St Lucia - Best Currency option and Transfers?

strandedhelp

Two questions really for our impending St Lucia Holiday..

I believe St Lucia works in US $, but what would be the best way of taking the cash/funds from the UK?

We have tried (on our last Holiday) a Travelex card which we bought and collected at the Airport, but since then, we have been told that's the worst way to go due to their conversion rate and their %.

Would it be better to take the cash for the week and keep it safe? or to use a UK Credit Card (as some places don't take debit cards over there?), maybe something like a Barclaycard and pay it off as soon as we return? Any help on the cheapest way of taking currency for a week's holiday would be most appreciated.

Secondly, we are still in the throws of sorting our transfers from St Lucia Airport > Hotel, and back again at the end.

We have had a couple of quotes but wondered if there was a better way from travellers who have visited before?

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

NFH

strandedhelp wrote: »

I believe St Lucia works in US $, but what would be the best way of taking the cash/funds from the UK?

No, it doesn't use USD but XCD.

Get a Halifax Clarity Card.

trolleyrun

US Dollars work well too. Transfers can take a long time, especially if you're staying on the north side of the island. The drive can be 2hrs+ on not very good roads. Make sure you go to the loo before the drive! The expensive but much faster option is by helicopter.

Winky,_The_House_Elf

It can be worth contacting your hotel, to see if they do transfers, as they are often cheaper, and sometimes free!

I took US Dollars and a Visa Debit card and had no problems with either.

Where abouts in St Lucia are you staying?

TakeThis

If you are unable to obtain a mainstream card, such as the Metro Bank debit card or the Halifax Clarity credit card, then the Prepaid card is but another option.
Try the Cash Passport Globe. They don't tamper with the exchange rate. But check if your bank card does not charge for topping up. If so, they try the Kalixa card(if they are still around). Apply via TopCashBack in order to reclaim the card fee and fund the card via Bank Transfer.

strandedhelp

Thanks for all the suggestions, were staying at the Jalousie Plantation, on the West of the Island if that helps?