The major international airports of the Bahamas are located in Nassau and Freeport , and are usually reached via connecting flights from North American cities. Although a few carriers offer flights from Miami or Fort Lauderdale to Out Island airports, and some hotels offer charter connections to the island's resorts, most Out Island travellers fly through Nassau, or take ferries and boats to the more remote destinations.

The national carrier is Bahamasair (tel 242/377-5505 or 1-800/222-4262), which offers several daily flights to Nassau and Freeport from Miami, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, as well as numerous flights from Nassau to Out Island destinations on Andros, Cat Island, Abaco and other islands. Some smaller carriers fly inter-island routes (usually originating in Nassau), including Congo Air, Taino Air Service, Sandpiper Air and Cleare Air .

From mainland North America , several American and Canadian carriers fly to Nassau or Freeport from hub cities, or connect to the islands through Miami. Continental-Gulfstream (tel 1-800/525 0280), Delta and US Airways offer flights to Nassau, Eleuthera, Treasure Cay, Paradise Island and other locations. Air Canada has direct connections to Nassau from Toronto and Montreal, and many other flights to the Bahamas via US hubs. American Airlines' regional carrier American Eagle serves Nassau from Miami with regular daily flights, while smaller carriers typically fly a Florida-to-Bahamas route and include Pan Am Air Bridges, Lynx Air International, Twin Air and Chalks International .

From the UK , the major carrier is British Airways , offering direct flights to Nassau at least twice weekly from London Gatwick, while British West Indian Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Bahamasair and Caledonian also offer competitive fares for flights to Nassau through Miami. Similarly, other European travellers most often connect to the Bahamas via Miami.

Cruise lines such as Disney, Carnival and American Canadian Caribbean make calls at Prince George Wharf in Nassau, where visitors can enjoy the city's colonial centre and do some shopping, though most ships only dock there for a day or two.