There is no bridge or causeway chain linking the Bahamas’ islands, so getting beyond New Providence or Grand Bahama means a domestic flight, a ferry, or a mail boat. None of the three is instant, and most routes assume you are passing through Nassau rather than hopping directly between two Out Islands.
Domestic flights
Bahamasair, the national flag carrier, flies a scheduled domestic route from Nassau to North Eleuthera. Western Air is a second scheduled domestic carrier, hubbed at San Andros, serving Nassau, Freeport, Bimini, Andros, Exuma, Cat Island and Marsh Harbour. Other chartered and certified domestic carriers also operate. Most scheduled routes connect through Nassau rather than flying directly between two smaller islands, so a trip from, say, the Exumas to Eleuthera is likely to route back through the capital rather than go point to point.
Ferries
Bahamas Ferries sails from Potter’s Cay Dock in Nassau to Spanish Wells and Harbour Island, North Eleuthera, South Eleuthera, Marsh Harbour in Abaco and George Town in Exuma, plus a Wednesday run to Freeport. For island-hopping within one chain — moving between cays in the Abacos or the Exumas, for instance — local ferries and water taxis or a private charter are the recommended option rather than the national service.
Mail boats
Regularly-scheduled mail boats connect Nassau with the Out Islands, alongside Bahamas Ferries. Treat a mail boat as a backup or a deliberate slow-travel choice rather than the default way to reach an island, and confirm the current schedule directly with the operator before you rely on one.
Driving and licences
Visitors do not always need a Bahamian licence to drive. A UK photocard licence is valid for up to three months, and a Dutch licence is valid for the length of a visit; anyone staying longer than their home licence covers needs to get a Bahamian one. The facts box above has the side of the road; in practice most vehicles, including hire cars, are US-imported and left-hand drive even though traffic keeps to the left, which takes some adjusting to. The same advisory flags local buses at night away from the main tourist areas as worth avoiding; see the safety page for more on that.
Practical tips
- Plan on routing through Nassau for most inter-island flights rather than expecting a direct hop between two Out Islands.
- Book a scheduled Bahamas Ferries route in advance for the main chains; use a local ferry or charter for hopping between cays within one chain.
- Only rely on a mail boat if your schedule can absorb a missed or delayed sailing.
- Check whether your home driving licence’s validity period (three months for a UK licence, the length of your visit for a Dutch one) covers your whole stay before you rely on a hire car.
What to check before you go
Confirm current flight and ferry schedules directly with the operator before booking onward travel, since Out Island frequencies change by season; the island-hopping page on Bahamas.com is the primary source here. If you plan to drive beyond a short visit, check your own licence’s validity against the length of your trip and whether you will need a Bahamian licence.