It will be easier than breathing to get a taxi. Noah's LIttle Arks rents dinghys for the day right next to the fery dock. And I wouldn't count out the car rental just yet. Just because you can't reserve one, doesn't mean that there won't be some available. Just walk into the many diferent renatal agencies and inquire. I'm sure you'll find something on at least one day.

Hello Linda,

You are being to hard on yourself :-). Taxis are abundant, not a problem. You can go snorkeling from beaches on your own. Have you ordered, read any of the St. John guidebooks like the Off the Beaten Path at the top of this page? It contains lots of great info. on snorkeling spots. Another good one is Feet, Fins & Four Wheel Drive. You can also look through our beach guide on this site; click on St. John and then beaches. There is a little snorkel info. in the beach guide for each beach. Good beaches you might go to are; Trunk Bay, Cinnamon Bay, Waterlemon Cay, Salt Pond Bay for snorkeling.

If there are some excursions that you were set on doing, definately call them up now and see if you can get in, even the dinghy rental. Its the holidays and its busy. 🙂

You will have a great time!!

--Islander

Thanks so much for the suggestions. Any advice on whether or not to use the Westin ferry or not. We want the least hassles possible but also don't want to pay through the nose either. Any idea on cost getting from the Airport to Red Hook to catch the public ferry? Also, will it be running on Christmas Day and New Year's day when we leave.
I'm sure we will have a great time!
L

I'd also suggest stopping at the National Park office in Cruz Bay by the ferry dock. They have a lot of good info on what to see or do, and have free maps.

Not sure about the holidays, but when I got off the ferry there were all kinds of people asking if I wanted to rent a car/jeep, and no matter where I went there were taxis. I was even lucky enough to lounge around at Cinnamon Bay all alone with my wife, and when we were walking back to the entrance a taxi happened to be driving past on the road and turned around and came for us.

Hope you have fun...I'm jealous. 🙂

Hello Linda,

Airport to Red Hook will be about $10 a person in a shared cab (which means the driver will wait untill he fills his cab with people going in the same general direction) plus a few dollars for luggage. The Red Hook ferry is $3 each way per person.

If you were able to catch the Charlotte Amalie Ferry then the taxi would be about $5 a person and the ferry $7 each way/per person. The ferry schedules are accessiable at the top of this page - click on Ferry Schedules. The CA ferry doesn't have evening ferries like the Red Hook ferry does - so depends on when you arrive and are departing as to whether you could take this one. Also it takes 45 minutes, the Red Hook ferry takes 15 minutes; so you can decide whether you want a longer ride on land/taxi or on water/ferry.

Yes the St. John ferry will be running on the holidays.

What does the Westin charge for their ferry?

--Islander

Definitely utilize the Westin Ferry. Much easier, less hassles, less money, and it takes you right in! It'll probably be about $3 or $4 each + $1 per bag to get to Crown Bay near Tickles, where the ferry leaves from, from the airport. Say "Hi" to Cap'n Dougie Fresh for me!

~Marty

Unfortunately it is $70 a person for the RT transfers to/from the airport, tips, bags and supposedly being put in a special area of the airport until you are picked up. Seems a bit high to me. How big are the ferrys anyway? I don't think I'd like the extra 1/2 hr on the water unless the seas are calm and the weather is good.

Hello Linda,

If you do it on your own it will be around $25 a person/one way.
-$10/person Airport-Red Hook (shared taxi)
-$3/person ferry
-$6/person Cruz Bay-Westin (shared taxi)
(couple dollars for luggage on both taxi rides)

Based on your comment about being on the water - take the Red Hook ferry.

I believe they can hold around 175-250 people. There is a picture of a ferry at:

https://www.vinow.com/stthomas/getting_around_stt/

--Islander

I also failed on getting a car for our two days on St John
12-28 & 12-29 I am finding it IMPOSSIBLE to set anything up for that time,
Any suggestions

Crabmon
By all means don't let it spoil your trip thnking about it. Transfers from the airport to the ferries, ferry fares and transport to your hotel are not outrageous. Once settled, you will find safaris are avaialble to take you almost anywhere. It may take a little longer than having a car, but then you don't have to worry about driving on the wrong side, getting lost or finding parking.
For 2 days, it is probably a wash in cost and in your favor for stress.

you will do just FINE ...
we are here now and have been here since friday ..using taxis is just fine and even on st john we did great....
very relaxing and no hassle...comes out the same even money unless you are travelling around a lot

Linda and Crabmom, try Avis. I just booked with them for $177/wk including taxes - I think we fared pretty well. The airport pick-up was quoted at a lower price than other locations, also (I tried a pick-up at Tutu Park Mall and it was about $60 more).

chris/ginger thanks!!!
We are staying on STT near the airport, and will be taxing to RH each morning, and over to STJ..
Once there we hoped to rent for two days and leave the vehicle overnight and return to STT late via RH and a taxi back to the hotel...
The only issue is not having a vehicle to get around to many spots quickly, and to have a base on STJ.
We'll deal with it somehow. Just disappointed to find NO cars avail while we're there.
We like to go as far as Lameshur, and that $30 each way!!!
Guesss we'll make use of the VItran bus/safaris/and taxis...
Our Christmas wish would be a rental available when we walk off the ferry in CB..
Thanks again!!!

There you go, Crabmon. Changes in latitude need changes in attitude. You'll have a wonderful time. It'll be full of surprises and will work itself out very differently than you can imagine. Go with the flow rather than control it. And you might find a car to rent. The companies are reluctant to rent something for 2 days when they might be able to rent it for a week. week if they hang onto it for a couple more days. If you're standing there with a credit card and they have a car on their lot, they'll take what they can get.

Thanks for all the suggestions and the support/hand holding. I'm sure the trip will be great and we are looking forward to it.