Getting to Montserrat is half the fun; it is the reason the island has remained untouched by resorts and chain restaurants. You will find none of those on Montserrat. If you fear small propeller planes, your options to arrive on Montserrat will be limited.
In essence, there are 3 options on getting to the island:
- flight from Antigua aboard Fly Montserrat, BMN SVG Air or WinAir (February and March only)
- helicopter charter from Antigua via Calvin Air
- ferry boat ride from Antigua (typically only available the for holiday season through March)
The most inexpensive way is the ferry ride, which takes about 90 minutes and is about $204 USD round trip. Currently the service is seasonal, with future plans to expand to year-round.
By airplane, the only airport that services Montserrat’s John A Osborne Airport is Antigua’s V.C. Bird International Airport. Flights are direct from the US and Europe to Antigua, with a short 20 minute connecting flight to Montserrat. Current round-trip airfare from Antigua to Montserrat costs around $378 USD.
Helicopter charter service through Calvin Air can be booked by calling 268-789-HELI or completing their online booking direct at Calvin Air. Their Airbus EC130 helicopters are very spacious and seat 6 persons. If a charter is in your price range, we highly recommend it.
Most flights to Antigua from the United States connect through Miami which means unless you live there, you still have to get to Miami. Our flights out of Miami have been landing in Antigua around 1:30 PM. That means we have time to catch one, maybe 2 flights to Montserrat, and that’s if you initial flight was on time. But this is vacation, why be rushed?
It is because of this that we chose to fly into Antiqua and stay a night or 2 there before proceeding to Montserrat in the morning. Not only can your body relax and adjust from a day of travel, but you can take the first flight into Montserrat the next morning and have all day there. We have stayed in Antiqua at Siboney Beach Club, which allows one night stays, and the Galley Bay Resort & Spa, which has a 3 night minimum.
Once on island, there are many options for vehicle rentals. You can visit the Montserrat’s Tourism Authority for a listing of recommended businesses. In our visits, we have always utilized Jerette with Tip Top Enterprises and have always been very happy.
Here are videos of takeoff’s and landings, in and out of Montserrat.
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