How to Get from St. Kitts Airport (SKB) to Nevis – Private Transfers, Water Taxi, Timing

How do you get from St. Kitts Airport to Nevis?

St. Kitts airport (SKB, Robert L. Bradshaw International) is on St. Kitts, not Nevis, and there is no bridge between the islands. Reaching Nevis means a road transfer across St. Kitts, a sea crossing of The Narrows, and usually a short onward drive on Nevis. The simplest option is a pre-arranged private transfer that coordinates the airport pickup, the water taxi and the onward Nevis vehicle as one journey. Cheaper options exist: a taxi to Reggae Beach for the scheduled water taxi, or a taxi to Basseterre for the public passenger ferry to Charlestown. The best choice depends on your arrival time, budget, luggage and where you are staying on Nevis. New to the islands? Start with our guide to how to get to Nevis.

Your options at a glance

Last checked: 26 September 2026. Public ferry and scheduled water-taxi fares and schedules are set by the operators and the port authority, not by Book Nevis, and can change. We check operator and port information regularly (current operator timetables and fares: SKN Transit; published port information: Nevis Air and Sea Ports Authority; car ferry: iConnect). Always confirm time-sensitive public services before travelling. US$ figures use the fixed rate of EC$2.70 to US$1. Private transfer prices are per booking and are shown on each route page.

Crossing options in more depth — every ferry and water-taxi service between the islands, with fares and timetables — are covered in our guide to the ferry, water taxi and private transfer options. This page focuses on the decision you make at the airport.

What happens on a private SKB Airport → Nevis transfer?

A Book Nevis private transfer is one booking that covers the whole journey: the St. Kitts driver, the private water taxi and, where your hotel needs one, the Nevis driver. Here is the journey step by step.

Step 1 — Meeting your driver at SKB Airport

After you clear customs and exit the arrivals hall, your driver is waiting in the arrivals area holding a Book Nevis sign. Look for the sign rather than a driver name: flights run early or late and we sometimes adjust driver assignments while guests are in the air to keep every pickup on time. Your driver takes your luggage from there. We track your flight from the moment you book, so if you land early or late the pickup moves with you. Bottled water is provided in the vehicle for the St. Kitts road leg, and your driver may point out the sights on the drive across the island.

Step 2 — The road transfer across St. Kitts

For most Nevis destinations the drive from SKB to Reggae Beach pier at Cockleshell Bay, on the south-east tip of St. Kitts, takes about 25–30 minutes. It is the closest practical launching point to Nevis. Four Seasons Resort Nevis guests booked on a direct-pier transfer are driven to Majors Bay instead, a similar drive time. Read more about the pier on our Reggae Beach water taxi page.

Step 3 — The private water taxi

Your St. Kitts driver walks you and your bags to the boat and hands you over to the confirmed water-taxi operator. The private crossing from Reggae Beach to Oualie Pier on Nevis takes around 6–10 minutes. Water, local bottled soft drinks and local bottled beer are provided on board every Book Nevis water taxi. The boat is arranged around your booking, not a timetable, so there is no waiting for a scheduled departure.

Step 4 — Arriving on Nevis

At Oualie Pier the crew and your Nevis driver move your luggage from the boat to the waiting vehicle, and you are driven to your hotel or villa: around 10 minutes to Hamilton Beach or Mount Nevis, 15–20 minutes to Four Seasons reception, and around 30 minutes to Montpelier, Hermitage or Golden Rock. Refreshments are not a standard inclusion on the Nevis road leg. Two routes skip the Nevis drive altogether: guests of Oualie Beach Resort can be landed at the resort’s own beach pier, and Four Seasons Resort Nevis guests can be landed directly at the resort pier (see the notes further down). Route-specific details live on our hotel and villa transfer guides.

Prefer us to coordinate the whole journey?

Private SKB Airport → Nevis transfers start at US$270 for SKB Airport to Oualie Pier, with hotel-specific routes priced by destination. Every route includes meet-and-greet, flight tracking, luggage handling and the private water taxi.

How long does it take to get from St. Kitts Airport to Nevis?

The total journey depends on where you are staying in Nevis and which crossing you use, so there is no single door-to-door figure. These are the components we plan live transfers around:

• SKB Airport → Reggae Beach (road): about 25–30 minutes. SKB → Majors Bay is similar; SKB → Basseterre ferry terminal is around 20 minutes in normal traffic.
• Reggae Beach → Oualie Pier (private water taxi): around 6–10 minutes.
• Majors Bay → Four Seasons Nevis pier (direct private water taxi): around 15–20 minutes.
• Basseterre → Charlestown (public ferry): around 30–45 minutes on the water, depending on the vessel, plus check-in time at the terminal.
• Onward road leg on Nevis: from a few minutes at Oualie Beach to around 30 minutes for the plantation inns in the south of the island.

