhike those boats? No, you cannot "hitchhike" on any boats. You can only travel as a fare paying passenger to those islands service by commercial ferries.

How much can cost a boat from an island to another? - Ferry fares depend on the distance between islands. Some might be as low as $10US to as much as $100US - it all depends. If you wanted to charter a private boat to travel between islands the cost will be based upon the size of the boat and the distances involved. In addition you'd have to pay for the coat to get the boat and crew back to it's starting point. For planning purposes you can expect to pay somewhere around $100US to $150US per hour to charter a small power boat - figure that boat will travel at around 8 knots/hr. You can do the math.

Do you have to stamp passport on every island? Generally speaking most island nations will stamp your passport upon arrival.

What's the stay maximum for tourists on each island? Generally speaking the maximum time you can stay on ay island is 180 in any calendar year, however, usually you will be granted a visitor's visa for only 30 days at a time.. If you wish to stay longer you have to apply for an extension. You will be asked to show proof of an onward ticket and that you have the financial means to support yourself without working.

The internet is your friend. You can research the immigration/visitors requirements by going to the official government website and/or the official tourist website of the islands you are planning to visit.
Also to see if the particular island(s) you are planning to visit are accessible by ferries internet searches using such topics as "Getting to NAME OF ISLAND" or "Ferry service between NAMES OF ISLANDS". You'll find lots of useful information.