Road network

Antigua and Barbuda has no motorways, no multi-lane highways, and no toll roads. The road network on Antigua is a circuit of paved roads around the island with secondary tracks leading to beaches and villages. Main roads are generally paved but carry potholes and rough patches. Rural and coastal roads are often unpaved and narrow. The full length of the island takes about 45 minutes to drive. Driving is on the left. Foreign visitors need a temporary local driving permit, available from car rental agencies at pickup. The minimum driving age is 18, the blood alcohol limit is 0.08 percent, and headlights are required at night. The emergency number is 911. Fuel stations are concentrated around Saint John's, so fill up before heading into rural areas.

Speed limits are 32 km/h in built-up areas and 64 km/h on open roads. Watch for animals, blind corners, and narrow lanes outside town. The most popular drive runs south from Saint John's to English Harbour and up to Shirley Heights, passing hillside scenery and ending at a working Georgian dockyard on the south coast. Barbuda, reachable by ferry or short flight, has almost no paved roads and requires a 4WD. One detail that surprises many visitors: outside Saint John's, there are no traffic lights anywhere on Antigua.