Country Information

Capital: Caracas

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 58
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Doctor – 02 483 7021, Ambulance – 02 545 4545

Tourist information: Refer to the Venezuelan Consulate, 56 Grafton Way, London W1P 5LB Tel: (0171) 387 6727 Fax: (0171) 383 3253

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Must be valid for at least 6 months. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure

Visa information: Visa required by all except the following countries who do require a 90 day tourist card issued from an authorised sea or air carrier: Nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA, Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominica, Grenada, Iceland, Jamaica, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Antilles, New Zealand, Norway, San Marino, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Switzerland, Taiwan (China) and Trinidad and Tobago. Nationals of EU countries (except nationals of Greece and Portugal who do require visas)

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists in the Falciparum variety which has been reported as being highly resistant to chloroquine. Take care not to be bitten by mosquitoes
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is not required as a condition of entry but is recommended to all visitors who plan to travel out side of the urban areas
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink

Currency: Bolívar (B) = 100 centimos
Visa, MasterCard and Amex are widely accepted. Travellers cheques in US dollars are easily exchanged
ATM availability: Over 1500 locations

Cost of living: Caters for all travellers and budgets

Languages: Spanish. English, French, German and Portuguese

Weather: Most pleasant time is from Jan – Apr. Raining season = May – Dec

Electricity: 110 Volts AC 60 Hz American 2 pin type plugs are used

Post: 3 – 7 days to Europe. Internal mail can often take longer and surface mail to Europe may take up to one month

Transport: FLIGHTS: Connects all the major centres and is regarded as the most convenient form of internal transport. NOTE: The services are in heavy demand and may be overbooked. Passengers are advised to confirm seats well in advance. ROAD: Between main cities are of a high standard CAR HIRE: Available at the airport and in the major cities but is expensive. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required

Special information: Venezuela is still devastated by the floods and mudslides of mid December. Thousands remain homeless but there has been no serious outbreaks of disease. The coastal area around Caracas will be inaccessible to casual visitors for the forseeable future.

Capital: Road Town

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 1 284
Outgoing Code: 001

Emergency telephone numbers: Police 114, Ambulance 112.

Tourist information: British Virgin Islands Tourist Board, PO Box 134, Waterfront Drive, Roadtown, Tortola, British Virgin Islands Tel: 43134 Fax: 43866.

Passport information: A valid passport is required by all. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Nationals of Great Britain, Australia, Canada, the USA, and Japan may stay up to 6 months, including nationals of EU countries (except nationals of Austria, Ireland and Portugal who do require visas, and nationals of Germany who may stay for up to 30 days) without a visa.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink.

Currency: US Dollar (US$) = 100 cents.
All major credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques, preferably in US dollars, are accepted
ATM availability: 6 locations.

Cost of living: Generally expensive and may prove difficult for the budget traveller.

Languages: English.

Weather: Tropical climate with cooling winds. Low rainfall and comfortable night temperatures.

Electricity: 110/60 volts AC 60 Hz. American 2 pin plugs are used.

Post: Up to 1 week.

Transport: ROAD: There is a good road network. TAXI: Usually operate according to fixed rates. CAR HIRE: There are 9 car hire companies. DOCUMENTATION: A temporary British Virgin Islands licence is required which will be issued for a small fee on production of a valid foreign licence.

Special information: Backpacking is actively discouraged. Beachwear should be kept for the beach or pool. Sixty islands to explore.

Capital: Charlotte Amalie

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 1 340
Outgoing Code: 011

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 911

Tourist information: US Virgin Islands Division of Tourism, Molasses House, Clove Hitch Quay, Plantation Wharf, York Place, London SW11 3TW. Tel: (020) 7978 5262 Fax: (020) 7924 3171.

Passport information: See the USA entry

Visa information: See the USA entry

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food

Currency: US Dollar (US$) = 100 cents
All major credit cards and travellers cheques, preferably in US dollars are accepted All credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques in US dollars are acceptable
ATM availability: 10 locations approximately

Cost of living: Expensive, especially in the tourist centres. However, luxury items up to $1200 are cheaper, as they are duty-free

Languages: English, Spanish, Creole is widely spoken

Weather: Hot climate with cool winds. Aug – Oct is the wettest period

Electricity: 120 volts AC, 60 Hz

Post: Up to 1 week

Transport: SEA: Ferries operate services between islands. ROAD: Well-maintained roads connect all main towns but not much else. TAXI: Available on all the islands. They follow set routes and their prices are published. CAR HIRE: There are international agencies operating at the airport and in the main towns. DOCUMENTATION: A national licence is acceptable

Special information: The islands have more hotels per square mile than any other in the Caribbean

Capital: Nuku’alofa

Time zone: GMT + 13

Telephone services: Country Code: 676 Outgoing Code: 0

Emergency telephone numbers: All emergency services – 911.

Tourist information: Tonga Visitor’s Bureau, PO Box 37, Vuna Road, Nuku’alofa, Tonga, Tel: 21733 Fax: 22507.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Regulations may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visa are issued on arrival to nationals of all countries.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from passengers over 1 year of age arriving from infected areas.
Other Health Risks: Competent medical and dental facilities are available. Hepatitis A and B occur. Health insurance is recommended.

Food & drink: Water outside of Nuku’alofa is untreated and not safe to drink. Dairy products are pasteurised.

Currency: Pa’anga (T$) = 100 seniti
Credit cards have limited use. Travellers cheques are accepted at some hotels and tourist shops. Australian dollar cheques are preferred.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Relatively cheap

Languages: Tongan and English

Weather: Marginally cooler than most tropical areas. The best time is May to November. Heavy rains occur between Dec and Mar.

