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hi,
We are going to St Thomas next week for 9 days. I rented a small car from Budget which is located right at the St Thomas airport. I assume i can take that car to St john because it does not say on the website or reservation I can't and on all of the other car rental places it says Jeep only. We are only paying 330 for 9 days. hope this helps

I would call Budget on STT and confirm that you will be allowed to take a small car to STJ. Better to know now than be disappointed on your first day of vacation.

Thanks Ric, I will look into it 🙂

The general rule of thumb is that (with the exception of Hertz who does NOT allow their cars to be taken to STJ period and which is stated in their contract) the other agencies have no problem with their vehicles being taken there on day trips by visitors who are staying on St Thomas. Because of the steep terrain on STJ and the fact that most villas are located on roads which require 4WD maneuverability they almost without exception, however, require that people staying on STJ rent 4WD vehicles. In many cases it boils down to a, "don't ask don't tell" routine but it would be a very foolish visitor who rented a small compact on STT to drive on STJ if STJ is where they're staying. Most agencies make no guarantees of service on STJ if their vehicle breaks down there - getting the car back to STT is the renter's responsibility. Many ARE very accommodating if this happens and many stories attest to that - but I think you can pretty much guarantee that if you rent a compact with the intention of staying on STJ, you will indeed be well and truly stuck financially if anything happens.

Hope that helps a little!

My wife and I will be there from the 8th of Dec to the 17th,, we are renting from budget at the airport... I talked to jere the other day and he did say that there cars all can go to St John..
I hope this helps..
Dave

Compact cars do very well on the Islands. Unless you're renting a vacation home on a remote dirt road, 4WD is over kill.
Some tips for steep roads.
Use low gear 2
Turn off A/C on uphills
Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front.
Keep calm if you hear honking horns. (don't engage)
I actually like having a car with a hard top and locking trunk and cost-effective fuel efficiency.

blu4u wrote:
Compact cars do very well on the Islands. Unless you're renting a vacation home on a remote dirt road, 4WD is over kill.
Some tips for steep roads.
Use low gear 2
Turn off A/C on uphills
Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front.
Keep calm if you hear honking horns. (don't engage)
I actually like having a car with a hard top and locking trunk and cost-effective fuel efficiency.

Compacts and 2WD are generally fine for STT and STX. STJ is a whole different ball game, Begs the question of how long you've been here and on which island you live to make such a generalization ...

STT Resident wrote:
[quote=blu4u]
Compact cars do very well on the Islands. Unless you're renting a vacation home on a remote dirt road, 4WD is over kill.
Some tips for steep roads.
Use low gear 2
Turn off A/C on uphills
Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front.
Keep calm if you hear honking horns. (don't engage)
I actually like having a car with a hard top and locking trunk and cost-effective fuel efficiency.

Compacts and 2WD are generally fine for STT and STX. STJ is a whole different ball game, Begs the question of how long you've been here and on which island you live to make such a generalization ...

The advice applies to the VI in general . All of the islands (STT, STX, STJ) have a few rental homes located on remote dirt roads. If you plan on renting a home, please check with rental agent/owner if 4wd is recommend. However, 2WD is fine for the larger part of each island. The main and secondary roads are all paved--even on St John. In fact the roads on STJ are the best maintained in the VI. Most of STJ is a national park and the fed gov is responsible for road maintenance and repair.

Some visitors are unaccustomed to hills and driving on the left. After a day or two most experienced drivers get the hang of it. If you're a bad driver, are prone to road rage, or enjoy a cocktail before getting behind the wheel, then consider taking a taxi. Or, if like STT Resident, you require extra power and feel more comfortable surrounded by a ton of Pennsylvania steel and an 8 cylinder fossil fuel combustion engine, please feel free to pay premium prices for a large 4WD SUV rental and gasoline.

Whatever you choose please remember: Slow, steady and sober sets the pace.

blu4u wrote: Or, if like STT Resident, you require extra power and feel more comfortable surrounded by a ton of Pennsylvania steel and an 8 cylinder fossil fuel combustion engine, please feel free to pay premium prices for a large 4WD SUV rental and gasoline.

