ATMs are common in tourist areas. Credit cards are commonly accepted in stores, hotels and restaurants. Both Eastern Caribbean dollars and U.S. dollars are accepted most everywhere.

You'll find banks in St. John's and at Nelson's Dockyard National Park, near the pier in English Harbour. St. John's has many branches of international banks in addition to the local banks. Normal bank hours are Monday-Thursday 8 am-2 pm and Friday 8 am-4 pm.

The Antigua & Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST), instituted in early 2007, replaces consumption tax, the hotel tax and the telecommunications tax.

A 10% service charge is normally included in the hotel bill. Tip taxi drivers 10%. Porters get EC$1-$2 (US$0.50-$1) per bag. Most hotels and restaurants include a 10% service charge in your bill; additional gratuities for outstanding service are appreciated but not required.

Temperatures are usually warm in Antigua and Barbuda. Daytime readings range 75-80 F/25-30 C and nights about 10 degrees F/5 degrees C cooler. It's often sunny and arid with a pleasant breeze blowing. The island is the driest in the eastern Caribbean, with an average annual rainfall of about 45 in/114 cm. During the dry season (roughly January-April), brown is the predominant landscape color. Residents might suffer from the droughts, but for visitors, the low rainfall and constant easterly breezes create one of the most pleasant climates in the West Indies. An exception is hurricane season (July-November), when it's cloudier, hotter and more humid. However, unless there's actually a hurricane in the neighborhood, even that season can be pleasant, and prices are more reasonable then.

Dress is mostly informal, but it's advisable to take some formal clothing if you intend to dine at some of the fancier restaurants, since some do have strict dress codes. If you plan to stay on the beach until sunset, it is advisable to have insect repellent and clothing that doesn't leave a lot of skin exposed. Short pants are acceptable for men and women for breakfast and lunch, but only in the more casual restaurants for dinner.

In December and January, the evenings can get a bit chilly, so you might want to take a sweater. Business attire usually means a jacket and tie for men, and a business suit, pants or skirt for women.

Internet access is available throughout the island, within hotels and in Internet cafes. Charges vary: Some hotels offer this as a free service, but others bill for it. The rate in the city is usually quite low and generally is charged per hour. There are open Wi-Fi zones set up at certain locations, including the airport, but most residential service outside the city is plug-in. Businesses within the city usually operate on secure Wi-Fi networks.

Internet access in Barbuda is available at the Internet cafe in Codrington Village.

The main post office in St. John's is on High Street, just opposite Heritage Quay. Monday-Friday 8 am-noon and 1-4 pm. Its service is generally reliable, and for important parcels, the postal service offers an express service. FedEx and DHL also have offices in the city.

There are two daily newspapers: The Daily Observer and The Antigua Sun. Both generally carry the same information, although politics have been known to color the content. Visitors' guides are available at all major ports, and Life in Antigua, the official tourist publication of the Antigua Hotel and Tourist Association, is available in most hotel rooms. A variety of tourist publications are now offered, including maps and brochures. The Ministry of Tourism has commissioned an official publication called Paradise Antigua and Barbuda. In addition, there is a locally produced, free magazine called Business Focus, which features Antiguan business personalities.

There are pay phones that use coins, calling cards and credit cards. They are typically clearly marked, and booths are not hard to find. Coin phones supplied by the local telephone authority, APUA, are limited to local calls. Private companies offer prepaid calling cards for other phone booths, and credit-card booths, though not as numerous, are distinctively marked.

Local calls, including ones to Barbuda, do not require area codes. Most people rely heavily on cellular phones, and the signal is generally good, except in the most remote areas. Some of the cellular services allow for roaming, but if you prefer to have a local phone, this can be arranged.

V.C. Bird International Airport (ANU) on Antigua is about 4 mi/6 km northeast of St. John's (about a 15-minute drive). Barbuda has Codrington Airport (BBQ) at the south end of the island, about 3 mi/5 km from Dulcina.

Because Antigua is the hub of LIAT's service throughout the Caribbean, there are numerous flights to other islands (phone 480-5601). Carib Aviation flies from Antigua to Codrington, Barbuda, for about US$60 round-trip (phone 462-3147 or 462-3452). Caribbean Star Airlines also runs scheduled service to neighboring islands (phone 480-2561). Several companies offer air-and-land day-trip excursions from Antigua to Barbuda. The Coco Point Lodge on Barbuda has its own airport and air service.

