BlaakLane.com provides chauffeur service in Antigua for V.C. Bird International (ANU) airport transfers, St. John's cruise pickups and drives to resorts, villas and marinas from Dickenson Bay to English Harbour. You enter the flight or address, time and vehicle, and a fixed fare appears before you confirm. Trips are driven by a vetted local affiliate; the confirmation names the operator and chauffeur.
Three steps to book in Antigua
- Enter your flight number, or the pier and ship name, in the engine on this page or at /book/.
- Add the resort, villa or marina, and pick a vehicle class. The engine shows one fixed price with the chauffeur, fuel and included waiting built in.
- Confirm. Our 24/7 desk in Toronto assigns a vetted Antiguan affiliate working to the BlaakLane.com written standard, and the confirmation names the operator, the chauffeur and the car.
Yacht crew rotations during the winter season, regatta hospitality and multi-car wedding programmes are planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing.
V.C. Bird International Airport (ANU)
ANU sits on the north-east of the island near Osbourn, about 8 kilometres from St. John's. Its terminal opened in 2015. After immigration and customs, standard pickup is at the designated pre-arranged pickup area outside arrivals, and the chauffeur messages the vehicle details. A name-board meet and greet is an add-on; add-ons are only available in selected locations.
Every pickup is flight-tracked, and the chauffeur is timed to the actual landing. International arrivals include 60 minutes of waiting from touchdown, and regional hops from other islands 30 minutes, then 15-minute blocks. Airport information is on the V.C. Bird International site.
ArriveAntigua
Antigua and Barbuda uses an online arrival and departure system, ArriveAntigua, which combines the immigration and customs declaration. It can be completed within 72 hours of your flight and produces a QR code for the officers at ANU.
How far is everything from the airport?
| From ANU to | Area | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| St. John's and the cruise quays | North-west | 15-25 min |
| Dickenson Bay and Runaway Bay | North-west coast | 15-25 min |
| Long Bay and the east coast | East | 25-35 min |
| Jolly Harbour | West coast | 35-50 min |
| Carlisle Bay and Old Road | South-west | 45-60 min |
| English Harbour and Falmouth Harbour | South | 35-50 min |
Antigua is roughly 280 square kilometres, and most drives are under an hour. Roads cross the island through small villages, with speed humps, goats and occasional potholes, so times vary more than the distances suggest.
English Harbour and Nelson's Dockyard
In the south, Nelson's Dockyard and the Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Falmouth Harbour next door is one of the Caribbean's main superyacht bases in winter. Sunday evenings at Shirley Heights, the old lookout above the harbours, draw visitors from across the island; the road up is steep and narrow, and parking is tight, so an hourly booking with the car waiting nearby is the easy way to go.
St. John's cruise quays
Ships berth at Heritage Quay, Redcliffe Quay and the Nevis Street Pier in St. John's, right in the town centre. The chauffeur meets you at the designated transport area on the quay side. A shore day to English Harbour, Shirley Heights and a south-coast beach fits comfortably in five hours. Give us the all-aboard time and the return is planned with a margin. Busy ship days make the town's one-way streets slow.
Resorts, villas and private islands
Resort transfers spread around the coast: Dickenson Bay and the north-west, Long Bay and Half Moon Bay on the east, Jolly Harbour, Hermitage Bay and Carlisle Bay on the west and south-west, and the hotels around English Harbour. Guests of the private-island resorts off the north coast are driven to the resort's jetty near the airport for the boat crossing; add the jetty or resort name to the booking.
Beaches and day outings by the hour
Antigua is said to have a beach for every day of the year, and the good ones are spread out: Darkwood and Ffryes on the south-west road, Half Moon Bay on the Atlantic side, Pigeon Point near English Harbour and Dickenson Bay in the north. A car by the hour lets you combine two beaches, lunch at a harbour restaurant and a stop at Betty's Hope, the restored sugar estate in St. Philip, without negotiating each leg. The road along the south coast through Old Road and the Fig Tree Drive through the rainforest are slow but scenic, and a chauffeur who knows them makes the day easier. See city tours and day trips.
Getting to Barbuda
Barbuda, Antigua's sister island, is reached by ferry from St. John's in about 90 minutes or by a short flight. We drop you at the ferry dock or the airport and can collect you on your return.
Business and government travel
St. John's holds the government offices, the courts, the banks and most professional firms, while the airport area around Coolidge hosts aviation and logistics businesses. Meeting days split between town and the airport are short drives, so hourly chauffeur service is often simpler than point-to-point bookings. Corporate accounts give firms monthly invoicing, cost centres and booker profiles for staff who fly in regularly.
Vehicle classes
An executive SUV handles a family's luggage and the rougher back roads. Couples usually choose a business or Luxury Executive Sedan. A Standard Black SUV or Sprinter carries a wedding party or a crew of eight. Partner vehicles include stretch limousines and Rolls-Royce, Maybach or Bentley where available. The full line-up is on the fleet; inclusions are on rates. Child seats are free on request.
Driving side and local rules
Antigua drives on the left. Visitors who want to drive themselves need a temporary local driving permit, one reason many people book a chauffeur instead. Night driving is slow; many roads have no street lighting.
Antigua Sailing Week and Carnival
Antigua Sailing Week is usually held from late April into early May around English Harbour and Falmouth, and it fills every bed in the south. Carnival usually runs from late July to the first days of August, with parades in St. John's. The winter season, December to April, is the busiest time for villa and yacht traffic. Check the tourism authority for current dates.
Cancellation
Free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% at 72 hours or less; 50% at 48 hours or less; 100% at 24 hours or less or on a no-show.
More islands: Sint Maarten, St. Lucia and Antigua and Barbuda country notes.
