Getting Around Trinidad and Tobago at Carnival

The short version

Trinidad is easy to get around once you know three things. Licensed taxis have number plates starting with H. Maxi taxis (minibuses) are colour-coded by route. And during Carnival, the roads into Port of Spain belong to the bands, so plan to walk, ride with your band's transport or book drivers who know the closures.

Carnival 2027 falls on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 February 2027, with J'ouvert in the early hours of Monday. Everything below is built around getting you through that week smoothly.

From Piarco International Airport (POS) to Port of Spain

Piarco International Airport, code POS, sits east of the capital. When you clear customs, the authorised airport taxis are right outside the arrivals hall, and the approved taxi tariff is displayed in the arrivals area.¹ Fares are not metered, so agree the price before you put your bags in the car.¹

The taxis at the airport rank are run by the Piarco Airport Taxi Co-operative Society, which the national tourism board lists at +1 868 669 1689 and +1 868 669 0282.¹ Many hotels and guesthouses also arrange transfers, and the Trinidad and Tobago Tourist Transport Service Association, listed by the tourism board, offers airport transfers to hotels and guesthouses across the island.^1,2

Licensed taxis and the "H" plate

In Trinidad and Tobago, every licensed taxi carries a number plate that begins with H, for hire.^1,3 Private cars carry P plates. The government's own process for turning a private car into a taxi is literally a conversion from the P classification to the H classification through the Transport Commissioner's office.⁴

This matters because route taxis, the shared cars that run fixed routes, look exactly like private cars. As Rough Guides puts it, apart from their H number plates they are indistinguishable from private cars.⁵ Some P-plate cars also work as route taxis, and Rough Guides advises avoiding them, because you could be getting into anyone's car.⁵

• Airport and hotel taxis are private hires. You get the whole car and agree the fare up front.
• Route taxis pick up and drop off along a set route, usually from stands in town centres, and carry four or five passengers.⁵
• Taxi associations such as the St Christopher's Taxi Cab Co-operative Society on Wrightson Road in Port of Spain are listed by the tourism board for bookings.¹

Maxi taxis and the colour bands

Maxi taxis are privately owned minibuses that run fixed routes for fixed fares. The Maxi-Taxi Regulations set up six routes: five in Trinidad and one in Tobago.⁶ Each route has its own colour band painted along the side of the vehicle, so you read the stripe, not the destination sign.

The routes in the table come from Discover Trinidad and Tobago, and the six official colours match the Ministry of Works and Transport's own route list.^6,7 You can flag a maxi anywhere along its route by sticking out your hand, and if there is space it will stop.⁵ Pay the driver in cash, carry small notes, and ask the fare when you get in.

Most buses and maxis in Trinidad start and finish at City Gate on South Quay in Port of Spain, the island's main transport hub.⁵

PTSC buses

The Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) runs the national bus service from its base at South Quay.⁸ Its website lists routes and timetables across both islands, including Arima, Chaguanas, San Fernando, Chaguaramas and Piarco, and promotes a Port of Spain All Stop service for TT$2.50.⁸ Buses are cheap, but schedules thin out in the evening and on holidays, so they suit daytime sightseeing more than fete nights.

PTSC customer service is on +1 868 623 2341.⁸

Water taxi: Port of Spain to San Fernando

If you are heading south, the water taxi is a pleasant way to skip the highway traffic. NIDCO, a state company, runs the service between the Port of Spain terminal at 1 Wrightson Road on the waterfront and the San Fernando terminal on Lady Hailes Avenue, Flat Rock.⁹ The fare is TT$15 one way.⁹

NIDCO's published timetable shows sailings Monday to Friday only, with no sailings on Saturdays or Sundays.⁹ Boats leave San Fernando for Port of Spain at 6:00am, 6:30am, 8:30am and 3:30pm, and leave Port of Spain for San Fernando at 7:15am, 2:30pm, 3:30pm and 4:45pm.⁹ Check with NIDCO on +1 868 226 7900 before travelling in Carnival week, when public holiday arrangements can change the schedule.

