Tips on Getting Around Kingston, Jamaica

A Bad Rap

What is the first city you think of when you’re planning a trip to Jamaica? Most likely it’s not Kingston.

Jamaica’s capital city usually gets the most flack out of all the other parishes. You hear of the crime rate, reasonably so, but honestly, crime is everywhere.

I live in Miami, so I wasn’t too thrown off by all of the negativity I heard. Any location that frequently attracts tourists will have its share of opportunists.

As a solo traveler, safety is a primary goal but so is venturing out without allowing dread to paralyze you! Check out my Solo Travel Safety Tips blog for additional practical help.

Before my arrival in Kingston, I was forewarned about not having my phone out casually and also about wearing flashy jewelry. I appreciated the concern but in my case it was unwarranted.

The biggest safety measure I took (I usually sport a large tote) is by rocking a smaller bag. I alternated between a crossbody, mini bookbag and fanny pack.

The unsafest I felt was riding in the taxis. I made a joke saying every ride was like a passionate time of intercession. 

TRANSPORTATION LOCALLY

As a solo traveler, I don’t like relying on anyone to get me to and from airports. I missed one flight and that’s all it took for it not to happen again.

You can do an Uber price estimator search for almost anywhere through Google. Most of this info applies to U.S. travel.

I used another website RometoRio which gives you distances, transportation options, and estimated costs worldwide. I used it for Kingston and the local cab fare was much lower than they predicted.  

Way.com and Simple Airport Parking are great resources for airport parking in the U.S. I go with whichever site offers me the cheapest rate.

Park & Ride

You enter in your airport, flight info, and the page will load the closest parking lots to the airport chosen. You can filter the price from low to high. These lots offer hourly shuttles to the airport (some are 24 hours or open as early as 4 am).

I recommend arriving a few minutes before the shuttle leaves for check-in (license plate number, keys, payment confirmation, etc.). These shuttles also pick you upon your return.

Depending on the company, you may have to call beforehand or schedule a pick-up. In my experience, they have been very dependable.

I’ve seen most deals for less than $5 per day. The earlier you book, the less you pay.

They also give you a certain time to cancel with a full refund. If you have someone reliable to drop you off and pick you up, then that would be the best option overall.

TIP: I  advise against parking directly at the airport because the daily rates are not cost-effective.

KINGSTON AIRPORT  (NORMAN MANLEY INTL)

*All prices quoted in U.S. dollars

Shared airport shuttles are my go-to when traveling. You may not go directly to your destination, but the money saved is worth it.

If Uber is available, I compare the pricing as I explained earlier to see which is a better deal. For Kingston however, the airport shuttles were over $60+ one way for a solo traveler.

This amount is more than a standard roundtrip shuttle. Even the group rates were higher than I’ve seen before.

Taxis are another option for about $35-45 one way but I wasn’t comfortable with that option being it was my first time. Don’t be afraid to rely on your first instincts even with something as small as a mode of transportation.

Instincts

This is your trip and literally, go with the flow. If you’re up for it, public transportation is pretty cheap too.

Do take luggage type/quantity, distances, and route connections into consideration

TIP: If you’re staying in an AIRBNB, some hosts offer airport pick-up and drop off for about $20 one way. That’s a pretty good deal, but not all hosts offer it. The ones that do, will state it in their descriptions.

I was determined to find a reasonable shuttle rate since Uber is not offered in Kingston.  It’s a habit now to put on my archaeologist’s (digger’s) hat and get to work.

Remember, I do all the “dirty” work so that I can make YOUR life easier. I found a website visitacity that offered me a private airport transfer for $25 one way.

I was stoked! The return trip was more expensive so my task was still incomplete.  

All Aboard

I found out that Jamaica had a bus line similar to Greyhound which operated regularly between their major parishes (Knutsford Express).  They had a Kingston location and only offered transportation to the airport.  

Their website gives an option to book airport pick-up but it won’t allow you to complete the process. I booked via email but the site should let you book “to” Norman Manley.

It costs about $30. So in total, I paid $55 for roundtrip airport transportation.

This is the lowest fare I found. Please make sure that the shared shuttle’s times coincide with your flight.

Bus It

Thankfully, Knutsford Express is known for its punctuality.

Since there were only three passengers that day, we rode in a luxuriously large SUV. Knutsford Express also offers various schedules to cities like Ocho Rios, Falmouth, Negril, and Ocho Rios.

Keep in mind that Kingston has limited tours to these cities so you can make a day trip to go places like Dunns River Falls or Nine Mile. I found that the tour companies that did offer day trips from Kingston were way overpriced for a solo traveler.

Knutsford Express was about $25 each way compared to hundreds of dollars. You can also improvise to time your bus’ arrival to a tour in one of the cities it stops in.

TIP: At the time of publication, the Ocho Rios cruise port (Island Village) is a bus stop and many tours have a cruise port pick-up option included.

Always on Time

While in Jamaica I mostly used On-Time Taxi. They lived up to their name.

You must call them when you’re done getting ready because they show up as if they were expecting you! There are many other taxi firms, but they had better reviews.

Most local trips were less than ten dollars each way. Remember,  these taxis are an escapade in themselves so buckle up, hold on tight and enjoy the ride!

       ~Poof…Bee Gone

© 2019, Poof Bee Gone, All Rights Reserved

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