I can't comment on Villa rentals in St. John, but we stayed in St. Thomas last June (first week) and the weather was beautiful. Believe me when i say that it can be very hot and humid, but we were able to adapt to it. Usually, you're in the water or can step into a a/c shop.

I never felt uncomfortable anywere in St. John. We would go over during the day on the car barge and drove to many beaches. At night we took the people ferry over and walked around, and ate.

As it's been said before, use your best judgement wherever you are...not just St. John.

jp, We have used caribbean villa.com as our rental company 3 times and haven't been dissapointed yet.I have found the north side of the island to have some pretty good views and beaches but I am sure there are good views all over st.john.If you go to their website look at villas overlooking cinnamon bay and peter bay.They are pricey but worth it.We were there last may and the weather was perfect it rained one time at night for about an hour in a 7 day period.We have also stayed in a villa called dream catcher overlooking great cruz bay that was nice also.It was 3 bedroom with a foldout couch in the living room.Make sure you rent a jeep for your stay it will be needed.As far as safety goes we haven't ever had any problems but from what I have read on this site you just need to use common sense.

As to the extra day because of late arrival. You might want to consider getting rooms for a night in St Thomas. Rent a car from one of the companies that will let you take it to St. John for the week. Get up the next morning go to the Grocery store on St Thomas then take the car ferry over to St John. We have come into St Thomas a day or two prior to a trip or charter and stayed in St Thomas for a day or two. My favorite place to stay without breaking the Budget is the Mafolie Hotel http://www.mafolie.com/
There is a great restaurant there and reasonable rooms. The grocery shopping on St Thomas will be less expensive and have a better selection.
Good luck

ck out: www.villavantage.com for villa reviews! You can also try: www.mclaughlinanderson.com for St.John villa rentals as well! Not heard of any horror stories with villa rentals! Just use common sense when out and about!
Good Luck, You will love your visit and assure you that you will want to come back!

I second caribbean villa.com check out Allesandra or Cygnus villas

We've been to Mexico (with kids), Bahamas and Grand Cayman (without kids) and prefer St. John far and away more than the other places. We've been back four times. We took our kids (8 and 12) last year, and they loved it. I wondered whether they would be bored because there are none of the traditional cheesy beach activities, but that never happened.

We stayed in a villa three of the four times -- definitely the way to go. We prefer to stay near Cruz Bay, and we've always gone through Carefree Getaways (carefreegetaways.com). Last time we stayed in L'Esprit de la Vie, and it was very nice, maybe 10 minutes outside of Cruz Bay. We've never had any concerns about safety -- and I've read the horror stories too -- but then we're not the type to stay out late an night.

Hello jp

Reef Bay
The eastward views overlooking Reef Bay are beautiful, especially in the morning. My family always enjoy sitting in the hot tub at night and watching the cruise ships head south of STJ, fading into the distance & realizing we get to stay another day on STJ. The beach on Reef Bay is accessible on foot following an initial decent of 15-20 feet along a foot path. Would not carry beach chairs but a cooler is fine. Access to the water along Reef Bay is not nearly as nice as the other bays (North Shore and SE) due to the numerous urchins and rocky bottoms. The hike along Reef Bay to Gentil Bay brings you to the end of the Reef Bay trail. From there you can go North to the Petroglyphs or continue East to Lamshure Bay trail. Get the book "STJ Off the Beaten Track" for details of trails, beaches, etc.

Travel time
We prefer May-June due to school/work schedules, lower rates and fewer people. While some of the locals claim the summer months are hotter, I can't tell the difference. Temperatures do not vary much in US VI so the "hotter" may apply to humidity or fewer sea breezes. We are from Houston so humidity is all relative but you may have an issue depending on villa location (if limited sea breeze, get AC). Do not scope out the weather report leading up to your trip since all reports will list a 30+% chance of showers. That is a typical report and in reality doesn't mean a thing so leave umbrellas at home and bring a lot of sun screen. You shouldn't have to worry about hurricanes that early in the season either.

Rates
They are lower in the "off Season" between April & November so rates are not really negotiable. Check with your agency just the same. I do know some discounts (10-15%) are available if a property is not renting out but one would have to ask why they are not renting and if they can wait until the discount is posted.

Before & After options
With our flight times, we always end up staying the first night in STT. There are numerous places to stay on STT (Best Western Emerald, Crystal Palace B&B, Bunker Hill) or you could look into a single night at Gallows Point in Cruz Bay.

Safety
With a family of 5 I doubt you are going to venture down any back alleys (are there any on STJ?) or hang out late at night in the bars. Just use common sense, lock the villa, use the safe, get a car with a trunk, etc., etc.

Additional
Already suggested the book (Feet, Fins & 4WD is also a good one), but if your kids are hikers I suggest the Reef Bay trail sponsored by the Parks Department. A ranger takes you down the trail describing everything along the way and rather than go back up hill, they ferry you back to the PD office.
Snorkel, snorkel, snorkel
Really suggest a day sail to get to off island locations and snorkel spots. Always recommend Wayward Sailor & Captain Phil Chalker. You family would be a full boat (6 max) so you would have it all to yourself and get his undivided attention. Great with kids and gets involved.
The Mexican holidays have become too commercial and days on STJ may seem 'dull' in comparison. Make no mistake, that is a good thing especially in this "do it / get it now" world we have created for ourselves. Lay back and take in the 'island time' attitude. It really re-charges the batteries, gets families back together and tends to be a vacation of a life time.

Enjoy

This was just posted on another forum - thought you might like to read it.

