One of the best ways to get around Jamaica (JA) is by route taxis and I spit venom on the people who claim that they are unsafe. Not only are they safe, they’re a great way to experience the real Jamaica and interact with the locals.
I know many forums suggest taking private (chartered) taxis, but that’s boring and expensive (US$25 – 200+ depending on location).
Route taxis are the way to go. After all, it’s not the destination that matters but the journey! Plus what is JA without route taxis!
What Are Route Taxis?
Route taxis are the main mode of public transportation in Jamaica. Each taxi runs a specific route for a “set” price and picks up and drops off people anywhere along the way.
Unlike NYC, it not a bright yellow cab that says, Taxi. Instead they are more often than not regular cars and the only way to distinguish them from other cars is by their red license plates. Some taxis will also have their route/destination printed on the driver’s side door. Route taxi can be cars, vans or mini-buses.
Please note that private chartered taxis also have red license plates and sometimes the only way to tell the difference is by asking for the price. If the driver is asking for more than US$10 it is probably a chartered taxi, better yet if they quote you in dollars, it’s a chartered taxi.
In this post, we will tell you how to get to popular places in Jamaica via route taxis. We also included the price so you don’t get scammed in paying more because you are a tourist.
Montego Bay Sangster International Airport → Downtown Montego Bay
Total Price: J$100 (~US$1)
Time: 10 – 15 mins.
# of Route Taxis: 1
When you leave the airport, you will be bombarded by people asking you where you are going and quoting you ridiculous prices. One person said he would charge us $25 each to get to downtown. But we figured this was a tourist trap and verified it after asking a local what the real fare is supposed to be and where to get a public route taxi.
When you exit the airport, make a right heading towards the domestic terminal building (this is also the same direction you would go if you want to catch the bus, a big-yellow-grey-hound looking-bus with a Jamaican flag in front. Across from the terminal you will see white “regular-looking” cars with red license plates lined up waiting for passengers. Ask the driver how much it cost to get to downtown. If he quotes you more than J$100, bargain down to J$100 and if he doesn’t budge go to the next driver.
Montego Bay → Negril
Total Price: J$475 (~US$4)
Time: ~2 hours
# of Route Taxis: 2
Take a route taxi to the bus port i.e Transportation Center (it’s nothing fancy or relaxed. It’s a very busy and crowded area) in downtown Montego Bay for J$100. From there you can tell your driver to drop you off where you can catch a route taxi or van to Lucea for J$225. We suggest that you opt for a route taxi vs a van/bus as it will not depart until it is full and that can take anywhere from 30 minutes – 1 hour. From the Lucea bus port you take another route taxi to Negril for J$250 (~2.13USD).
Note: At the bus port in Montego you can find route taxis and buses going to different cities. Some of the popular places are Ocho Rios, Black River, and Kingston.
Montego to Ocho Rios: 1 mini bus | Price: ~J$450 | Time: ~1hr 45mins
Montego to Treasure Beach: 3 route taxis (Savanna-la Mar – Black River – Treasure Beach) | Time: 2.5 hours | Total price: ~800 JMD.
For more details on routes from Savanna-La Mar read the section below.
Negril → Treasure Beach
Total Price: Varies
Time: 2 hours
# of Route Taxis: 3 – 4 depending on route taken
Take a route taxi from your hotel to the city center for J$130 (~US$1). From there you can either get off and walk to the bus port (5 minutes walk – great opportunity to stock up on fruits and snacks for the journey ahead or get money from the ATM for Treasure beach as there are no ATMs in town) or catch a cab and pay an additional fee, J$120. The bus port is to the right, after the gas station.
From the bus port you take a taxi going south to Savanna- la-Mar (J$200). Let the driver know you want to go to Black River and he will drop you off where you can catch the mini-bus going to Black River.
From Savanna-la-Mar, you have two options you can choose from to get to Treasure Beach.
1. Route Taxi to Whitehouse → Black River → Treasure Beach (TB). Though this is an option where you take more taxi and pay more, it is the fastest route, with less waiting time. To get to Whitehouse, leave the bus port and go to the right and flag down a taxi going to Whitehouse (J$200- 40 min ride) then catch another taxi to Black River for 20 minutes for J$250. Once in Black river you will find several taxi going to TB for J$250.
