Caribbean islands, which are part of the West Indies, Saint Barthelemy is one of them, and one that is suitable for upper class travellers. The Caribbean Islands, known as the Wind Islands, which include the French Western Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea off the west coast of Haiti. Administratively, the entire island of Saint Barthélemy is part of the French overseas territory and part of the European Union, but there is no direct link between it and the rest of France or the United States.

EU countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, can visit and stay on the island - free of charge and without limit. EU countries such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands and Switzerland can also benefit from visa-free stays totalling 120 days over a period of 12 months.

Travelers can fly the Winair St. Barth Commuter to Saint Barth or fly to the neighboring island of St. Martin or depart from San Juan or St. Thomas, which are connected to St. Barth by a direct flight from the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can also fly directly from Saint Martin with connecting flights to San Jose, Puerto Rico, or San Diego, California.

Tradewind Aviation (203 - 267 - 3305) offers several daily flights from San Juan to St. Barthelemy, and charter services are also available for most of the islands of the northeastern Caribbean. The commuter has scheduled flights to and from St. Barts, with the latter to Saint Barth. Tradewinder operates a Swiss-built, single-engine, four-seat turboprop aircraft and operates like a private airline, allowing passengers to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico or the mainland United States without any problems. A daily scheduled flight to St. Bartarts is offered by Air France, Air Canada, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines and Virgin America.

JetBlue flies to San Juan, where you can catch a flight to St. Barthelemy from New York's JFK International Airport. Daily scheduled flights from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. mainland are operated by Air France, Air Canada, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines and Virgin America. JetBlue (203 - 267 - 3305) offers a daily flight schedule to and from Saint Bartarts, with the latter to Saint Barth, and offers charter services to other islands in the northeastern Caribbean, such as Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis.

To book a flight to the island, you can use the local airport at St. Bart's, the Winair's St Barts Commuter. This is the only local commercial airline based in and around St Barts and caters for all charter requirements. Air France, Air Canada, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines and Virgin America offer daily scheduled flights to and from Saint Bartarts. They also offer charter flights to other islands in the north-eastern Caribbean, such as Barbados, St Kitts and Nevis and Saint Barth.

Most international planes cannot fly directly to Gustaf Airport, so a smaller plane will take you there. There is also a small airport at St. Bart's where international visitors can change planes to Saint Barthelemy. International visitors can also fly from St. Barts via the airport on the other side of the island to St. Barth, but there is one crossing that can be a bit rocky depending on the weather and season. Visitors can fly in and out of St. Bart's, as well as other islands in the north - the eastern Caribbean, such as Barbados and Nevis.

For the squeamish flier, a JetBlue flight to St. Maarten followed by an overnight stay on Saint Barthelemy Island in a private jet is a better alternative. If you book an international flight from the US, tickets are also available at Gustaf Airport, but if you're flying to the islands of Barbados, Nevis or even StMaarten, tickets may not be available the same day.

The pure arc of white sand, surrounded by turquoise waters, sheltered by a series of buildings - on beaches and sheltered from the wind and waves of the Caribbean - the islands of Saint Barthelemy and St. Maarten are all different and have their own charm and personalities.

As a bridgehead of French cuisine in the tropics, the gluttony of Saint Barthelemy offers both residents and visitors a wide range of quality restaurants. The Caribbean has a reputation for its unforgettable cuisine, but the exception has always been Saint Barts, a destination for discriminating travelers with restaurants that are second to none. Since the early 1990s, the island has had two cookery schools: Saint-Barts cookery school, which emphasises classic French cuisine, and Cooking Paradise, which emphasises Creole cuisine.