We are going to St. Lucia in early March. While we are NOT renting a car, we do plan to take a few taxi rides while there, especially from the Marigot Bay area to the Pitons. Any dangers with St. Lucia taxis? Any experiences or tips to share?<BR><BR>-- Peter

He Peter: Even though they sometimes drive what some people might say were too fast for conditions, I never felt unsafe or nervous. The roads are very winding with potholes in spots. They know what they're doing and where they're going and I trusted them completely to get us where we were going safely.<BR><BR>We felt the taxi's were VERY expensive, at least compared to where we live. For example, a 10-15 minute one-way trip for two people was $25. Multiply that by round trip and we're talking $50 for one outing. <BR><BR>IMPORTANT: Make sure to bring small bills. Quite often the drivers didn't have exact change which made the transaction difficult, sometimes requiring us to leave way more of a tip than what we would have, had they had the correct change. I think this is done intentionally to increase their tips. Even a ten year could figure out that if you're making a monetary transaction of any kind, more than likely you will need to make change. <BR><BR>Also, make sure to confirm before you take off whether the quoted price is in American dollars or EC dollars. <BR><BR>Taxi drivers and companies will claim that their rates are set by the government but we did experience disparities. Nothing too extreme, but disparities nonetheless.

"No Change" is the oldest scam in the book and not just with taxi drivers. (Even pizza delivery guys here pull it) Before we leave home we make sure we have a lot of one dollar bills and other small bills. They are more than happy to accept US dollars.

I cannot say this enough times. Go the bank, and get some local currency from the ATM. This will save you loads money in the long run, and you rarely will pay more than necessary. I don't understand why tourists insist on spending U.S. dollars just because they feel more comfortable with there own currency. The EC ususally exchanges for between $2.65-2.70 to one U.S. dollar.<BR><BR>Also, Mary didn't mention if she asked how much it would cost before getting into the taxi. The price should be negotiated always before the trip.<BR><BR>Please don't leave common sense behind when traveling. If you behave as if you don't have a clue, then you definitely will be taken advantage of. This will happen anywhere, not just on vacation.

We had a very good driver named Simon, we always asked for him.

I don't think anybody insists on paying in US dollars. I could care less how we pay -- we'll accommodate the vendor as much as possible which is why we carry both. Some actually prefer US dollars.<BR><BR>But you may find some taxis quoting you in EC dollars and others in US dollars without specifying which one they're referring to. If you assume it's US but it's really EC then you've just paid more than double, and more than likely the driver won't bring it to your attention as he (or she I suppose) will assume it's a tip. <BR><BR>And yes, definitly get a quote for the trip before you take off as well.<BR><BR>Peter: I just realized you're probably back from you trip. Hope you had a great time. How about a brief trip report? Would love to hear your experiences.

To Kim:<BR><BR> Sorry, but I don't remember you.<BR><BR>Simon