2. Mini Bus to Black River → Treasure Beach. This option is the cheapest but also has the longest wait time, as the buses do not run very frequently. From the bus port in Savanna take a mini-bus going directly to Black River for J$250 (~1hr). From Black River take a taxi to TB for J$250 for about 30mins.
From the Savanna La Mar bus port you can also catch taxis/mini buses to Kingston (J$900); Negril, Whitehouse, Mandville, Petersfield and more.
Insider Tip: If you get hungry while you are waiting at Savanna-la-Mar, grab some street food from the vendors walking around or head over to the blue house in the back of the parking lot for some delicious cheap meals. We got Ackee & Salfish there for J$250. According to the locals it’s the best food place to eat in the lot.
Treasure Beach → Kingston
Total Price: J$1070 (~US$9)
Time: 4.5 hours.
# of Route Taxis: 3
Take a route taxi to Black River for about 30mins (J$250). Tell the driver to let you out near the route taxis heading to Santa Cruz. Black River to Santa Cruz is a 45min – 1 hour ride and costs J$220. From Santa Cruz take a bus (bigger than the minibuses) heading to Kingston. The bus won’t depart until it’s full but it usually doesn’t take very long.
Insider Tip: The best seats to sit in are either in the front or by the windows as you will be less squashed. Santa Cruz to Kingston is a 2.5 hour ride and costs J$600.
Kingston → Norman Manley Airport (KIN)
Total Price: J$120 (~US$1)
Time: 15-30 mins
# of Route Taxis: 0 – take the Big Yellow bus instead
Kingston has a great, reliable and cheap transportation system via big yellow public buses. The bus system is even on google maps, so there is almost no need to take route taxis. The best and least complicated way to get to the airport is by taking the 98 bus heading to Port Royal. The fare is J$120.
Kingston → Blue Mountains
Total Price: Varies
Time: Varies
# of Route Taxis: Varies
There are multiple ways to get to the Blue Mountains however no matter which way you go, you have to catch a route taxi from Kingston to Papine (J$150, 45mins) first. From Papine you can either take the route taxi to New Castle (J$270, 1.25 hrs) or Mavis Bank (J$250, 1.5 hrs). From Mavis Bank you can do one of two things, hike up to the trail entrance or take a 4×4. The price for a 4×4 is about US$45 – 50 and can usually be arranged through your hotel in the Blue Mountains.
Kingston → Port Antonio
Total Price: J$450 (~4USD)
Time: 3hours
# of Route Taxis: 1
From Halfway Tree or Parade Center in Kingston you can take a mini-bus going directly to Port Antonio (PA) for J$450. The three hour ride to PA from Kingston is one of the most scenic rides in Jamaica, so make sure to stay awake and enjoy nature’s beauty. You will be dropped off in the city center by the Texaco gas station.
Port Antonio → Blue Lagoon, Frenchman’s Cove, or San San Beach
Total Price: J$100 (~US$0.80)
Time: 10-15mins
# of Route Taxis: 1
The route taxis all leave from the Texaco gas station in the city center. If someone tries to charge you more than J$100 don’t fall for it.
Port Antonio → Winnifred Beach, Boston Bay, Long Bay
Total Price: J$150 (~US$1.50)
Time: 20-30mins
# of Route Taxis: 1
You can catch a route taxi going to these destinations from the Texaco gas station located in the city center of Port Antonio.
Port Antonio → Reach Falls
Total Price: J$330
Time: 1 hour
# of Route Taxis: 2
Take a mini van from the Texaco gas station heading to Morant Bay and let the driver know that you want to get off at the Reach Falls Junction. The fare is J$230 per person and takes about 45 mins. From there you can catch another route taxi for J$100 for 15 mins to the entrance of the falls.
Port Antonio → Ocho Rios
Total Price: ~J$450 – 500 (~US$4 – 5)
Time: 2 hours
# of Route Taxis: 1 – 3 depending on route taken
There is a bus that goes directly from PA to Ocho Rios (~J$450, 2 hrs) but it does not run as frequently and there is a long wait time until departure as you have to wait for the bus to fill up. The better option would probably be to take a route taxi from PA to Annotto Bay for ~J$150 then another to Port Maria (~J$150) and from Port Maria to Ocho Rios (~J$150)
More Things to Know
- Most route taxis operate Monday – Sunday (infrequent on Sundays) between the hours of 6am – 7pm.
- If you take a route taxis after dark they will sometimes charge more!
- Always ask how much the fare is before you get in to avoid issues later.
