Bahamas
Visas & entry
US citizens generally do not need a tourist visa for stays of up to one month; Canadians can generally visit visa-free for up to eight months, while UK citizens are generally visa-free for up to 30 days. Many EU/EEA, Australian, New Zealand and Latin American passport holders are also visa-exempt, but permitted stays vary. Carry a return/onward ticket and use the stricter rule of a passport valid for at least six months; verify current nationality-specific requirements before ticketing.
Getting in
- Lynden Pindling International Airport, Nassau/New Providence: The main international gateway, with the widest North American connections and US preclearance. It is the practical arrival point for Nassau/Paradise Island and the usual hub for domestic flights to the Out Islands.
- Grand Bahama International Airport, Freeport: Use this for Grand Bahama, especially if you want beaches, caves, mangroves and diving without routing through Nassau. It has fewer international options than NAS but is the natural gateway for Freeport and Lucaya.
- Exuma International Airport, George Town/Great Exuma: The direct gateway for Great and Little Exuma, with limited international service and Nassau connections. It avoids spending a night in Nassau if flight schedules line up.
- North Eleuthera Airport: The useful arrival airport for north Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells. Central and south Eleuthera require a substantial drive after landing.
- Leonard M. Thompson International Airport, Marsh Harbour: The working gateway for the Abacos and onward transfers to the cays. Arrive here for Hope Town, Elbow Cay and charter-based trips, then expect ferries, water taxis or boats to do the real moving.
Getting around
Rent a car on road islands such as Great Exuma, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and Long Island; public transport is not a credible plan outside Nassau. For Abaco and many smaller cays, boats and water taxis are transport, not excursions. Domestic flights are essential for island changes and mostly route via Nassau, so leave buffers rather than booking same-day international connections; weather can disrupt both flights and boat days.
Money
The Bahamian dollar (BSD) is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, and US dollars are widely accepted. Cards work at resorts, larger restaurants and rental agencies, but carry cash for small settlements, taxis, tips, fish shacks and water taxis. Tipping follows North American expectations, roughly 15–20% where service is not already included.
Book before you land
Full-day Exuma Cays small-group or private boat charters, especially in December–April and around school holidays · Junkanoo grandstand/central Nassau accommodation for Boxing Day and New Year’s Day if attending specifically
- Treat boat excursions as weather-dependent: keep a flexible day rather than making a cays charter the final must-do before departure.
- Do not over-handle or feed wildlife on swimming-pig and shark excursions; choose operators that limit crowding and follow animal-welfare rules.
- Thunderball Grotto is tide-sensitive; at high tide it is not a casual snorkel and may require dive equipment.
- Nassau has traffic, cruise-ship surges and tourist hustling; it is a real city, not the empty-beach version of the Bahamas.
- Inter-island travel is fragile enough that a final Nassau buffer night is sensible before an international flight.
- On remote islands, book cars, boats and accommodation early; supply is thin and a sold-out rental car can ruin the itinerary.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.