BY BUS:

The islands benefit from a bus service which connects all parts of the islands to Hamilton. The bus is the cheapest way to get around, and it can be a good idea to use it, but it has some negative sides. The timetable is not always respected – especially outside of Hamilton, Bermudians will often wait 15 or even 30 minutes at the bus stop (don’t blame them, if they say the bus will come in a moment: time is relative in such a beautiful place)! Bus drivers are well educated, however the first time you catch a bus, you will be scared by the fact that buses will regularly hit the leaves of palms and other plants – they travel very very close to the side of the street – as well as by the speed reached in some streets (despite the official speed limit) and the sometimes erratic drivers. Bus frequency is very good in some areas, but this is only until about 6PM; afterwards it is impossible to reach many parts of the islands by bus. The buses are air-conditioned and used equally by locals and visitors. If you plan to use the bus, it will be much more convenient if you buy a multiple-day travel pass in a post office in St. George’s or Hamilton. When catching a bus, look out for the pink and blue painted poles which denote bus stops: pink indicates buses heading into Hamilton; blue, heading out from Hamilton. Buses will not accept passengers with a lot of luggage, thus they are not a recommended means of transportation from or to the airport. More information available from:

• Department of Public Transportation, +1 441 292-3851. Operators of the bus service.

BY FERRY:

There are also passenger ferries which ply the waters of Hamilton Harbour and the Great Sound, and are a great way of getting to Somerset and the Dockyard. There is also a ferry service between the Dockyard and St. George’s. Transportation passes valid on both buses and ferries are available for unlimited use for periods of 1 to 31 days and cost $12–55. A one-way bus or ferry trip costs $4. Ask the bus driver for a transfer if you must connect to another line. If embarking from a cruise ship at the Dockyard the ferry is the most cost effective way to get to Hamilton. If you wish to visit St. George’s by ferry, do this on a day your cruise ship does not embark from Bermuda.

• Sea Express, +1 441 295-4506. (operators of the ferry service).

There are also bus and ferry schedules.

BY TAXI:

Taxis are another easy way of getting around the islands. They are available at taxi stands on Front St. in Hamilton, at the major hotels or by phone. All taxis are fitted with a meter and charge $6.40 for first mile plus $2.25 for each subsequent mile; or $8.00 for the first mile for 5-6 passenger taxi and $2.80 for each additional mile, for travel between 6AM and midnight. If not in Hamilton, you can always flag one down on a major road or call to have one pick you up.

With many services in Bermuda, but especially with taxis (though not with buses and ferries, which are very punctual), there is a concept of “Bermuda Time.” You may find that when you call for a taxi to pick you up, they may not be as prompt as you would like. This may mean waiting an extra ten minutes, but remember that Bermuda is not at all fast-paced like many cities, it is much more laid back and relaxed here. So relax; you are on Bermuda time. Enjoy the views while you wait.

• Bermuda Taxi Radio Cabs, +1 441 295-4141.
  
• Bermuda Taxi Association, +1 441 296-2121.

BY MOPED:

Until the arrival of the US military during the second world war, cars were entirely banned from the islands. Even now, rental cars are banned (except for the Renault Twizy, a two-seat electric car) and only residents are permitted to own cars. Motorized bicycles or mopeds are available for hire and heavily used by locals and tourists as well. If you wish to use mopeds, rentals are very common, regulated and priced competitively, but beware: “Road Rash” is a very common affliction affecting many tourists. The rule of the road is to drive on the left side of the road, Commonwealth-style.

• Elbow Beach Cycles, +1 441 296-2300. scooter rental, cycle rental, moped hire.
  
• Oleander Cycles, +1 441 236-2453. Cycle rental.

EAT:

Great effort has been expended by hotel and restaurant chefs in developing an ostensibly ‘traditional Bermudian cuisine’, although this has usually meant adapting other cuisines, from West Indian to Californian, in line with the expectations of visiting clientele.

Most pubs serve a typical British Pub fare, although the number of these establishments has diminished in recent years as premises are lost to development, or establishments are redeveloped to target the tourist market.

