I just learned recently that Norwegian Airlines is starting direct flights from Baltimore (BWI) to Martinique in December. They are offering awesome intro rates so we decided to take advantage of these low fares. There will be 2 of us going a long weekend. We’ve never been and we have spent the last week or so researching as much as we can. For this trip we want to go to the beach (an obvious), do some snorkeling if possible, go to the Coffee & Cocoa Museum and/or one of the rum distilleries, and definitely going to the Banana Museum simply because it’s a banana museum and I’m super intrigued by this. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Banana.gif" alt="" /> I do have some questions for those who have been. I may be over-thinking some of this so I apologize in advance if any of my questions sound silly.

1. Language: I read that very little English is spoken there. I know absolutely no French and my friend knows a few words but not many. We will attempt to learn the very basics in the coming weeks and rely on Google translator while there. I’m hoping this will be enough that the language barrier won’t be too much of an issue. Am I being overly optimistic or should this be enough to communicate?

2. Car rental: Originally I was hoping not to rent a car but as soon as I heard about the banana museum, I knew we would need a car. How easy are the roads to navigate? I have read mixed about how well the roads are marked. Also, any recommendations on car rental agencies?

3. Rum distillery: Habitation Clement or Rhum J.M? I’m leaning towards Habitation Clement because it looks really interesting based on what I saw online but Rhum J.M also looks neat and is near the volcano and if time allows we could go check out part of that as well.

4. Safety: I get the impression it is a relatively safe island. As of right now, I am looking at hotels in Schoelcher, Fort-De-France, or Trois-Ilets areas. Would you consider these relatively safe areas? Are there any areas we should absolutely avoid?

5. Beaches: Are there any beaches in the Schoelcher, Fort-De-France, or Trois-Ilets areas with decent snorkeling right off the beach? I did find an all day boat outing that would include snorkeling but I would like to find a beach with snorkeling nearby if possible and save the boat trip for next time.

6. Money: I know the Euro is used in Martinique. Is it better to get Euros ahead of time from my bank here, exchange it at the airport, or try to find a place there to do so? I have not had to exchange currency in a long time so I just want to do whatever is easiest and with the least amount of exchange fees.

7. Food: Looking for restaurant recommendations. We’re not picky eaters and definitely hoping to try some local cuisine.

Sorry this is so long! I’m sure I will have more questions as we continue to plan. Any and all advice is welcome! Thanks in advance!!!