Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in Martinique or I have to give them cash
My tip: in Martinique, card is widely accepted for hotel. Larger hostels like Centre International de Séjour in Fort-de-France or properties near Les Trois-Îlets are set up for Visa and Mastercard. However, bring some euros in cash for roadside fruit stalls, markets, and if you head down to smaller villages. ATMs are plentiful, so you can always top up. Overall, Martinique is one of the easier Caribbean islands to travel with just a card, but cash is still handy for the little things.
I booked into Centre International de Séjour and paid with my debit card-smooth and easy. Later I moved to a smaller guesthouse near Sainte-Anne, and while they did accept card, their machine went down one night, so I had to hand over euros in cash. It wasn’t a big problem because ATMs are all over the island, but it reminded me not to rely 100% on card payments. Most hostels are card-ready, but you’ll be glad to have cash as a backup.
Honestly, Martinique was such a breeze when it came to payments. I stayed at Centre International de Séjour in Fort-de-France, and they happily ran my card at check-in. Even little cafés nearby accepted card taps. I kept some euros in my wallet for beach snacks and the ferry across to Pointe-du-Bout, but most of the time I just used my Visa. Compared to other islands, Martinique feels modern and card-friendly, so you don’t need to carry tons of cash unless you want to.
In Martinique, most hostels and guesthouses around Fort-de-France and Les Trois-Îlets accept credit and debit cards. At Centre International de Séjour in Fort-de-France, I paid with Visa with no issue. They’ll also take Mastercard. That said, some smaller family-run stays in the countryside may prefer cash. ATMs are easy to find across the island, so you won’t struggle. But in general, yes-hostels do take cards and you don’t need to rely solely on cash.