While lobster and other seafoods are often featured on the menu, virtually everything is imported from the US or Canada. This shows in the price of even casual dining and groceries: locally produced foodstuffs are typically less varied, of poorer quality, produced in smaller quantities, and more expensive. Most bananas, for instance, will have a ‘Chiquita’ sticker, and are larger than those grown locally (which do have the advantage of ripening on the plant).

A law in Bermuda prohibits most multinational fast food chains (such as McDonald’s) from opening restaurants on the island – the only one allowed to operate is a KFC owned by Bermudians in the City of Hamilton.

Local dishes:

Local specialities include:

• Salted codfish, boiled with potatoes. The traditional Sunday breakfast.
  
• Hoppin’ John. Boiled rice and black-eyed peas.
  
• Cassava pie. Farine is an alternate base. Traditionally eaten at Christmas, but becoming more commonly found in local markets year-round.
  
• Bay grape jelly. Bay grapes were introduced as a windbreak. Although, like Suriname cherries and loquats, they are found throughout Bermuda and produce edible fruit, none of these plants are cultivated for agriculture, and their fruits are normally eaten from the tree, primarily by school children.
  
• Bermuda bananas, which are smaller and sweeter than others, are often eaten on Sunday mornings with codfish and potatoes.
  
• Fish is a common feature on restaurant menus across the island: local tuna, wahoo, and rockfish.
  
• Fish chowder, made with fish, tomatoes, and other vegetables, and seasoned with sherry pepper sauce and dark rum, is a local favourite. It enjoys the status of national dish.
  
• Shark hash
  
• Fish cakes. Traditionally eaten on Fridays.
  
• Hot cross buns are an Easter favourite.

Restaurants and dining options:

Restaurants can be found all over the island, with the largest concentration in Hamilton and St George’s. Also, there are several at some of the hotels which are outstanding, although pricey. At Elbow Beach Hotel, Cafe Lido is excellent, and Southampton Fairmont Waterlot Inn, although sometimes crowded and noisy, has excellent dining.

With most restaurants, the closer you are to the cruise ship docks, the more expensive the menu will be. Most cruise ship passengers have a short time in which to experience Bermuda, and if they don’t eat on the ship, most will be reluctant to leave the town to eat. The restaurants in proximity to the cruise ship docks in, say, St. George’s can be as much as three times as expensive as a comparable one in, say, Somerset Village.

The Pickled Onion was formerly a British-style pub called the Cock and Feather.

Bermuda’s first and only Irish pub is Flannagan’s.

DRINK:

Bermuda has two popular drinks:

• Rum Swizzle is a rum cocktail made of Demerera Rum (amber rum) and Jamaican Rum (dark rum) along with an assortment of citrus juices. Sometimes brandy is added to the mixture as well. It is quite a strong drink. According to local lore, it was named after the Swizzle Inn (although swizzle is a term that originated in England, possibly in the 18th century), where it is said to have been developed.
  
• Dark n’ Stormy is a highball of Gosling’s Black Seal, a dark blend of local rums, mixed with Barritt’s Bermuda Stone Ginger Beer.

Both drinks are comparatively very sweet.

Accommodations in Bermuda are typically quite expensive. However, there are excellent options available.

There is also a wide variety of B&B style accommodations and smaller guest-room hotels (with kitchenettes).

Additionally, some businesses offer private homes, apartments and studios for short term rent.

The exorbitant cost of accommodation and airfares has had a negative effect on tourism, which is shrinking by more than 25% every year. Local government therefore hopes for more budget airlines to come to the island; for example, JetBlue flights have become available. Cruise ships are scapegoated for the decline in hotel stays. Compared to Caribbean destinations, Bermuda is at least twice to five times as expensive for a similar product.

A nice assortment of stores exists in Hamilton, especially on Front Street facing the harbour, one of the main shopping streets, easily explored on foot. A.S. Coopers, a shop first established in 1897, remains in business.

Shopping can also be found in the easily walked town of St George’s and in the Dockyard, which has a small shopping mall. Smaller stores can be found throughout the island, offering a variety of goods.

Although shopping may seem relatively expensive in Bermuda, there are some ways to save money. The Island Pass offers exclusive deals at over 60 locations. It can be purchased for $ 20 at the Visitors Information Centres in Hamilton, the Dockyard, or St. George’s.