L.F. Wade International sits on St David's Island at the far eastern end of Bermuda, on the site of Kindley Field, the wartime air base the US military operated until 1995. The passenger terminal is new, completed in December 2020 and run by Bermuda Skyport under a 30-year concession that began in 2017, and it is a compact, easy building to arrive into. It is also a building without a phone shop. The airport's published amenities in arrivals amount to a Somers Isle Trading Company store and a Fast Track desk, with the Whistling Frog Rum Bar & Grill on the public side, and no SIM counter appears anywhere on the list. Bus tokens and transport passes are not sold here either. Free WiFi covers the terminal, but once you are through the doors, everything about your first hour in Bermuda, from booking a taxi to buying a bus pass, runs on whatever data your phone already has.
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No SIM Counter in the 2020 Terminal
Visitors used to crowded arrivals halls full of carrier kiosks tend to assume they can sort a SIM after landing. At L.F. Wade you cannot. Neither One Communications nor Digicel sells from the terminal, the arrivals area is small and quickly cleared, and the nearest dependable counter is One's store at 18 Church Street in Hamilton, a taxi ride of 20 to 40 minutes that opens Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Arrive on a Saturday evening and the first chance to buy a local SIM is Monday morning.
| Option | What it costs | Available when you land? |
|---|---|---|
| SIM from a counter at BDA | Not sold | No, there is no telecom retail in the terminal |
| One prepaid pack in Hamilton | BMD 12 for 4 GB over 3 days, BMD 35 for 15 GB over 10 days | Only once you reach Church Street during opening hours |
| Travel eSIM installed at home | From US$6.50 for 1 GB (Airalo) or US$25 for 5 GB (Nomad) | Yes, live as soon as the plane is on the ground |
| AT&T or Verizon day pass | US$12 per line per day | Yes, and expensive past a weekend |
| T-Mobile included roaming | Included on most postpaid plans at reduced speed | Yes, but slow for maps and apps |
The absence of a counter changes the usual airport advice. Elsewhere, a pre-installed eSIM saves you a queue. Here it saves you the whole problem of arriving with no local option at all, and since Bermuda sits in the full-price international tier for AT&T and Verizon rather than alongside Canada and Mexico, leaving the home line roaming is a costly fallback. A small plan from Airalo at 6.50 dollars covers the arrival day even if you plan to buy a One pack later.
Terminal WiFi, Power and the Departure Side
Skyport says the terminal offers passengers free WiFi and plenty of electrical outlets, and the WiFi is genuinely useful as a backup for activating an eSIM that did not connect by itself. What the airport does not publish is the network name. Choose the airport's own open network from the list rather than any hotspot with a generic or personal-looking name, and avoid entering banking passwords on it in any case. Travellers' reports suggest outlets are built into only some seating, so a charged power bank is still worth carrying.
The departure side is where people spend more time online. US-bound passengers clear US Customs and Border Protection preclearance in Bermuda before boarding, which means the flight lands as a domestic arrival but you need to be at the airport earlier and spend longer airside. US departures have the Rock & Barrel Gastrobar, a Somers Isle Trading Company store and a Primeclass lounge. Other international departures, including British Airways to London, use a separate area with The Heron and the Sea Public House and its own Primeclass lounge.
Things to do on the terminal WiFi before you walk outside
Download the government's Shorelink app and buy a transport pass if you plan to use buses or ferries, since passes cannot be bought at the airport and drivers accept exact change in coins only. Install a taxi app such as Journi or HITCH and register a card. Save your accommodation's address and phone number offline. And if you are collecting an electric microcar, open the booking confirmation now rather than at the rental desk.
One more rule for anyone with a very late connection or a delayed flight: the building is technically open around the clock, but passengers are not allowed to stay overnight, so the WiFi is not a place to wait out a cancelled evening departure.
Taxi Meter Rates, and the Airport Page That Is Out of Date
Bermudian taxis are metered, with rates set by the government, and they wait at the stand outside the terminal. The complication is that the airport's own ground transport page still lists the old tariff of 2.75 dollars a mile with a 5.15 dollar starting charge. Cabinet approved an increase of around 15 percent that took effect on 1 April 2024, and current published visitor guidance puts the daytime rate for one to four passengers at 9.20 dollars for the first mile and 3.25 dollars for each additional mile. Larger taxis for five to seven passengers cost 11.55 dollars for the first mile and 4.25 dollars for each mile after that.
| From BDA to | Drive time | Typical fare, 1 to 4 people | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| St George's | 10 to 15 minutes | About $10 to $20 | The closest town, just across the causeway |
| City of Hamilton | 20 to 40 minutes | About $45 to $60 | Depends on traffic on the North Shore and Harrington Sound routes |
| Horseshoe Bay area | Beyond Hamilton | About $60 to $80 | South Shore hotels in Southampton |
| Royal Naval Dockyard | 45 minutes to an hour | About $75 to $95 | The far western end of the island |
Surcharges add up. Between 10pm and 6am, and all day on Sundays and public holidays, small taxis charge 25 percent above the standard rate and large taxis 50 percent. Luggage placed in the boot or on a roof rack costs 1 dollar a piece. Most taxis take Visa, Mastercard and American Express through a card terminal, but not every driver has a working one, so carry some cash. For groups, pre-booked minibus operators such as Beeline Transport, Bermuda Island Tours and Titan Express serve the airport and must be arranged in advance.
