Montego Bay Practical Guide: Sangster Airport, All-Inclusive Choice, Route Taxis, and the Falmouth Cruise Ship Port
The practical guide to Montego Bay covers the well-connected Sangster Airport, the choice between all-inclusive and independent accommodation, the local transport options, the seasonal price and weather considerations, and the Falmouth cruise ship terminal.
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Getting to Montego Bay: Sangster Airport
Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, the busiest airport in Jamaica and the principal international entry point to the island, receives direct scheduled flights from London, New York, Miami, Atlanta, Toronto, and dozens of other North American and European cities that make it the most directly accessible Caribbean resort destination for both European and American visitors. The airport is within 10 minutes of the Hip Strip resort zone.
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All-Inclusive vs Non-Inclusive: The Jamaica Choice
The central accommodation choice in Montego Bay is between the all-inclusive mega-resort properties that offer unlimited food, drink, and activities within the gated resort compound and the smaller independent hotels, guesthouses, and villa rentals that provide lower prices and more authentic integration with the local community and culture. The all-inclusive model is dominant in Montego Bay but the independent accommodation options are growing.
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Getting Around: Shared Taxis and Route Taxis
The JUTA taxi association operates the primary licensed tourist taxi service in Montego Bay for transfers and excursions; the route taxis, the shared minibuses that run the local routes at fixed prices, are the most authentic and most economical local transport but require knowledge of the route system and comfort with the crowded conditions. The Hip Strip is walkable but other destinations require transport.
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High Season and Low Season in Montego Bay
The Montego Bay high season runs from December to April when the American and European winter visitors fill the resort properties and prices peak; the low season from June to October brings reduced prices and smaller crowds but the hurricane season brings the risk of weather disruption from June to November. The shoulder months of May and November offer the best combination of price and climate.
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Cruise Ship Visitors: Falmouth Port
The Falmouth Cruise Ship Pier, developed by the Royal Caribbean cruise line in partnership with the Jamaican government and opened in 2011, is the primary cruise ship terminal for western Jamaica and receives the largest cruise ships in the world due to the exceptional depth of the Falmouth harbour. The cruise ship passengers who disembark at Falmouth typically visit Dunn's River Falls, the Martha Brae rafting, or the Montego Bay Hip Strip on organized shore excursions.
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Healthcare and Practical Safety
Montego Bay is one of the safer Jamaican cities for tourists, with the resort zone of the Hip Strip and the all-inclusive compound environment providing a high degree of security. Visitors should take standard Caribbean resort precautions about leaving valuables unattended and using recommended taxi services; the resort zone is safe for daytime exploration on foot but the streets of central Montego Bay away from the Hip Strip require the standard urban awareness of any Caribbean city.