- For destinations that are not listed here, make sure to ask a local how much the fare is to get to your destination and then approach a route taxi.
- Pay for your fare once you have reached your destination, never before!
- Route taxis charge per person not by destination, so if you are traveling in a group, expect to pay per person.
- Try to pay with small bills as drivers don’t usually have change for large bills such as J$1000
Ygor Malcher
Hi! I’d go to Kingston Airport from Ocho Rios. Is there a route taxi?! Where I would pick them?
Regards!
Gary ward
Great article.
Are there route taxis from Kensington near reach falls to Morant Bay on the south coast, then Morant bay to Kingston?
Joelle
Hello, we booked our next holidays in Jamaica- 14 nights in july. (Montego bay-Ocho rios- Manchional-Kingston- Blue montains-Negril) . We will travelling by bus or taxi route. We did’nt find buses to go from Ocho rios to manchional. Is it possible to find route taxis? How to get there? then we intend to go to Kingston, so same question!
Thank you in advance!
joelle
Stef Borden
Thank you thank you thank you!!!! This is so useful.
Tia
From Mandeville to YS Falls how many route taxis does it take
Linda
We are arriving songster airport 2.20pm. Are cruise does not depart till 8pm. Have to get there by 7 pm. Don’t want to miss it! You can check in 2 hrs befor. . Would there be time to go somewhere? Where would you suggest. What transport . Would have to be reliable to get back for cruise ship. Would route taxis take us somewhere and bring back?
Sherry Angus
Thank you so much for helping and guiding all of us. I’m flying in on September 9th into Mobay. I would like to go from Mobay to Bob Marley Museum. As well, I would like to go to Negril September 15 as I plan to go to Jungle Club. The last time I went was with my BFF who died of Cancer in May.
Thanks again
Kuba Czech
Hi guys,
thank you for great & helful article!
I just want to know, if there is some list, how often these Route taxis go and from what time till waht time?
I mean, we can go with them to beach, so how long can we stay there till the last one goes…
What happend if the last one is full? :D Is it forbiden or dangeorous to sleep on the beach? (Sorry for that question, but there are few blogs -much less helpfull than your ones, which write about some danger for tourists.)
Best Regards.
Kuba :)
Ben
As mentioned above, route taxis usually run from 6am to 7pm or even longer. You don’t mention the town you are going to so it is a little bit difficult to give you concrete advice. There are so many route taxis all over the place that all you have to do is walk from the beach to the street and flag one down. They operate just like regular taxis only difference is that they are shared. I would not recommend sleeping on the beach, sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Hope that helps. Enjoy JA
Zsolt
Hello there,
I’d like to know how can I catch your Route Taxis? For example, I’m coming out from the airport of Montego Bay, and will these Route Taxis be there?
Only the stickers on side of the taxis (and asking the drivers) can tell the difference?
Best regards!
Britta
This website was great help, thanks a lot! :)
I took a lot of route taxis during my vacation in Jamaica and it always worked perfectly. As an update I only want to mention that the prices from Port Antonio to Ocho Rios seem to have changed (all locals in the bus paid the same price we did): Port Antonio to Anotto Bay – 230 JMD, Anotto Bay to Port Maria – 200 JMD, Port Maria to Ocho Rios – 180 JMD.
Safe travels everyone and enjoy Jamaica ;)
Julie
Can you travel with luggage (carry on suitcase) on a route taxi?
Natalia
Hi!
I will on Jamaica for few days and I need your help how to organize my trip!
I will fly to Montego Bay and I would like to see Treasure Beach, Port Antonio , Blue Mountains and Kingston.
I have 6 days only. Is it possible to go all the way by route taxi ? Where I should go first to waste as few time as possible ?
All the best!
Jazzy
Hey Natalia,
I think you might be a bit ambitious with this rough itinerary with such limited time. If you have factor in travel time. The more you move between places the less time you will spend in these places. Where do you fly out of(hopefully Kingston)? and Which of these places do you really want to see, because I would cut out treasure beach! Go from Montego Bay to Port Antonio to Kingston them to the Blue Mtns (it’s easier to go here from Kingston than PA) this way you don’t have to go out of your way to get to treasure beach. You need at least 1 night in the Blue Mtns if you to do the sunrise hike or really enjoy this UNESCO site. Then I would do 2 nights in PA, 2 nights in Montego Bay, then 1 night in Kingston and fly back home. But again this is a very ambitious itinerary. I would just stick to one or two places so you can really enjoy the place and not come back from vacation all burnt out. And yes, you can get to all of these places by route taxis. (the blue mtns you’ll have to hire a 4*4 to get up there read this article, it has all the details. ) Hope this helps.
