Local knowledge

Taxis

Expensive and not usually worth the hassle. Hiring a car for a day or more is your best bet. Most hotels will arrange airport transfers.

Tipping culture

As in France, service charge is included on restaurant bills, but a small tip is customary and appreciated.

Siesta and fiesta

As a rule of thumb, late summer is French, winter American. Christmas and New Year are when you can expect to see P Diddy and Leo DiCaprio (or at least their yacht hands). French-style, shops close on Sundays and at lunchtimes and stay open until around seven.

Packing tips

Think St Tropez but with more of a barefoot vibe, so pack your shiniest-logo’d shades, a cute bikini or four, Vilebrequin trunks, and tan-revealing Riviera chic for evening outings.

Recommended reads

Greats of West Indian literature include Jamaica Kincaid (Antigua) and St Lucia’s Nobel-winning Derek Walcott. For fun, Murder in St Barts is an island-set crime novel featuring Gendarme Trenet, by JR Ripley.

Cuisine

More international than local, with lobster soufflé, salade niçoise and sushi all to be had. The grander restaurants base their offerings on French cuisine (minus the cream); you’re also likely to eat Créole and Provençal food, grilled fish and super salads. There’s no agriculture to speak of on the island, so almost everything is imported, from wine and water (no natural sources) to meat and vegetables – hence the steep prices in most restaurants. Fresh seafood is flown in from France on Thursdays.

Currency

The euro is the official currency. US dollars are widely accepted.

Time zone

Atlantic Standard Time zone, so GMT -4 hours.

Dialling codes

The international dialling code for St Barths is +590. Confusingly, lots of the island’s numbers also start with 590.

Do go/don't go

Try visiting at the tail end of high season (December–April), when room rates drop and the beaches really empty out.