Ride-hailing apps

Do not count on Uber. Uber suspended its Trinidad and Tobago service on 30 May 2018, after the Ministry of Works and Transport had asked it for details of its insurance cover and tax arrangements,¹⁰ and it is not among the rideshare options the tourism board lists today.¹

Local apps do the same job. The tourism board lists TT RideShare, PinkCab and DROP as rideshare options.¹ TT RideShare shows an estimated fare before you book and covers Trinidad and Tobago.¹¹ DROP, run by Drop Caribbean Ltd, takes on-demand bookings through its DROP ride app, and you pay the driver at your destination.¹² Download your choice before you fly, add a card if the app allows it, and expect demand (and waiting times) to spike after big fetes.

Car rental and driving on the left

Driving gives you freedom for beach days and trips to the north coast, but think twice about using a car during the Carnival weekend itself. If you do rent:

• Book early. The tourism board advises reserving before you arrive, especially at Christmas and Carnival.¹ Hertz, Sixt, Thrifty, Alamo, Econo and others have desks at or near Piarco.¹
• Drive on the left. Most cars are right-hand drive, though some are left-hand drive.¹
• Bring your licence. Visitors with a valid permit from another country can drive for up to three months without a local permit.¹ UK visitors can use a photocard licence for up to 90 days.¹³
• Take care on the highways. The UK government notes that high-speed crashes on the main highways often result in fatalities, that there have been drink-driving crashes on the Beetham and Churchill Roosevelt highways to and from the airport, and that some roads are unlit at night.¹³
• Lock up. Keep doors locked and windows up, and never leave bags on a seat where they can be snatched.¹³

Getting around during Carnival

On J'ouvert morning and on Carnival Monday and Tuesday, the bands move through Port of Spain and the city becomes one big parade. Traffic is diverted, parking is scarce and many streets are simply full of people. The practical rules:

• Do not plan to drive into town. Get dropped at the edge of the action and walk in.
• Use your band's arrangements. Many bands tell masqueraders where to assemble and where the band will finish each day. Fix a pickup point with your driver near the end of the route, not at it.
• Leave the glass at home. Glass bottles are banned during Carnival, and only licensed vendors may handle them, serving drinks in non-glass containers.¹⁴
• Expect checks. Police run checks through the whole Carnival period, not only on J'ouvert morning, with zero tolerance for weapons.¹⁴ For Carnival 2026, the national security plan also put a focus on licensed transport for masqueraders and sober driving, including breath checks.¹⁵

Getting to Tobago

Tobago is worth the trip, either before Carnival or for a quiet recovery afterwards.

By air. Caribbean Airlines, the national airline, flies daily between Piarco and ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago, with a flight time of about 24 minutes according to the tourism board.¹ The airline adds capacity at peak periods; for July and August 2026 it added 72 extra flights between the islands.¹⁶ Seats still sell out around holidays, so book as early as you can.

By sea. The Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Island Transportation Company runs the passenger ferries from the Port of Spain Ferry Terminal on Wrightson Road to Scarborough. The fast ferry makes the crossing in about 3 to 3.5 hours.¹⁷ Fares are:¹⁸

• Adult economy: TT$75 one way, TT$150 return
• Adult premium: TT$150 one way, TT$300 return
• Child (3 to 11) economy: TT$50 one way

Tickets are sold online at book.ttitferry.com and through authorised travel agents, and the ferry website lists its other ticket outlets.¹⁷ The Cabo Star, a roll-on roll-off cargo vessel, also carries some passengers on a slower 6 to 7 hour crossing.¹⁹ For sailing updates, the Port of Spain terminal lists +1 868 625 3055.¹⁷

Staying safe on the move

• Use H-plate taxis, established firms and hotel-recommended drivers.^3,13
• Plan how you will get home before you go out, especially after fetes.¹³
• Keep valuables out of sight in vehicles and do not wear headphones while walking.¹³
• Save 999 (police), 990 (fire) and 811 (ambulance) in your phone.

For more, read our safety guide and first-timers guide.