Loretta
So I’m assuming route taxis are a shared form of transportation from point A to point B? From MBJ airport, I imagine there will be a few route taxis going to Ocho Rios. Would they drop you right to your destination? If we wanted a route taxi to take us to places around OR or places around Port Antonio, where would one find these taxis? Just along the road?
Til Brons
We’ve traveled there a few times, stayed in Negril and used route taxi to TB most times. It took 5 route taxis because were staying by the cliffs and flagged a local Negril route taxi but it went quite quickly as upon arriving at the end of each route(mini depot/taxi stand) we we’re ushered to the next route taxi where they left as soon as the taxi was full. We also tipped the drivers an extra couple bucks and they made sure we got to the next taxi with efficiency. I did notice that from Sav mar we had to find the route taxi on the street cuz they weren’t allowed to pick those up at the bus depot but you can see the route on the door and ask someone where to stand to flag it down which was no more than 30 yds from the depot. From there we rode to White house then to Black River then to TB where they dropped us off where we wanted.
In Negril we found local route drivers who made side deals for places other than their route but didn’t ask about a price. In MoBay we hired an off resort tour van to take us out for the whole day for 120 dollars but we were out for about 10 hours and had much more freedom and saved hundreds.
Julie
Was the tour van in MoBay $120 per person or total? I can’t find anything for less than that per person, so if that is total I would love to know who you used and if you had any contact info for them. Thanks!
Katie
Hi, How often do route taxis run from Kingston to Port Antonio? Do multiple ones leave per day?
Ben
They run about every 30 min. You won’t have to wait very long.
Danica
Amazing article, found so many useful info, thanks infinitely. Do you have any info on how to get on a budget from Port Antonio to Treasure Beach. Desperately need help :D thanks
Jazzy
You have to take a route taxi to Kingston then do the reverse route of “Treasure beach -> Kingston” mentioned in the text. Heads up this will be a long traveling day (7+ hours). Make sure you get an early start so you don’t arrive to Treasure Beach at night! Hopes this help.
Meriem Gosselin
Hello,
I was wondering about route taxi from Falmouth? We are arriving by cruise ship and we would like to take one to go to Rose Hall house and doctor’s cave. Are there any in the port area?
Talita
Hi, we are in Jamaica for now 3 weeks and we did almost every transports by route taxis following your advices, thank you so much! The end of our trip is TB-Kingston but we don’t see route taxis in this area like in the other cities, is that really easy to reach a route taxi here in TB?
Ben
Unfortunately, there are not many route taxis in Treasure Beach. Every so often one of them goes around and picks people up but there is no set meeting point as far as I am aware of. We just stood at side of the road for a little bit until one of them passed by. I recommend you ask at your hotel for more details.
Talita
Hi Ben, thanks for the answer. We waited not too long and we got it. Then it was really easy to get to Kingston. Just one information: for the minibus we had to pay one seat for our backpacks, but it’s really inexpensive so it’s fine. And we arrive in Kingston in the middle of a big market in downtown. Fortunately one guy from the minubus walked with us till parade and showed us the bus to our hostel. Nice experience!
Norma Ennis
My cruiseship (royal caribbean) will be docking in Falmouth. How do I get from the pier to Dr. Cave Beach and back using routetaxi?
Jazzy
Hey Norma,
Unfortunately I don’t know however, I am sure there will probably be taxis waiting for people at the port! Enjoy JA :)
Lindsey
Hi! My husband and I are avid travelers and have used what I think is the equivalent to route taxis in other countries, but have never traveled to Jamaica. We now have a one year old daughter, which changes things up a bit. We did a 6-week trip through a few countries in South East Asia when she was ~8 months old but always used chartered taxis and Uber bc it was so cheap. I’m wondering if it would go over alright in Jamaica if we paid a fare for her, but then used a space for her car seat? Would they consider it too much of a hassle and refuse? Or would it be alright bc they got a fare for the seat? We travel to experience the country, but perhaps bus may be the better option since I want to have her in the car seat. Thanks for any advice you may have! Also – we typically travel with one larger pack as well as a daypack, nothing else.