Privately owned buses (minivans) provide transportation around Antigua, but there is no set schedule, and few buses run after the evening rush hour or on Sunday unless there are festivals and events in the city. The buses are used far more by Antiguans than by visitors, so they provide a close-up view of island life. From St. John's, buses to the eastern part of the island leave from the East Bus Station; the others leave from the West Bus Station, near the Public Market. Fees vary according to the length of your trip (EC$1.50-$8) but the driver can tell you what you owe if you tell him where you're going. Pay as you board. There is no bus service on Barbuda.

Rental cars are plentiful on Antigua. You'll see many rental agencies in downtown St. John's and Falmouth. Rates start at US$50 per day. You must have a valid driver's license and pay about US$20 for a temporary local license. The rental car agency can assist you in obtaining it.

Roads are generally good but filled with many potholes, and few of the roads are marked, so be sure to get a detailed map from the rental agency. (It's easy to get lost.) Driving is on the left.

On Barbuda, rental cars are available, but be prepared for rougher, dustier roads.

There is a scheduled ferry service between Antigua and Barbuda called The Barbuda Express (phone 460-0059 or 724-7027). Those wishing to sail to Barbuda can charter a boat or join one of the excursion cruises offered by several operators on Antigua. Barbuda is about two hours away from Antigua by boat.

Cruise ships call at Antigua: The larger ships dock at Heritage Quay (a large, duty-free shopping center) and Redcliffe Quay in St. John's. An information booth is located inside Heritage Quay, and the main office of the Antigua and Barbuda Tourist Board is one block away at the corner of Nevis Street and Friendly Alley. When there isn't sufficient space at the ports in the heart of the city, cruise ships dock at Deepwater Harbour. Smaller, windjammer-style boats visit English Harbour, docking a five-minute walk from Nelson's Dockyard National Park. Larger yachts dock at Falmouth and English harbors, as well as in Jolly Harbour.

Taxis are not metered, and drivers can be quite creative in their pricing, so agree on a price before getting in the cab. Drivers are required to carry a rate card—rates quoted are for up to four people in the taxi, and they tend to be high. (For example, the 7-mi/10-km ride from St. John's to English Harbour costs US$25.) Rates are usually quoted in U.S. dollars, but be sure to confirm the currency before getting in the cab. Taxi drivers also serve as island guides (a four-hour tour for four people runs US$70-$80). For taxis in Barbuda, phone the Barbuda Taxi Association at 727-9957 or phone the Barbuda Tourism Office at 460-0604 to arrange a car and driver.

Mountain bicycles can be rented for about US$35 a day from H2O Antigua. Phone 562-3933. Mopeds and motorcycles are not generally available for rent, but a few small companies offer scooters. Quads are the latest craze, and these can also be rented.

Tourist Offices

Antigua and Barbuda Department of Tourism, Nevis Street and Friendly Alley, St. John's, Antigua. Phone 462-0480. Fax 462-2483.

Antigua and Barbuda Embassies

Canada: High Commission for the Countries of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, 130 Albert St., Suite 700, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5G4. Phone 613-236-8952. Fax 613-236-3042.

U.S.: Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda, 3216 New Mexico Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20016. Phone 202-362-5122. Fax 202-362-5225.

Foreign Embassies Serving Antigua

Canada: Canada is represented by its High Commission in Barbados: Bishop's Court Hill, St. Michael, Bridgetown. Phone 246-429-3550. Fax 246-429-3780.

U.S.: U.S. Consular Agent, Bluff House, Pigeon Point, English Harbour, Antigua. Phone 463-6531. Fax 460-1569. Assistance is also available from the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados. Phone 246-431-3225.

Several books by Jamaica Kincaid are of particular interest. Annie John is a work of fiction based on the author's experiences growing up on Antigua. A Small Place is an indictment of Antiguan politics and society. My Brother, an account of her brother's battle against HIV/AIDS, provides a personal look at a growing health problem in the Caribbean.

Dancing in the Dining Room by Donna Goring (Authorhouse 2004).