Getting to Montserrat

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. The airport is only 1,968 feet (600 meters) long and is ranked 95 out of 100 for shortest commercial runway.

Flight over the Caribbean Sea (18.724317 , -64.716221)

Landing in Montserrat (16.791312, -62.197138)

In essence, there are 4 options on getting to the island:

flight from Antigua aboard Fly Montserrat or BMN SVG Air
flight from Saint Maarten aboard WinAir
helicopter charter from Antigua via Calvin Air
ferry boat ride from Antigua (typically only available the for holiday season through March)

Ferry Service from Antigua to Montserrat (16.803267, -62.206234)

Fly Montserrat Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander (16.792459, -62.193423)

Helicopter charter via Calvin Air (17.140844, -61.790798)

WinAir De Haviland Twin-Otter (16.792459, -62.193423)

Start your journey by getting to either Antigua or Saint Maarten. The United States, Canada and Europe all offer direct flights to either and from there you can chose your transportation to Montserrat.

The least expensive way to reach Montserrat is the ferry ride from Antigua, which takes about 90 minutes and has a cost of around $204 USD round-trip. Currently the service is only seasonal but there is a push to expand it to year-round.

From Antigua’s V.C. Bird International Airport you can fly either BNM SVG Airways or FlyMontserrat. Flights take about 20 minutes and cost around $378 USD round-trip, as of 2026. FlyMontserrat utilizes the Britten-Norman Islander aircraft which has a seating capacity of just 7, and a strict passenger weight limit (including you, the fuel and luggage) of under 3,000 lbs. Passengers 300 lbs. or more (your weight + luggage) must purchase two seats.

V.C. Bird International Airport, Antigua (17.142032 , -61.790230)

Flying from Saint Maartin’s Princess Juliana International Airport you will have about a 40 minute flight with WinAir. Current round-trip tickets run about $268 USD. Both WinAir and BNM SVG Airways operate the De Havilland Twin-Otters which have seats for 19, but are limited to taking off from Montserrat with 10 due to the runway length.

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. They are also available for Soufriere Hills volcano tours.

You have to expect unscheduled delays (17.142032 , -61.790230)

Most Caribbean flights from the United States connect through Miami which means unless you live there, you still have to get to Miami. Depending which country you choose to connect through, your flight is probably not arriving in Antigua or Saint Maarten much before 2:00 PM. If you have any delays or customs is backed up at the airport, you are probably going to miss your flight to Montserrat that day. But you are on vacation, so why get stressed out?

It is because of this that we chose to stay at least one night in Antigua or Saint Maarten before completing our final leg. 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.

If connecting through Antigua, we can recommend two options that are on opposite ends of the price spectrum.

The Siboney Beach Club will cost around $300 USD per night and they do allow one-night stays.

The Galley Bay Resort & Spa will cost about 3 times that of Siboney but is 5-stars in every category. While you would have to stay their minimum of 4-nights, the award winning resort is all-inclusive and often wins awards for best in the Caribbean.

If connecting through Saint Maarten, we can highly recommend the Holland House Beach Hotel which is right on Great Bay and the Phillipsburg boardwalk. The hotel will cost you about $300 USD per night and often included breakfast with your stay.

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.