Jazzy
Hey Lindsey,
I can’t say for sure but you can always ask once you are there (no one ever says no to extra money), and I believe you can pay the route taxi a bit more to be a “private taxi” meaning they will not pick up people along the way. Depending on where you are heading, you might just want to just take the buses (knutsford Express) so you don’t have to go through the hassle.
Hope this help.
Crystal
I don’t know if this discussion is still open but going to Jamaica on Sunday and staying in ocho. Was going to try and get to negril was wondering do you have any suggestions on that or if it’s any worth it and how much it would be?
Gaëlle
Hi! I will stay at the Royalton Negril in two weeks. I wanted to know if there are some route taxis close to this resort to reach “Ras Rody’s”, “Just Natural” and “3 Dives” restaurants. I need to test them for my blog.
Thanks
Adrian
Is there a route taxi from Kingston to Mavis Bank?
We would like to do a sunset hike to Blue Mountains Peak. :)
derrick
Hey I will be in Runaway Bay in June. Can my family of 3 take a route taxi from there to Kingston? How much? Thanks, Derrick
Sarinta
Hey Ben :)
We are planning to do a Jamaika roundtrip in September this year .
Can you recommend us a cheap stay in Montego Bay or negril?
Thank You so much
Sarinta
Ben
Check out this article for the best cheap places to stay in Negril and Montego Bay. Jamaica is not the cheapest country in the world but there are some budget places around. Have fun in JA :D
Sarinta
Hey Ben ,
Thank you so much :)
This really helped us!!
Greets from Germany
Kate
Thank you so much guys for making our holiday in Jamaica an even better one.
Your advice on getting around has been so damn helpful, particularly the route taxis. We always check your site and screenshot each section before we head off to our next location.
We are in Port Antonio now and can’t wait to explore the area.
Will keep reading as we travel through Central America!
Jazzy
Hey Kate, glad we can help! We love Port Antonio and I hope you enjoy your time there! Let us know how your trip went, we love hearing about people’s adventures in JA!
Also, where are you heading in Central America ?
Kate
Hi Jazzy,
We loved PA – had a great time exploring the area and relaxing.
We’re in Mexico now (just reading your blog on Tulum actually) and heading all the way down to South – hopefully hitting each country :)
Ben
PA is our favorite place and we can’t wait to go back. Nice, enjoy Mexico. We also have lots of articles on Central America that might be helpful in planning your trip down south :D Safe travels!
Brad
Hey guys,
We are just travelling through Jamaica now and your information about the Route Taxis in Jamaica has been absolutely gold. Many thanks as this is a brilliant way to see the country, small yuhself up and mingle with the locals :)
Reminds us very much of our time travelling in Africa.
Need more time to come back here!
Cheers
Brad
Jazzy
Hey Brad!
So glad you found our article useful! How are you loving JA so far ??
Brad
Hey Jazzy,
Its been great! Sadly only a couple of days left in Kingston before we fly out now.
Jazzy
Hey Brad,
I hear you, we were pretty bummed out when we had to leave as well, but it was fine because we knew we would be back ;)! Glad to hear your trip went well!
Jazzy
xoxo
Brianna
Hello!
My bestfriend and I are taking a trip this coming April and I was very exciting to read on here about the route taxis. I was budgeting $160 for us to get from Montego Bay airport to Ocho Rios. Couple of questions:
1. Will the route taxis be able to drop us off directly at our hotel in Ocho Rios?
2. Is it usually pretty easy to catch route taxis from hotels to activities like Nine Mile Tour, Dunns River, Blue Hole and Mystic Mountain?
3. Are route taxis usually available from Ocho Rios hotel to Montego Bay airport?
Drew
Hello! Thanks for the insight. Just wondering. Are there set places in each area that route taxis pick up and drop people off? Thanks. Planning a two week independent trip around Jamaica and would like to travel with route taxis.
Jazzy
Hey Drew, yes there is usually a hub area or bus terminal to get route taxis otherwise you can just flag them down on the road. If you are looking for a real Jamaica experience, maybe considering joining us on our group trip to Jamaica. You can read more about it on our Discover the Real Jamaica Page. Also if you are interested in just joining us on an activity like the blue mountains (a solo trip to the blue mtn can be pretty expensive) that is possible as well. Either way hope you enjoy Jamaica.
