The best way to fly to Tortola is to take a flight to the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island. Beef Island is a neighboring island to Tortola. You can take a taxi or ferry to Tortola from there.
Can You Fly to Tortola?
Although you can take a cruise, you can also take a flight to the British Virgin Islands. You can travel by plane to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Two locations offer flights to Tortola – you can fly to Tortola from either St. Thomas’ Cyril E. King Airport or Puerto Rico’s own San Juan Airport.
Does Tortola Have an Airport?
Tortola does not have an airport of its own. Planes flying to Tortola arrive at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.
This airport is found on Beef Island just to the east of Tortola. From this airport, you can quickly get to Tortola. This is because the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge connects the island of Tortola and Beef Island.
Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport was previously known as Beef Island Airport. This airport is the main airport of the British Virgin Islands. This airport does not only serve Tortola’s airport but almost all of the British Virgin Islands too. It also serves as the airport for some travelers headed to the US Virgin Islands.
What Is Beef Island?
Beef Island is a piece of land that is a part of the British Virgin Islands. This is also the home of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. It is the principal commercial airport serving Tortola and the rest of the British Virgin Islands.
What Is the Airport Code for Tortola?
The airport code for Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport is EIS. However, Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport is not located in Tortola. It is this airport that handles flights to and from Tortola.
This three-letter code is also known as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Airport Code. This code is helpful for many reasons. You may check if your boarding pass is valid by knowing this code. You can also confirm if your luggage is correctly tagged to Tortola. You can also use this code instead of the lengthy name of the airport when searching for and booking flights online.
Does Tortola Have an International Airport?
Yes, even though Tortola does not have an airport, the airport that serves flights to Tortola is an international airport. Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport, formerly known as Beef Island Airport, is the airport on Beef Island.
It handles flights to Tortola and is the largest airport in the British Virgin Islands. Nine airports with direct flights to Tortola worldwide are split over 9 locations in 7 countries. There is currently only one domestic flight to Tortola.
What Airport Do You Fly Into for Tortola?
There are nine airports where you can take your flight into Tortola. These are the airports together with their three-letter airport codes:
San Juan – SJU
Saint Thomas – STT
St. John’s, Antigua – ANU
Saint Maarten – SXM
Dominica – DOM
Santo Domingo – SDQ
Saint Croix – STX
Nevis – NEV
Virgin Gorda – VIJ
There are two most common airports with flights to Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport —
Most people take the flight from San Juan Airport in Puerto Rico. This is the most convenient flight but is more costly. You can also take the flight from Saint Thomas, one of the US Virgin Islands.
What Airlines Fly to Tortola?
Today, five airlines commonly cater flights to Tortola. InterCaribbean Airways is mostly the host of every flight to Tortola. They are hosting flights from 5 different airports to the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport in Tortola. Next to that is the Air Sunshine. It is the second biggest airline that operates flight routes to Tortola.
Here are some of the airlines that operate flights to Tortola (together with their codes):
- InterCaribbean Airways (JY)
- Air Sunshine (RSI)
- Cape Air (9K)
- WinAir (WM)
- Silver Airways (3M)
Does JetBlue Fly to Tortola?
Yes, JetBlue Airways hosts flights to Tortola. You can book flights from San Juan (SJU) to the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) in Tortola.
How Do You Get to Tortola From the US?
To get to Tortola from the United States, you must first take a plane in Boston. You can also take flights from New York, Philadelphia, and Newark.
Flights from Boston to the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport in Beef Island are aplenty. This is the cheapest among all other ways to get to Tortola. After taking the flight from Boston, you can always take a ferry or taxi to get to Tortola. The travel time through this route usually lasts up to 10 hours.
You can also take the flight from Boston to Charlotte Amalie. From there, you can also take the ferry to get into Tortola. The whole travel time on this route is around 8 hours.
The only flights to Tortola from Philadelphia and Newark are those that go to Beef Island. The travel time for these flights and the travel by ferry can last up to around 11 hours.
How to Get to Tortola From NYC?
You can consider these two options to get to Tortola from New York City. The first option is to take a flight to the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport in Beef Island, near Tortola. And second, you can also fly from New York City to Charlotte Amalie.
From the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport in Beef Island, you can take the ferry or taxi to get to Tortola. Should you choose this option, the travel time is around ten and a half hours.
While you can only take the ferry to Tortola when you travel to Charlotte Amalie, the whole travel time, should you choose this option, is around 9 hours.
How Do You Get to Tortola From Florida?
There are three ways to get to Tortola when coming from Florida. First, you must go to Orlando in Florida. Then take the flights that will go to Tortola. Here are the available flights from Orlando for you to reach Tortola:
- You can take a flight to Charlotte Amalie. And from there, you can take a ferry to Tortola. This trip lasts up to 7 hours and 30 minutes long.
- You can also take the flight to the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport in Beef Island. And from there, you can take a ferry or taxi to Tortola. The duration of this whole trip depends on taking either the taxi or the ferry. Usually, a taxi to the Island Airport is much faster than a ferry to Tortola. The duration of this trip varies up to 9 hours and 30 minutes.
- The last option is to take a flight to Virgin Gorda. The flight time between Orlando (MCO) and Virgin Gorda (VIJ) is around 7 and 3 minutes. The flight also covers a distance of approximately 2045 kilometers (1271 mi). This includes the 2-hour-and-52-minute layover time on average. JetBlue Airways, Cape Air, Frontier Airlines, and other airlines provide service.
