Haiti | Travel Information
General Info, Travel Info, & FAQs are provided to assist with your vacation.
Customs Visitors are allowed to bring in items for personal use in reasonable quantitiesfor the duration of their stay. Generally throughout theCaribbean the standard is around 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars,or 250 grams of tobacco, and one to two liters of alcohol.
Getting there By air Most international flights arrive at Maïs Gaté InternationalAirport, which is five miles from Port-au-Prince. Some flightsarrive at the Cap-Haïtien international airport, which is aboutsix miles from the town. It takes about 10 hours to fly fromLos Angeles, four hours from New York, and two hours from Miami.Ensure you reconfirm your departing flight well ahead of time.
Note: Be on your guard as arriving passengers are sometimesthe target of criminals for later assaults and robberies. Takeonly licensed taxis, the Airport Express shuttle, or have someonemeet you at the airport.
From North America: Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines From Europe: Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines From the Caribbean: Aero Caribbean, Air Guadeloupe, Air Jamaica,Air Santo Domingo, Copa Airlines From Central America: Copa Airlines
By sea The main port is in Port-au-Prince but cruise ships usuallycall on Labadie (also known as Labadee) near Cap-Haïtien. RoyalCaribbean Cruise Lines, and to a lesser extent Celebrity Cruises,call on Haiti.
By land There are two main entry points from the Dominican Republic (DR): in the south Jimani, DR connects Port-au Prince to Santo Domingo, DR; in the north Quanaminthe, Haiti and Dajabon, DR connect Cap-Haitïen to Santiago, DR and the Puerto Plata area. Caribe Tours provides bus service between Santo Domingo, DR, and Pétion-Ville. Terra Bus also provides daily service between the two countries on large comfortable, air-conditioned buses.
Private vehicles require special permission from the countryof origin in order to cross the border and rental vehiclesare prohibited from crossing. Border crossings are only open8am to 6pm.
Visitors entering via a land border crossing must pay a US$20entry fee in cash.
Getting around By taxis Authorized radio taxis are best for getting around. Thoseaccredited by ACGH (Association des Chauffeurs Guides d'Haïti)are reliable and also available at the airport. Their driverswear white guayavera shirts with an ACGH pin. You can alsoask your hotel to arrange a taxi for you. Island tours areavailable in addition to standard taxi service. The licenseplate of licensed taxis begins with a "P."
By bus Agence Citadelle operates the "Airport Express" shuttle service.These air-conditioned minibuses provide door-to-door servicefrom the airport. Arrange their service in advance and theywill meet you at the airport.
Public transportation comes in the form of buses and tap-taps.Tap-taps or publiques are informal collective taxis thatstop and pick up people at their discretion. Avoid publictransportation as it is overcrowded, unreliable, and vehiclesare poorly maintained.
There is also bus service from Port-au-Prince to the maintowns, although there is no set schedule. Buses leave whenthey are full.
By car Driving in Haiti is chaotic. Roads are unmarked, narrow andgenerally in poor condition. Mountain roads are winding.Few traffic lights operate and street lighting is almostnonexistent. Watch out for speeding locals, drunk drivers,unlit vehicles at night, and animals and vendors along theside of the road. Private cars are poorly maintained andbrake lights and turn signals often don't work. Traffic accidentsinvolving death and injury are common. Theft and hold-upsare also common, especially in Port-au-Prince, so don't leavevaluables in the car and keep your doors locked and windowsrolled up. Avoid driving at night.
There are several car rental agencies in Port-au-Prince,Pétion-Ville, and some in larger towns, as well as at theairport. To rent a car an international drivers permit isrecommended although you can also use your valid driver'slicense from home. License plates on rental cars begin withan "L." There are periodic gas supply disruptions and gasstations can be scarce outside of Port-au-Prince. Keep yourgas tank at least half full and carry a cell phone and contactnumbers in case of emergency because Haitian authoritiesare unlikely to respond to calls for assistance.
By air Caribintair flies from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haïtien, Hinche,Pignon and Dame Marie.
Disclaimer: Information is provided as a service to visitors and is updated regularly. All
information should be verified prior to travel.
HOME >
Haiti
MAIN PAGE >
Haiti
TRAVEL INF0