TOM
Hello
What do you think, how to the best way to get to TREASURE BEACH from PORTO ANTONIO
BIG THANKS FOR ANSWER :)
Jazzy
Hey Tom,
sorry for the late reply. To get to Treasure beach from Porty, just take a minivan taxi directly to Kingston (~3hrs), from Kingston take another minivan taxi to Santa Cruz (~2.5hrs) than a route taxis to Black River (~45mins) and from Black River another route taxis to Treasure Beach (~30mins). This trip is a long journey, however it is doable. We did the TB to Porty route and found it fairly easily and not stressful! I just recommend you start early in the morning to make sure you get to TB before night fall.
Hope this helps, and hopefully I answered your question before you left!
Safe Travels :)
TOM
Jazzy
Big thank you for answer. I change my plans and now a thinking about to travel from PA to Kingston to discover the Bob Marley Museum and then go to Blue Mountains and there spend a night. IN the next day morning i would like to go to Caffe Plant and spend one day in this district. Next day Morning go to Kingston and from there travel directly to Negril.
Do you thin it’s good idea? :)
I think i have to canceled the visit in TB because a don’t have enough time…
My question is: Could you recommend any hostel in Blue Mountains or do you recommend to sleep in Kingston and from there buy the trip to Blue Mountain?
Do you know the best way to get from Kingston to Negril?
Best Regards
Tom
Jazzy
If you are not a huge fan of Bob Marley, I would skip the Museum! However, it is possible to make a day trip out of it and then head to the Blue Mountains. Porty-Kingston (bob Marley Museum)-Blue Mtns. Probably annoying to carry all your luggage to the museum though!
I would stay in the Blue Mountains for a night over Kingston, the area is breathtaking. We love nature and would pick it every time over a city :)! Also if you stay overnight you can do the sunrise hike to the peak if you are interested. A nice place to stay in the Blue Mountains is Whitefield Hall! (don’t expect fancy style accommodations in the mtns. most are basic) they can pick you up from Kingston for a fee and they also have guides to take you up to the peak as well. As for the best way to get to Negril from Kingston, Knutsford Bus Company http://www.knutsfordexpress.com/ might be the easiest way as going via route taxis could be long and complicated.
Noah
What a great resource! Do you know where in Negril one should go to get a route taxi to St. Anne’s or Ocho Rios? Thanks!
Jazzy
Hey Noah,
Thanks, glad we can help! You can grab a route taxi heading to St, Anne’s or Ocho Rios from the Bus Port (Bus terminal). You can ask any route taxi in town to take you there to catch one going to St. Anne’s or Ocho Rios!
Hope that’s the answer you was looking for. Safe Travels!
Paula
Thanks for the great post. We have been to Jamaica 3 years in a row now and rented a car (expensive!). We are slowly catching on to the route taxi thing.
We fly into Kingston. Where would we catch a route taxi at the Kingston airport? We are headed to Boston Bay. I assume we go to Port Antonio first and get off at the Texaco Station? Yes?
Also, if we route taxi from Boston Bay to Reach Falls do we catch a route taxi back as easily from the parking lot.
Jazzy
Hey Paula,
YAY! you love JA as much as we do :) !!!! Yeah, car rentals are way too expensive, route taxis are the way to go!
From the airport, the best thing to do is take the 98 bus from the airport to downtown (parade) rather than a route taxis. The bus is a huge yellow coach-type bus with a Jamaican flag in front of it. Outside the arrival terminal you will find the 98 bus stop (going towards Port Royal), you don’t want that one, but a few feet after this bus stop is where the 98 bus heading downtown will stop. It should cost around $1US.
Yes you are correct about getting to Boston Bay from PA.
Yes, you should as taxis are usually waiting to take you up to the junction, then you catch the next taxi to your destination.
Enjoy Jamaica for 4th time ;)
Paula
Thanks so much. Just saw this. Never got a notification of your reply but was checking back on your post as we leave soon. Looking forward to Jamaican sun and our friends in Boston Bay!
Jazzy
Hey Paula, no worries, usually the notification comes in a form of an email! How long are you in JA for?
Rafael
Hi!
First I’d like to thanks for all the posts from Jamaica, very very helpfull, i just read them all!
Im going to Jamaica January 2017.
1- Are these the current or old prices of route taxis?
2- Do you know about renting a scooter? Do I need a license to rent it?
Thansk for the reply!