Electricity: 240 Volts Ac 50 Hz.

Post: 10 days

Transport: FLIGHTS: Royal Tongan Airlines operate regular flights between the main cities. SEA: Ferries sail between all the island groups. Schedules are subject to change according to demand and the weather. ROAD: A good network of metalled roads exists. Horses are often used. CAR HIRE: May be arranged through a number of agencies. DOCUMENTATION: A local licence is required from the police traffic department on production of a valid international or national driving licence, the fee and a passport. Min driving age = 18.

Special information: Shorts are not acceptable in towns. Visitors are not expected to tip.

Capital: Ankara

Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 during the summer)

Telephone services: Country Code: 90 Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Ambulance – 112, Fire – 111, Police – 155

Tourist information: Turkish Tourist Office, First Floor, 170 – 173 Piccadilly, London W1V 9DD Tel: (020) 7629 771 Fax: (020) 7491 0773.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the relevant authority before travelling.

Visa information: Visa required by al except: Nationals of Barbados, Belize, Chile, Ecuador, Fiji, Grenada, Iceland, Iran; Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, South Korea, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand, Northern Cyprus, Norway, Oman, Qatar, St Lucia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Vatican City for stay of up to 3 months. Nationals of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Slovenia for stays of up to 2 months. Nationals of Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and South Africa for stays up to 1 month. Tourists from the following countries can obtain their visas on arrival for a fee, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and the USA for visits not exceeding 3 months. CIS, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovak Republic and Taiwan (China) for visits not exceeding 1 month. Albania, Guatemala, and Georgia, for visits not exceeding 15 days.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Potential risk in the vivax form exists during period throughout the year in various areas.
Other Health Risks: Cholera incidents have not been evident over recent years but simple precautions when eating and drinking are advised. Rabies is present.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink.

Currency: Turkish Lira (TL)
Exchange: Certificates of exchange must be retained to prove that legally exchanged currency was used. Money can be exchanged at all PTT branches.
Major credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques in US dollars can be easily exchanged.
ATM availability: Over 5 000 locations.

Cost of living: Relatively inexpensive. The Ministry of Tourists advised tourists to stay in approved guest houses (Cost US$20+).

Languages: Turkish, Kurdish. French, German and English are also spoken.

Weather: The coasts have a hot Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: Airmail to Europe takes 3 days.

Transport: ROAD: There is an extensive road development and maintenance programme. Care must be taken if driving as accidents can lead to serious complications and delay your travel. RAIL: Fares are comparatively cheap. COACH: Many companies provide services between major cities. CAR HIRE: Available in all main towns. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required for visits over 3 months.

Special information: Do not deface or tear up currency it is an offence. There are risks of terrorism. The PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) has warned tourists against visiting Turkey but have kept a low profile recently – this may alter at any time. Avoid all travel to Eastern Turkey and do not attempt to climb Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey. Respect the Islamic traditions. Particular care should be taken while the tensions in the Middle East are heightened. Women should dress modestly and cover shoulders and arms. Informal wear is accepted but beach wear should be confined to the beach or pool. Drunkenness is not really tolerated. PHOTOGRAPHY: Do not take photographs of anything connected with the military.

Capital: Port of Spain

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 1 868 Outgoing Code: 01

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 999, Ambulance/Fire – 990

Tourist information: Trinidad and Tobago Tourist Office, TIDCO’s UK representatives, Morris-Kevan International, International House, 47 Chase Side, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 6NB Tel: (020) 8342 0225 or (0800) 960 057 Fax: (020) 8367 9949 or 623 3848.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visa required by all except: Nationals of EU countries for stays not exceeding 3 months. Nationals of Canada and the USA for stays not exceeding 3 months. Nationals of Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Cyprus, Dominica, French Guiana, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Malawi; Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Mauritius, Nauru, Netherlands Antilles, Norway, Pakistan, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Zambia and Zimbabwe for stays not exceeding 3 months. Nationals of Venezuela arriving from Venezuela for stays not exceeding 14 days.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age coming from infected areas.
Other Health Risks: Rabies, Dengue Fever.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink.

Currency: Trinidad & Tobago Dollar (TT$) = 100 cents Exchange: Foreign currency can only be exchanged at authorised banks and some hotels. NOTE: The export of local currency is limited to the amount declared on arrival.
Both credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted. Any international currency is acceptable.
ATM availability: Over 100 locations.

Cost of living: Caters for all types of traveller whatever their budget.

Languages: English. French, Spanish, Hindi and Chinese are also spoken.

Weather: Tropical climate with cooling trade winds. Hottest June – Oct.

Electricity: 115-220 volts Ac 60 Hz. Continental two pin plugs are standard although variations may occur.

Post: Up to 2 weeks

Transport: SEA: A regular passenger service operates between Port of Spain and Tobago. ROAD: The network of roads between major towns is good but traffic around Port of Spain can be difficult. BUS: Services operate in most town, although they are cheap they can become crowded. TAXI: Official Taxis can be identified by ‘H’ symbol. Some taxi fares are fixed rate but others aren’t so it is advisable to find out the price before undertaking the journey. CAR HIRE: Available from the city or hotels. DOCUMENTATION: National driving licences are valid for 3 months. NOTE: Travel documents stating date of entrance to Tobago should be carried when driving.

Special information: Attacks on travellers, especially in Trinidad around the Port of Spain have risen over recent years. Tobago the smaller of the two islands enjoys a relatively crime-free existence.