Two worked examples on a private transfer: SKB → Oualie Beach Resort is roughly 35–40 minutes from leaving the airport to the resort pier; SKB → Hermitage or Montpelier is roughly 60–70 minutes including the Nevis drive. Add your own time for customs and baggage reclaim, and allow more for the public ferry, where you also wait for the next sailing.

Can I take the public ferry from St. Kitts Airport to Nevis?

Yes, but not from the airport itself: there is no ferry from SKB. You take a taxi around 20 minutes to the Basseterre ferry terminal, then the public passenger ferry across The Narrows to Charlestown, the Nevis capital. On the current timetable the crossing takes around 30–45 minutes depending on the vessel, and an adult one-way ticket is typically EC$35–40 (about US$13–15) plus an EC$1 pier tax; child fares vary by vessel (EC$20–35). Tickets are bought at the terminal on the day, cash, card and cheque are accepted, and a return is normally bought as two one-way tickets. Arrive about 30 minutes before departure.

Sailings run from about 6:00 AM into the evening, on a timetable that differs by day of the week and on public holidays, with several vessels sharing the route. The last departure from Basseterre is in the evening on current schedules (around 8:30 PM on the weekend timetable and earlier on some other days), so the ferry is unsuitable for late-evening arrivals. You manage your own luggage on and off the boat (porters are usually available at both terminals) and you will need a taxi from Charlestown pier to your hotel. Worth it if budget matters more than door-to-door speed, or if you are staying in Charlestown itself. For the current timetable and how to read it, see our Charlestown ferry schedule guide, or the operator timetables on SKN Transit.

What about the scheduled water taxi from Reggae Beach?

Two licensed operators run a scheduled, shared water-taxi service between Reggae Beach on St. Kitts and Oualie Pier on Nevis. It is a different thing from a Book Nevis private transfer: you take a taxi from SKB to Reggae Beach (about 25–30 minutes), buy a seat on the next scheduled boat, cross in around 6–10 minutes, and arrange your own taxi from Oualie Pier if your hotel is not within walking distance. The published fare is EC$40 (about US$15) one way, EC$60 return, plus an EC$5 pier tax. Departures run from early morning to late evening (currently around 6:15 AM to 10:30 PM from Reggae Beach, later at weekends), roughly every 30–60 minutes, but the timetable is set by the operators and can change, so check it on the day.

For one or two people with light luggage, arriving well inside the scheduled hours, this can be cheaper than a private transfer. Book Nevis does not provide walk-up collection from Reggae Beach, and the scheduled service is not part of any Book Nevis product: our transfers use a private boat timed to your arrival, with your luggage and the Nevis vehicle already arranged.

Should I fly to Nevis (NEV) instead?

Vance W. Amory International on Nevis takes regional flights from San Juan (SJU), Antigua (ANU), and Sint Maarten (SXM) on smaller aircraft. Limited frequency and usually only worth it if your inbound long-haul connects through one of those hubs. Most international travellers still find it faster overall to fly to SKB and cross to Nevis from there.

What happens if my flight arrives late?

With a Book Nevis private transfer, we adjust. We track your flight from the moment you book, so your driver already knows about a delay before you land, and we shift the water taxi and the Nevis pickup to match your actual arrival time. There are no delay fees and no late-night or early-morning surcharges. If a delayed flight lands unusually late, a Book Nevis-arranged driver will still meet you at SKB as you exit the customs area. We then coordinate the onward transfer around your actual arrival time, sea conditions and water-taxi operator availability. If your flight is diverted or rescheduled and you are still travelling, you normally do not need to cancel; message us on WhatsApp +1 869 669 0154 as soon as you have signal and we reschedule to the new arrival window. If the planned route ever has to change on the day, Book Nevis handles the change and tells you what is happening. Private crossings are arranged around your booking and are subject to operational availability, which is exactly why a late flight should be booked in advance rather than left to chance.

The public and scheduled services run on fixed timetables. If you land after the last public ferry from Basseterre or the last scheduled water taxi from Reggae Beach, those options are gone for the day, and the realistic choices are a pre-arranged private crossing or a night on St. Kitts. See our Nevis arrival guide for the arrival-day process and our FAQ for the full delay policy.

What happens to my luggage?