How Do You Get to Tortola From the UK?
To get to Tortola when you are coming from the UK, you must first go to one of the British Virgin Islands near Tortola. There are two ways to get to the British Virgin Islands.
First, you can fly directly to the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (code: EIS) in Beef Island. From there you can take a ferry or a taxi to reach Tortola.
The second option is to fly to Antigua or Barbados from the United Kingdom. Then you can take a flight to Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport. Then take a taxi or a ferry to Tortola.
The third option is to take a flight to Virgin Gorda. From there, you can also take a ferry to get to Tortola.
Aside from these three options, you can also consider taking a flight to Cyril E. King airport (code: STT) in St Thomas. After you land at this airport, located in the US Virgin Islands, you can then take the ferry to Tortola,
What Is the Cheapest Way to Get to Tortola from the UK?
Flying into St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and then taking a ferry to Tortola is the cheapest and most common way to travel to the island.
Traditional commercial airlines offer direct flights to St. Thomas from several cities in the UK. This is because many people also choose to spend time visiting St. Thomas.
How Can I Get to Tortola from Beef Island?
Flying to Tortola does not mean you can directly land on the island of Tortola. All the planes that travel to Tortola land at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island. There are three ways to reach Tortola from Beef Island, and here are how:
- By taking a Ferry. For $77, you may take a ferry to Tortola. The ride is around 1 hour and 30 minutes long.
- By riding a Taxi. The cheapest and quickest method to get to Tortola is to take a taxi from Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island. Because the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge connects both islands, the trip takes only about 15 minutes. And the ride will only set you back $35 to $50.
- By renting a Car. You can rent a car on Beef Island and travel for about 15 minutes to get to the island of Tortola.
Do You Need a US Passport to Go to Tortola?
All US Citizens must present a valid US Passport when traveling to the Tortola since it is a part of the British Virgin Islands. All US citizens visiting Tortola must submit all the requirements to enter the British Virgin Islands.
So to go to Tortola, all US Citizen tourists must have a valid US passport at the time of entry. US citizens must also have proof of anticipated departure from the British Virgin Islands. This applies to travelers arriving by air or sea.
Those traveling by water and not by air can use a document issued by the government. You can use the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative–compliant document instead of a passport. However, having a passport ready is helpful should there be an unforeseen situation requiring a cruise passenger to return by plane.
Should you need further information, you can contact the BVI Tourist Board for more information. These are the available hotlines that you can contact:
(800) 835-8530 or (212) 563-3117,
Fax: (212) 563-2263,
Or you can visit the BVI Tourist Board online for the most up-to-date entrance criteria.
Can You Travel to Tortola Without a Passport?
Unlike other islands in the Caribbean and like all other British Virgin Islands, you must have a passport ready when you travel to Tortola by AIR.
But traveling to Tortola does not mean you always need a passport. This is because you can travel to the British Virgin Islands by cruise. And traveling by cruise, you can reach the British Virgin Islands, specifically Antigua. From there you can go to Tortola by taking a ferry.
But remember to bring a government-issued document when you choose to take the cruise to the British Virgin Islands. This document is the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) compliant document.
Where Can I Fly To From Tortola?
The Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport (EIS) is an airport that serves Tortola. You can take not only domestic flights but also international flights. Listed below are both the international and domestic flights you can take from Tortola:
International Flights From Tortola
Tortola to Antigua & Barbuda
From Tortola, you can fly to St. John’s, Antigua. InterCaribbean Airways offers direct flights to St. John’s, Antigua.
Tortola to Dominica
interCaribbean Airways offers flights from Tortola to Dominica.
Tortola to the Dominican Republic
From Tortola, only one destination has a direct flight to the Dominican Republic. And this is Santo Domingo. InterCaribbean Airways also offers direct flights from Tortola to the Dominican Republic.
Tortola to Puerto Rico
The only destination with direct flights to Puerto Rico is San Juan. Four airlines offer flights on this route. Silver Air, Cape Air, interCaribbean Airways, and Air Sunshine.
Tortola to Saint Maarten
Winair is the only airline that offers direct flights from Tortola to Saint Maarten.
Tortola to St. Kitts & Nevis
Air Sunshine is the only airline that offers direct flights from Tortola to St. Kitts & Nevis.
Tortola to US Virgin Islands
Two destinations have nonstop flights from Tortola to US Virgin Islands. First is the flight from Tortola to Saint Croix, whereas interCaribbean Airways is the airline that hosts these flights. And second is the flight from Tortola to Saint Thomas. Here you can take Air Sunshine or Cape Air as your airlines.
Domestic Flights From Tortola
Tortola to the British Virgin Islands
There is only one domestic flight from Tortola to the British Virgin Islands. And that is to Virgin Gorda. Cape Air is the airline that caters to flights from Tortola to Virgin Gorda. But remember that this route is seasonal. It is only available from June to July.
What Airlines Fly out of Beef Island in Tortola?
Four airlines fly out of Beef Island Airport. These are Cape Air, interCaribbean Airways, Silver Airways, and Winair. These airlines offer not only domestic flights but also international flights. These airlines offer nonstop direct flights to and from Beef Island.
