The region’s major airline is Continental Micronesia (CS) (website: www.continental.com), a subsidiary of Continental Airlines. Consult individual entries for further information.

Scheduled inter-island travel, charters and sightseeing are offered by several local airlines. There is excellent provision for travelling from Guam, Majuro and Saipan to the various islands. Flights between the islands tend to be rarer. Airlines include:

Air Marshall Islands (CW) (website: www.airmarshallislands.com): This government-owned airline runs charters, sightseeing tours and point-to-point flights between Majuro and other islands in the Marshalls; also international flights to Fiji, Honolulu, Kiribati and Tuvalu.

Continental Micronesia (CS): Operates between islands in all four groups, and to Guam, Hawaii, Japan and The Philippines. Several smaller airlines fly to Guam.

Flight durations from London to destinations in the Pacific vary considerably depending on the route taken. The most common route would include stopovers in Los Angeles and Honolulu; eg the flight time from London to Honolulu is 19 hours 30 minutes and from Honolulu to the Marshall Islands 7 hours 30 minutes.

Guam (GUM) (website: www.guamairport.com), Koror Babeldaob (ROR) and Saipan (SPN) when entering from the north and west, Pohnpei (PNI) from the south, and Majuro (MAJ) from the south and east.

Visit the South Pacific Pass: valid with Solomon Airlines (IE), Air Vanuatu (NF), Air Nauru (ON), Qantas (QF), Air Niugini (PX), Aircalin (SB), Air Marshall Islands (CW), Royal Tongan Airlines (WR), Polynesian Airlines (PH) and Air Pacific (FJ). The pass allows flexible island-hopping within the South Pacific, for up to 40% off normal airfares.

Main ports: Koror, Majuro, Pohnpei, Saipan, Tuik and Yap.

Several cruises go to the islands. Cargo/passenger lines serving the islands include: Nauru Pacific, P&O (website: www.pocruises.com), Saipan Shipping Co and Tiger Line.

There are numerous boats for touring, ranging from small speed boats to large glass-bottomed boats for fishing, sightseeing, sunset cruising, scuba-diving and short-distance travel.

A ferry provides service between Saipan and Tinian. Inter-island vessels provide limited and irregular service between Saipan and the smaller islands. Requests for reservations should be directed to the office of the government of the following: Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas; Office of Transportation in Majuro, Marshall Islands; Koror, Palau; Kolonia, Pohnpei; Moen, Chuuk and Colonia, Yap. Cabin space is limited, and passengers may be required to sleep on deck. The field trip ships are leased by the governments to private firms, and rates are subject to change.