On a Book Nevis private transfer your luggage is handled end to end: your St. Kitts driver loads it at the airport, walks it to the boat at Reggae Beach, the crew stows it for the crossing, and at Oualie Pier it is moved into the Nevis vehicle for you. You do not coordinate bags between separate providers. On the public ferry or the scheduled water taxi you carry your own bags between the taxi, the terminal or beach, the vessel and the onward taxi, so pack with that in mind if you choose those routes.

Travelling with children: child seats

Infant, child and booster seats are available on request for the road legs on St. Kitts and Nevis at US$20 per seat per ground leg. They apply to the vehicles, not to the water taxi. Add them when you book rather than on the day, as they are subject to availability. Water-taxi-only routes have no child-seat option because there is no vehicle leg.

Where will I arrive on Nevis? Destination examples

• Oualie Beach Resort — Book Nevis can arrange direct arrival at Oualie Beach Resort Pier, with no onward Nevis road transfer required. See our Oualie Beach and Oualie Pier guide.
• Four Seasons Resort Nevis — either a direct water taxi to the resort pier from Majors Bay, or Oualie Pier plus a 15–20 minute drive to reception, depending on the product booked. See our Four Seasons Nevis transfer guide.
• Hamilton Beach Villas & Spa — Oualie Pier plus around 10 minutes by road. See the Hamilton Beach guide.
• Montpelier, Hermitage and Golden Rock — Oualie Pier plus around 30 minutes by road to the plantation inns. See the Montpelier, Hermitage and Golden Rock guides.
• Private villa or residence — Oualie Pier plus a drive that depends on the address; tell us the villa name and area when you book.

Oualie Pier is not the Oualie Beach Resort Pier

Two piers share the name. Oualie Pier is the public water-taxi terminal on Oualie Bay, where the scheduled service and most Book Nevis transfers land and where Nevis drivers collect guests. Oualie Beach Resort’s own pier is on the resort’s beach a short distance away and is used only for guests landing directly at the resort. If you are staying at Oualie Beach Resort, check which one your booking uses. The full comparison is in our Oualie Pier vs Oualie Beach Resort Pier guide.

Can I get directly to Four Seasons Nevis by boat?

Yes. Book Nevis can arrange a direct private water-taxi transfer to the Four Seasons Nevis pier using an authorised operator permitted to dock there. That route leaves from Majors Bay on St. Kitts, not Reggae Beach, and the crossing takes around 15–20 minutes; you step off the boat inside the resort. Other Four Seasons routing lands at Oualie Pier with an onward ground transfer to reception, depending on the product booked. Both are explained on our Four Seasons Nevis transfer guide.

Which option should you choose?

• Families, honeymooners and hotel guests — the private transfer via Reggae Beach is the most practical. Luggage is handled end-to-end, your driver waits if customs runs long, and child seats can be added for the road legs.
• Late arrivals and overnight connections — we track flights, and if your flight is delayed, a Book Nevis-arranged driver will still meet you at SKB as you exit the customs area, with no delay fee or after-hours surcharge. The onward water-taxi crossing is coordinated around your actual arrival time, sea conditions and operator availability, and we will contact you if the plan needs to change. The public ferry and the scheduled water taxi stop for the night.
• Four Seasons guests — a direct private transfer from Majors Bay lands you at the resort’s own pier, so you skip the onward Nevis taxi entirely.
• Travellers with flexible timing and light luggage — the scheduled water taxi from Reggae Beach is the cheapest crossing that still lands you at Oualie, close to the north-coast hotels. Arrange your taxis at each end and check the timetable on the day.
• Budget travellers and Charlestown arrivals — the public ferry from Basseterre is the lowest-cost crossing. You’ll handle your own bags and the schedule is fixed, but it’s a fair option if cost matters more than door-to-door speed.
• Bringing a hire car — the iConnect car ferry from Majors Bay to Charlestown is the only vehicle crossing.

How Book Nevis knows this route

Book Nevis coordinates private airport transfers between St. Kitts and Nevis every week, working with local drivers on both islands and private water-taxi operators at Reggae Beach and Oualie. The timings and route notes in this guide are the same ones we use to plan live guest transfers, and the public ferry and water-taxi facts are checked against the operators’ and the port authority’s published information on the date shown above. We are a private transfer service, not the port authority or a ferry operator, so please confirm public timetables before you rely on them.

Either way — apply for your St. Kitts and Nevis eTA before you fly. If you’d like to see prices by route, our airport arrival transfers are listed by pickup-to-destination pair, or explore all private transfers.