In the close to 30 years I've lived on STT I have never owned a vehicle remotely meeting this description. Your generalizations are incorrect.

Federal highway funds also pay for the maintenance and repair of the major roads on both STT and STX. Best to speak of what you know rather than what you hear or think you know. 😀

Correct. I have no idea what type of vehicle you drive.

The original intent was to share the benefit of my experience of negotiating steep hills in a 2WD car, which (IMO) is completely doable--even on STJ.

[i][i]"STT Resident [ PM ]
Re: Budget Rental Car
October 12, 2011 12:24PMRegistered: 6 years ago
Posts: 2,303
Why a Jeep? If you're thinking 4WD you don't need that on STT and neither do you need it for a typical 1 or 2 day trip to STJ on the car barge. St Thomas has been my home for almost 30 years and only once did I own a vehicle which had the 4WD option - which I never used! I don't know about the new generation Jeep SUVs but even the late model Wranglers have to be the most uncomfortable vehicles I've ever been in. I'm sure they're amazingly sturdy, dependable and reliable in the outback or on the rocky tors where few other vehicles dare to drive but don't be swayed by the hype and pay through the nose for something you just don't need."[/i][/i]

The above post is from last month. Sounds like good advce to me....

STT Resident [ PM ]
Re: Car choice new
November 12, 2011 03:25PMRegistered: 6 years ago
Posts: 2,303
Chris, I've not been in a Vitara so can't speak for that, but I've been a passenger in a couple of Escapes and drive an older Explorer, both of which are SUPER comfortable. The Explorer's a little large for my current needs......!

Isn't the Ford Explorer considered a full size SUV?

blu4u wrote:
[i][i]"STT Resident [ PM ]
Re: Budget Rental Car
October 12, 2011 12:24PMRegistered: 6 years ago
Posts: 2,303
Why a Jeep? If you're thinking 4WD you don't need that on STT and neither do you need it for a typical 1 or 2 day trip to STJ on the car barge. St Thomas has been my home for almost 30 years and only once did I own a vehicle which had the 4WD option - which I never used! I don't know about the new generation Jeep SUVs but even the late model Wranglers have to be the most uncomfortable vehicles I've ever been in. I'm sure they're amazingly sturdy, dependable and reliable in the outback or on the rocky tors where few other vehicles dare to drive but don't be swayed by the hype and pay through the nose for something you just don't need."[/i][/i]

The above post is from last month. Sounds like good advce to me....

STT Resident [ PM ]
Re: Car choice new
November 12, 2011 03:25PMRegistered: 6 years ago
Posts: 2,303
Chris, I've not been in a Vitara so can't speak for that, but I've been a passenger in a couple of Escapes and drive an older Explorer, both of which are SUPER comfortable. The Explorer's a little large for my current needs......!

Isn't the Ford Explorer considered a full size SUV?

Where the first quote is concerned, the poster was asking about STT. Where's the rub?

Where the second is concerned, the answer is yes, but my 1998 Explorer is not a 4WD and was purchased a few years ago because of it's ability to transport bulk items for my restaurant. Having now closed my restaurant just a couple of months ago after 15 years I may not now need the capacity it afforded me but it's fully paid for, I've put money into it, I'm not driving all over the island in a gas guzzler and I resent your implication.

And, as many good friends that I have on STJ and who I will eventually see now that I'm very slowly adjusting to a new life, I won't be taking the car barge over to STJ in my 2WD Explorer. I'll park it up at Red Hook and take the passenger ferry because, if rainy squalls come through, I have no desire to be stuck on a rain-slick switchback.

Dependable!!!! Jeep is 398 for a week and yes you can take to St. John. If the car breaks down on St. John you will have to get the car back to Cruz Bay so that they can send a mechanic but seriously I have been doing this for 8 plus years and no problems.