Booking the ride on your phone
Journi, the taxi association's platform, went live publicly on 15 May 2026, and HITCH has been booking Bermudian taxis since 2016. Both show the ride on a map and let you pay by card, which avoids the cash question entirely. Both also need mobile data once you are outside the terminal WiFi's reach.
Buses 1, 3, 10 and 11, and the Electric Cars Past Customs
Four public bus routes stop at the airport, all running between Hamilton and St George's. Route 1 goes via Tucker's Point and the Crystal Caves, Route 3 via Middle Road, Devil's Hole and Grotto Bay, Route 10 via Palmetto Road and the aquarium at Flatts, and Route 11 via Blackwatch Pass and the aquarium. They are cheap and frequent, but they come with two conditions that catch arriving visitors. Suitcases are not permitted on the buses, and no tokens, tickets or passes are sold at the airport, while drivers accept only exact change in coins.
Taking the bus from BDA works if
It does not work if
Passes cover unlimited buses and ferries at 19 dollars for one day up to 62 dollars for seven, and the Shorelink app is the only place you can buy one before leaving the airport. That makes a working data connection the difference between catching the bus and taking a taxi.
Driving yourself is the other option, within Bermuda's rules. Visitors cannot rent conventional cars, but two electric vehicle rental companies, Current Vehicles and Rugged Rentals, have desks on the ground floor just past customs. Navigation on narrow roads with a 35 kilometre per hour speed limit is simple, but you will still want live maps and your accommodation's location loaded before you set off.
Why BDA Is an Airport to Land Already Online
Most airport pages on this site argue that an eSIM beats a kiosk. At L.F. Wade there is no kiosk to beat, so the argument is simpler: without a plan in place, your options when you walk out are expensive roaming, a slow included allowance, or no data until a Hamilton store opens.
Landing with an eSIM already active
Landing and hoping to sort it out
For a short stay, Airalo at 6.50 dollars for 1 GB over three days or 19 dollars for 3 GB over a week is the least expensive way out of the building connected, and it is the only plan able to use both Digicel and One. For five to seven nights, Nomad's 5 GB plan at 25 dollars is the usual choice. Staying longer and passing through Hamilton early? A One prepaid pack is better value from the second week, and a small eSIM covers the days until you reach the counter. The Bermuda country guide compares every current plan, and the eSIM Finder will match one to your dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there anywhere in the BDA arrivals hall to buy a Bermuda SIM?
No. The published arrivals amenities at L.F. Wade are a Somers Isle Trading Company shop and a Fast Track desk, and neither One Communications nor Digicel has a counter in the terminal. The closest place to buy a prepaid SIM is One's store at 18 Church Street in Hamilton, open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm. If you need data for the journey from the airport, install a travel eSIM before your flight.
What does a taxi from the airport to Hamilton cost in 2026?
Usually around 45 to 60 dollars for one to four people, for a drive of 20 to 40 minutes. Taxis are metered at government rates, which since April 2024 start at 9.20 dollars for the first mile and 3.25 dollars for each additional mile, although the airport's own website still shows the older tariff. Add 1 dollar per bag in the boot, and 25 percent between 10pm and 6am and all day on Sundays and public holidays.
Can I ride the public bus from the airport with my luggage?
Not with a suitcase. Routes 1, 3, 10 and 11 stop at the airport on their way between Hamilton and St George's, but suitcases are not permitted on Bermuda's buses. You also cannot buy tokens or passes at the airport, and drivers take exact change in coins only. With just a daypack and a transport pass bought in the Shorelink app, the bus is a cheap option; with checked bags, take a taxi or a pre-booked minibus.
Do passengers flying to the US clear American customs in Bermuda?
Yes. L.F. Wade has US Customs and Border Protection preclearance, so US-bound travellers complete US immigration and customs in Bermuda and arrive in the United States as domestic passengers. Allow extra time at the airport for it. The US departures area has the Rock & Barrel Gastrobar and a Primeclass lounge, and the free terminal WiFi is handy for the wait.
My flight lands on a Sunday evening. What should I plan for?
Three things. Taxis charge 25 percent more all day Sunday and after 10pm, so a Hamilton fare lands at the higher end of the range. The One Communications store on Church Street is closed until Monday, although the 24-hour payment kiosk at 30 Victoria Street can top up an existing One line. And bus service on Sundays is thinner than on weekdays. A travel eSIM installed before you fly means none of that affects your ability to book a ride or reach your accommodation.