Cheap Flights to St. Lucia

The grandeur of the thickly forested Pitons greets you as your plane descends to the golden beaches and crystal-clear waters that surround ‘Honeymoon Island’: welcome to St Lucia.

This Caribbean paradise lies north of St Vincent and the Grenadines, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique – but you won’t want to leave its heavenly embrace once you arrive.

Rainforests, volcanic mountains and pristine beaches are all easily accessible from its luxury resorts, that centre around Rodney Bay, Marigot Bay and Soufriere.

When to book cheap flights to St Lucia

St Lucia’s tropical climate guarantees sun all year round. It’s average temperature is 27^oC and, even at its hottest, the island is refreshingly cooled by gentle trade winds that help keep humidity at bay.

December and January are the coolest months here – and the mercury hits the heights between June and August. During these hottest months is also when the hurricane season hits, and these storms can last into November.

In terms of rain you’ll find January to April the driest – making this St Lucia’s peak season when demand for flights are at their highest.

During the wetter months of May to August there are certainly cheaper flights available for those packing a brolly. The rain tends to fall in short, intense bouts, so it shouldn’t affect your holiday plans too greatly.

How to find the best flight deals to St Lucia

Regardless of when you book your flights, booking early is the best way to bag a bargain, and Expedia makes it easy to track down bargain airfares to St Lucia.

Use our ‘Show flexible dates’ feature when you search for your flights to quickly reveal if booking on a different day will offer significant savings.

You can also check if ‘Nearby airports’ offer a more convenient flight time or cheaper airfare. Don’t forget to check this for both your departure and arrival airport, as St Lucia boasts more than one arrival option.

Finally, you can compare direct flights with connecting flights – often there are similar flight times, but much cheaper airfares, on non-direct flights.

Airports in St Lucia

There are two airports on St Lucia: the George F.L. Charles Airport, situated near the capital of Castries, and Hewanorra International Airport, located on the south of the island near Vieux Fort.

You are most likely to land at Hewanorra, as Castries only takes flights from neighbouring islands.

Most luxury resorts will offer a transfer service from the airports. Indeed, many send private cars to pick you up. There are independent shuttle services available that can be booked online in advance if you need them.

If you want to explore the island under your own steam, a good choice of car hire services is available at the airports. Taxis and, for those with deep pockets, helicopter transfers are also widely available.

Which airlines fly to St Lucia?

The carriers offering cheap flights to St Lucia include:

• British Airways (direct services)
• Virgin Atlantic (direct services)
• TUI (direct services)
• American Airlines (connecting services)
• Air Canada (connecting services)
• WestJet (connecting services)
• Delta (connecting services)
• United (connecting services)

How to get around in St Lucia

Aside from organised tours most tourists opt for taxis to organise day trips around the island or they hire a car. Driving on St Lucia's unmarked and occasional poorly repaired bad roads can be a challenge – but, if you drive carefully and plan your trips, car hire on the island is immensely rewarding. The good news is they drive on the left, the not so good news is that there is a small charge to receive a St Lucia driver's license, but you can arrange this when you hire the car.

Taxi drivers on the island have received training to act as guides – and there are set fares for most standard sightseeing trips.

St Lucia’s buses are a cheap option, but they tend to be very overcrowded and only link major population areas rather than resorts and sights.

For an exciting way to see the island there are plenty of helicopter flights available for a breathtaking overview of St Lucia. Short trips cost little more than a meal out for two, so this is not just an option for superstars!

What are the must-sees in St Lucia?

St Lucia’s drive-in volcano, Mount Soufriere, must be high on most wish lists, but there are other less dramatic sights to take in.

These include:

• The mineral-rich waters of Diamond Falls which glimmer and shine as they gradually change colour.
• The Pitons can be climbed in about two hours – and you’ll probably want longer than that to admire the view from the top!
• Leatherback turtles crawl onto the beach at Grande Anse to lay eggs between mid-March and the end of July.
• The best place to take a hike through the rainforest is on the relaxing Barre de l'lsle trail.

Tips for travelling to St Lucia

Make sure you try the local cuisine here, which ranges from scintillating street food to gastronomic gourmet. The aromas of jerk chicken and freshly-baked rotis drifts through the streets of St Lucia. Community barbeques are popular in the evenings, and are always accompanied by rum, music and dancing, whilst Rodney Bay is the best place to find the classiest dining options.