1. Discovering Bermuda’s Accessibility
2. Getting to Bermuda
3. Getting Around the Island
4. Staying on Bermuda
A new JetBlue flight is making it even easier to get to Bermuda this summer.
I watched the waves crash over pastel-pink sand as the sun beat down on me. I was in Bermuda, surrounded by gorgeous views of deep blue water—the kind you only get when you’re on an island in the middle of the ocean. And the best part was that it was a breeze to get there.
I had traveled on the inaugural JetBlue flight from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), which launched a seasonal daily flight on May 5, just in time for summer. It took about two hours to reach Bermuda, a 21-square-mile British territory off the coast of North Carolina.
Between the quick flight, the ease of getting to LGA, and the cost-friendly transportation options on the island, it became clear that a weekend jaunt to Bermuda from the East Coast was just as convenient as a trip to nearby domestic destinations, like the Hamptons—and with much better beaches.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new flight, navigating the island, what a quick trip can cost, and why Bermuda might just be one of the easiest destinations to get to this summer.
Getting to Bermuda
The new JetBlue route, which takes off each day at 9:39 a.m. and starts at $301 round trip, is the latest direct flight from the East Coast to Bermuda. There are other nonstop flights from New York City—including from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)—but this flight is the only one that flies direct from LGA. (The Queens airport, which is undergoing a remarkable and modern transformation, is only about 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan. It is also much smaller than JFK, and therefore easier to navigate.)
Upon landing in Bermuda, passengers just disembark and proceed as they would on a domestic flight. When heading back to the United States, travelers just need to go through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Preclearance program at the airport in Bermuda.
In all, the journey ends up being fairly comparable to another popular East Coast summer destination: the Hamptons. To get to the Hamptons from New York City, travelers can either drive or take the Hamptons Jitney ($47 one way), which takes anywhere from 2.5 hours to four hours—or more, depending on traffic. To rent a car on the weekend, you’re looking at $127 a day (per Enterprise, based on a weekend in June), plus a minimum of two tanks of gas (at $4 a gallon for a 15-gallon tank, that’s $120). So, transportation for a four-day trip in June would come to about $628 at minimum. That’s twice the starting price of a round-trip flight to Bermuda.
Getting Around the Island
A quick flight is one thing, but it’s crucial to be able to navigate a destination. Thankfully, Bermuda has an array of both public and private transportation options that make renting a car completely unnecessary.
After waking up to a view of the glistening water lapping against the harbor, I walked into Hamilton, Bermuda’s capital, to take the SeaExpress public ferry. I stood on the top deck of the two-story boat and soaked up the early morning sun as it sailed along the Great Sound from the capital to the Royal Naval Dockyard on the northwestern end of the island.
There are four ferry lines in total that bring travelers to major points along the island. Tokens can be purchased for $4.50 for a ride or $19 for a one-day pass, which is valid on all ferries and buses.
From the Royal Naval Dockyard, I decided to head south to the iconic Horseshoe Bay Beach and caught one of the island’s many buses. The pink and blue buses traverse Bermuda, stopping at many of its most popular sites like the Crystal Caves and St. George’s Island. Tokens start at $2.75 or travelers can use the aforementioned day pass.
I rode the No. 7 line, traveling along the south coast, watching the boats dotting the deep blue water as I went. (Pro tip: If you’re traveling from west to east, try to grab a seat on the right side of the bus for the best views.)
Beyond public transportation, visitors can hop on everything from a Whip electric scooter to small two-person electric vehicles from Current Vehicles. And for travelers who prefer to be driven around in a private vehicle, there are taxis available, which travelers can call using the Hitch app.
Staying on Bermuda
Bermuda offers a mix of luxury hotels (like the Rosewood Bermuda and The St. Regis Bermuda Resort), more affordable options, and short-term vacation rentals. At the time of publishing, a stay on July 15, for example, at the Rosewood Bermuda starts at $1,195. That same night starts at $674 at The Hamilton Princess Hotel & Beach Club. A search for lower-priced options revealed several other hotels available across the island in the $200 to $400 range. Dozens of vacation rentals between sites like Airbnb and Vrbo are also available with rates on July 15 ranging from as low as $115 to as high as $3,717.
The accommodation options aren’t much more affordable than domestic destinations in driving distance of New York, like the Hamptons, where a room at luxury hotel Marram Montauk, for example, starts at $1,278 per night on Saturdays in July. That said, the affordable direct flights—including the brand-new JetBlue one from LGA—and the easy-to-use bus system to help travelers get around definitely make Bermuda a compelling alternative to domestic travel this summer.
