French West Indies - Travel Report

The French West Indies consists of two French overseas departments containing the islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Martin (the French side) and St. Barthelemy. These islands are well developed. In St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, English is widely spoken and U.S. currency is accepted. The U.S. Embassy with consular jurisdiction over the French West Indies is located in Bridgetown, Barbados. A Consular Agent is available in Martinique who can assist in limited circumstances. The predominant religion in the French West Indies is Roman Catholic, therefore a majority of the population celebrates traditional Roman Catholic holidays. Travelers checks are accepted in most places. To avoid additional exchange rate changes it is advisable to take travelers checks in Euros, although U.S. and Canadian Dollar checks are accepted in some places. ATM machines are available in Guadeloupe. The French West Indies can be affected by hurricanes. The hurricane season normally runs from June to the end of November, but there have been hurricanes in December in recent years. General information about natural disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at http://www.fema.gov/.