Jazzy
Hey Rafael,
Glad to help :) The prices are not current as they have not been updated since 2015! However, you can use the prices to get an idea of how much the ride should cost! The prices shouldn’t be way off, if it is, then they are probably trying to rip you off! Remember to always agree on a price before you get it in!
As for the scooter thing, we have no idea as we used mostly route taxis during our time in Jamaica. Sorry!
Enjoy your time in JA!
Valerie
Hello,
I am visiting Jamaica soon and would like to get around without renting a car. I am travelling from Runaway Bay to Malvern and then to Montego Bay. Can someone tell me how to get to Malvern (or to Gutters) from Runaway Bay (or Ocho Rios)? I would like to start my route as early in the morning as possible.
Jazzy
Hey Valerie,
We unfortunately don’t know how to get to Malvern from Runaway Bay, you might have to ask locals how to get there, as that is how we figured out how to get to most places in JA via route taxis.
Also it might be easier to find out the taxi route from Ocho to Mandeville as these are popular routes then you can figure out how to get from Mandeville to Malvern which isn’t too far.
Hope that kind of helped!
Sista Whistle
I never felt unsafe in a route taxi! It gives oppertunity to get to know locals and things about JA.
Only negative I experienced is that sometimes they charge you ( a likkle) too much. Just give it a try! You’ll survive and njoy!
Took the Knutsford Express once in all those years. (Porty – Negril) It was a downer.
They didn’t provide what they promised and as an excuse we got words and 2 X-mas chocolates….
I don’t mind to take route-taxi’s/bus instead. It might take a bit longer, but it’s more cheap and I got places to sleep all over JA. ‘Mi nah inna urry!’ ;-)
Jazzy
Hey Sista Whistle,
Thanks for weighing in and sharing your experience, we appreciate :)
uc
i was looking for this type of information for a long time.
Question: I normally travel via Knutsford Express but is the route taxi safe?
Ben
Glad we can help. We have traveled all over Jamaica with route taxis and never had any problems.
Eric Mathieu
Hello I have another question I was wondering when traveling on a route taxi where should we put our packsac? I heard its best to keep it on your lap or on the floor close to you. Some people put it in the trunk and the driver lost it..
Jazzy
Hey Eric, are you referring to a daypack or your main backpack? Since the small route taxis usually get pack, you will most likely will have to put your big bag in the truck, which is fine because you can keep an eye on it! We never lost our bags. As for the van type route taxis we just placed it either on the floor or on our laps as we are not too fond of it being on the roof. Also keep in mind that the smaller your backpack, the easier your life is going to be. We travel with a 40L backpack (carry-on size) which makes it easy to just hold on our laps vs a 60+L bag.
Hope this helps,
– Jazzy
Eric Mathieu
Allright thanks i am refering to my 45L pack that I will have with me pretty much all along the trip. I will take that in note
Sista Whistle
In a taxi (car) it’s ALWAYS free when the suitcases are in the trunk or in the back-area, where (normally) nobody sits.
Sometimes, when you find a nice driver/doctor, they can carry your suitcases in a mini-bus for free.
There are 3 ways;
Seat behind the driver, in the trunk (if key is not ‘lost’) or on your and your nice neighbor’s/traveler-mate’s lap, in the frontseat. Give him/her 100 J$ when your ways seperate!
If you take them in the bus and it keeps a seat (or 2, 3) occupied, you’ll have to pay the normal price for every seat you use.
Eric Mathieu
Hello first off great article, I have a question!? I will be in port antonio in january and I will need to go to the blue mountainals, more specifically penlyne castle. I know there is a route from PA to kingston to papine, mavis bank mt charles and hagley gap. From there I could be picked up buy my host. But my host offers to come get me at morant bay instead so I would like to know if there is a bus or route taxi from PA to morant bay. Tanks for the reply.
Sista Whistle
Is your friend a CS-er??
Jazzy
Hey Eric,
There is a route taxis that goes to Morant Bay! As this is the same taxi you would take if you are heading to Reach falls. You can catch the taxi from the Texaco gas station in town! Just ask anyone there and they will point you to the right car! The ride I believe is about an hour and cost around 200 J$.
Enjoy your trip to JA :)
Gillian Chan-Sam
Thank you!! Oh how I wish all travel sites, blogs whatever could be this easy, straightforward and user-friendly to navigate.
I am your faithful follower from this moment on!
