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My wife and I are going to St John for a week at the end of the month. I plan to rent a car in St Thomas (at the airport) and ferry it over from Red Hook. It's a regular car, not a 4x4. Is a 4x4 absolutely necessary on St John? Renting the car and ferrying it over is $200 for the week, it's over $400 to rent a 4x4. I don't mind having to hike a little further because I don't have a 4x4, but was wondering if I am making a big mistake.
You may very well be fine with just a regular car. My bias is to have 4WD and not to avoid hiking a little further. I"ve had to use 4WD on the paved roads when they are just plain old wet. The hills are STEEP and STEEP and wet can equal no traction. I've seen people literally having to back down some of the hills because the car just won't make it up.
With the unpredictability of tropical showers, it's just a chance I wouldn't take but lots of people do so it's really more a matter of what your level of comfort is. You may have no need of 4WD but when you need it, you need it NOW. For me, it's worth the extra money to rent a 4WD vehicle, whether I rent to St Thomas and bring it over on the car ferry or rent on St John.
Just my 2 cents! Enjoy whatever you decide!
Mermaid
I agree with Mermaid. Roads are steep and windey. Even the best of the paved roads can get very slick. Also, while we've never had any problem with a vehicle, if I did I'd rather deal with a rental company on the same island. And some companies let you park in their lot when you're in Cruz Bay. There's places where I cut costs, but this isn't one of them.
I also have to agree - I would go with a 4x4. The roads going out of Cruz Bay are steep, so if you want to go anywhere, you can't avoid them. Consider the fact that you'll be driving on the left, on narrow, winding, possibly wet, and sometimes gravel-strewn roads (gulley-washers happen) when you determine what your level of comfort is.
And you can't rule out the possibility of having to manuever around donkeys, goats, or cows... I think 4X4 is just safer.
We're going to spend a week in St. John and the next week in St. Thomas. The first week we are renting a Jeep (easier to get on and off the ferry) as we want to travel some of the back roads this time. The week we are in St. Thomas we are renting a sedan (has air conditioning). The traffic is heavier on St. Thomas and a sedan is more comfortable.
I agree that on St Thomas or St Croix for that matter a sedan will work just fine, a 4x4 is a much better option on St John
We rented a 4x4 Jeep in St Johns there instead of ferrying over. Much easier. Hills can be very steep, particularly when you start exploring the hilly areas where the best beaches are. I would rent on St Johns inspite of the cost.
