Bermuda: The Land

As a prairie dweller, I'm used to flat land and plenty of it. Roads are wide and forgiving, and you have to cover a fair distance to get from one town to the next. Bermuda... is the opposite. It's a small island where you will see more scooters/mopeds (though the locals call them bikes) than anything.

Mopeds lined up along Front Street in the shopping district

Buses and boats are the next most popular methods of transportation. Passenger cars are small, like the Mini Cooper and vans are really only used as taxis.  You can not rent a car in Bermuda, only a moped or hire a taxi.

In Bermuda, roads are narrow with many curves and blind corners. You drive on the left side of the road and the vehicles are a right hand drive - just like in Europe. There are many round-abouts and confusing rules, different than in North America. For example, you can't turn right on a red light. And some lanes always have a green arrow and others a red arrow, not indicating stop and go, but instead indicating the driving lanes.  Confused? I was. And that's precisely why I left the driving to the professionals. I walked, took the hotel shuttle, the ferry and a professional taxi.

Hotel shuttle 

Taxis lined up at the airport

The Fairmont Southampton recommended CEO Transport Ltd to get to/from the airport. I was thoroughly impressed! The driver was very professional, courteous and quite eager to share his knowledge of Bermuda with us. I used the "shared shuttle" service and it was perfect. I felt very comfortable the whole time. We went to/from the hotel directly, without any other stops or pick ups at other hotels which is often the case (in other cities) with shared shuttles. The cost was very reasonable at $15 per direction, plus gratuity.  The service was very easy to set up and can be done through the hotel, or the www.limobermuda.com web site.

Next time in Bermuda, I would also hire the same company to do a private daytime tour of the island. Even though I did cover a fair bit of ground myself, sightseeing, I know there is lots of the island I missed. In the summer, when the horse and carriage tours are offered, I might consider that as another way of experiencing Bermuda.

Seadoo rentals at the waterlot/ferry dock

One of the greatest assets to the Fairmont Southampton, beyond their friendly staff, were the shuttle and ferry services offered free to guests. This was absolutely fantastic! The shuttles ran constantly through the expansive property which includes a golf course, a private beach and a dock. The ferry ran several times a day to the sister property, the Fairmont Princess. I used each of these services and honestly can say they added significant value to the cost of the stay. The dock itself is a sight to see. It's picturesque, well kept, well lit and boasts one of the islands landmark restaurants, The Waterlot Inn.