I am a South African mom who lives in the US and my kids are still back home and while their immigration applications are still in progress they can’t yet get a travel visa to come and visit me here, and I miss them so much, its been so hard being separated from them. So we decided to take a small economical holiday to Jamaica this coming December/November. This site has been a lifesaver.
Keep up the great work. guys!
:) Gill
Jazzy
Oh wow, super thanks for the compliment :D, we will definitely try to keep it up!
I hope you and your kids have a great trip in Jamaica and enjoy the island as much as we did :).
Safe travels, X0X0
P.s. I hope their immigration applications are accepted sooner than later (fingers crossed).
Bartosz
Hey, could someone tell me what is the best way to get from Montego Bay airport to Ocho Rios? Is it possible to take 2 big suitcases to route taxi? Or it is better to arrange some other transportation? Thanks!
Sista Whistle
In a taxi (car) it’s ALWAYS free when the suitcases are in the trunk or in the back-area, where (normally) nobody sits.
Sometimes, when you find a nice driver/doctor, they can carry your suitcases in a mini-bus for free.
There are 3 ways;
Seat behind the driver, in the trunk (if key is not ‘lost’) or on your and your nice neighbor’s/traveler-mate’s lap, in the frontseat. Give him/her 100 J$ when your ways seperate!
If you take them in the bus and it keeps a seat (or 2, 3) occupied, you’ll have to pay the normal price for every seat you use.
Ben
Hey Bartosz, I think the most convenient option in your case would be Knutsford Express because big suitcases probably won’t work with most route taxis. Just check Knutsford’s website for hours and prices.
Garima
Hi,
Do route taxis also go clockwise, as in if I wanted to go from MBJ to Port Antonio, could I go through Ocho Rios or is my only option to go via Negril, Treasure Beach , and Kingston?
Thank you in advance!
I’m going to Jamaica next week and I’m planning to go from MBJ to Port Antonio and then to Blue Mountains and Treasure Beach, in that order.
Ben
Hey Garima. Yes the route taxis also go clockwise and getting from Ocho to Porty shouldn’t be a problem at all. Have fun in Jamaica :D
Garima
Thank you!
Your blog has been super-helpful in planning my trip and alleviating most, if not all, worries about it.
DJ Hudson
So I am interested in taking Route Taxi. Do we just need to show up at the airport to take the ride? Is there a way to book the taxi ahead of time for our entire stay? These prices are very inexpensive and I would love to get the full experience while I am there, while spending the least amount of money. Please let me know what is the best route to take. I know we want to go to Ocho Rios to Dunn’s River Fall, but I am unsure of how to get there and back without a taxi.
Ben
Hey just show up and take a taxi. You can’t prebook them or anything unless you want a private taxi to take you around but that will cost you quite a lot. Most routes are frequently traveled by route taxis. Just ask the locals and they will point you in the right direction.
Laura Replinger
Hi – I’m flying in on a Sunday and need to travel to Ocho Rios, you mentioned the route taxi’s are separate on Sunday’s. Is this something we can book ahead f time or you you suggest a renting a car instead?
Jazzy
Hey Laura, Ocho Rios is a popular tourist destination so I believe route taxis will run pretty regularly to and from there. If anything, you will probably just wait a little longer than usually. I don’t think you need to book anything in advance.
Safe travels Laura and enjoy Jamaica!
Riksu
Thank you!!
Liz
Super helpful and specific info here, much appreciated. Bookmarked and shared – thank you!!
Jazzy
Hey Liz, glad we could help and thanks for sharing our article :)
Karen Golec
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was getting really annoyed at all of the other blogs and travel sites that were recommending a private taxi and suggesting route taxis weren’t worth the hassle or safety risk. They go by different names around the world but I’ve taken the equivalent of the route taxi in several other countries and always found it to be an inexpensive, reliable way to get around and a great way to meet the people who actually live in a country. I don’t understand the point of travelling to another country if the only thing you do is hang out with other tourists from your home.
You have provided some really practical help and I will be travelling mainly by route taxi, supplemented by a couple of journeys on the Knutsford Express so I appreciate your post. This will help me plan my budget, route and the time needed to complete journeys.
Sista Whistle
TOTALLY AGREED!!
Jazzy
Hey Karen, thank you and glad we could help. Love what you said and it is soo true, what is the point of traveling “if the only thing you do is hang out with other tourist”.