We are currently staying at the Reef Bay View Villa overlooking Reef Bay. It is kind of the east side of the island. You can see the property by googling it. This side of the island is kind of remote, so if laid back and quiet is what your looking for, this is it. Still it is only about four miles from town. This seems to be the windward side of the island and the breezes are steady and refreshing. Which is good, because we assumed this villa had air conditioning. Even though this is Christmas day and most accomodations are sold out, there is hardly anyone on the beach. However, it is not that easy to get to the beach with few access points and probably somewhat of a climb down a trail through acatia trees. Most of the villas on this side as was told to me do not have wells or a public water system, so cisterns and rainwater are the only source. Oddly, based on the vegatation (cactus, aloe, acatias), it appears to be somewhat arrid so you must be very careful with your water useage. By the way, most of the places here are built on hilsides, so parking is a premium. Even though this villa sleeps 8, there is only parking for one car and fortunately we got a Jeep Liberty with high ground clearance and short wheelbase. Keep in mind if you rent a car in St. Thomas and take the ferry over, Hertz won't let you take the car to St. John. Budget and Avis OK. We are disappointed with this place as maintenance is poor, no A/C or dishwasher, not enough parking, a ridiculous "trail" (read hazardous steep climb) to the beach, and appliances and cooking utensils that look like they came from a garage sale. Believe me, this was not a cheap place! Still, the view is spectacular, the decks and pool are nice and while rustic, it is cozy and private. So far, we've found two markets for this side and not too far from here. I'm sure you have read other posts about the cost of food here. Figure 2-3 times what you are used to paying. Just saw top sirloin at the Star Markert for $21.00 a pound. Good news, Stoly Vodka for $9.00 but Grey Goose is still $38.00. Surprisingly, sea food is also expensive. Nine jumbo prawns, about 3/4 pound, $18+. Food prices are a real incentive to start a diet. Forget packing clothes, pack meat! There is the Star Market about halfway from town, but better prices pleasant staff are a little further at the Pine Peace Mini Mart. Pretty good selection of most foods, but no fresh meats or fish. We shop at both. I would ask a whole lot of questions, like how far to the beach, parking, etc. You get the picture.

Capn - that is good info. Can you recommend a rental agency? Also, a lot of people mention renting a jeep. Just how necessary is 4WD and do they accomodate five people?

Thanks. jp

Chris - that is very helpful info. Definitely plan to buy that book. Do you rent your vehicle in STT and ferry over? What area of the island do you prefer and why? Does the Wayward Sailor have a website?

thanks, jp

Hello jp

We rent on STJ to avoid any potential problems with flat tire, dead battery, etc. and they won't provide service from STT or it takes a long time to get it. Costs more on STJ but I pay the price.

We prefer Reef Bay area for quiet location and proximity to Cruz Bay. Coral Bay is very nice but you might want to be closer to Cruz with the kids.

Here is the WS site.

http://www.waywardsailor.net/index.htm

If safety is of concern and you want options for your wife and daughter while you explore the island without them occassionally you might consider renting one of the condos that are very close to Cruz Bay. There will be a few more people around you (only a few) and an easy walk into Cruz Bay gives the girls a place to walk to shop, etc if they tire of hanging out at the pool. I've never rented a villa... something about the expensive grocery prices and cooking for myself just don't jive with my idea of a vacation. We loved walking into town each night after a quick shower following our days at the beach. We ate at a different place every night and while they were expensive, at least they weren't expensive AND I had to cook it, haha. The stroll back to the condo was followed by late night in the pool and hot tub with a view of STT in the distance. Very relaxing end to each day. The next mornings we took one of the abundant cabs to the north shore beach of our choice. There are even day tours that the taxi's will give you for seeing the rest of the island or you could rent a car for a day or two instead of the whole week. We loved being at Gallow's Point in Cruz Bay, but read all the reviews you can before selecting your unit... they are individually owned and vary greatly in how nice and/or up to date they are. We were very pleased with 15D and our friends were also happy with 1C. (Search for my trip report for more details) Have a great trip... STJ is addicting.

There are lots of good villa rental companies out there...I've rented from several and never had a problem with any of them. I choose villas by location/amenities/price, not by rental agency. If you're worried about it though, narrow your villa list down to a few, and then post on this board something like "Has anyone ever had problems with "x" villa rental company?"

Links to most of the villa rental companies: http://www.stjohnspice.com/links.htm

As far as renting a vehicle goes, my husband and I always rent from the airport in STT, pick up groceries, and then take the car ferry to STJ. There's a decent cost savings in doing it this way (both in the vehicle rental and groceries (we bring meat with us to help with that)…and actually in the ferry price too, since everyone rides in the car ferry at one price, which is less expensive than the people ferry and taxi fare to the ferry if you have more than a couple people), but others prefer to rent on STJ.

We’ve rented cars before that would have bottomed-out in certain places on STJ had there been people weighing down the back seat. So I’d at least go for a vehicle that is higher off the ground, and there are definitely some roads in STJ that require 4WD…that’ll be one thing you should find out about your villa before you pick your rental car. Some villas are inaccessible without 4WD.

If you rent one of the larger SUVs, you'll be able to fit 5 people in it, but getting the luggage in too might be a bit difficult. I'd do whatever you can to make sure that you're actually getting the vehicle you've requested (call a few days ahead, etc)....this past summer, my husband and I rented a large SUV because we had 3 friends (all adults) coming with us, but when we picked up the rental, it was a small SUV, and an EXTREMELY tight fit. They gave us $100 back for the inconvenience, but it wasn't fun with 5 people and all of our luggage. Two of those friends rented a vehicle on STJ, and their SUV was in such bad condition that they ended up barely driving it because they were afraid it was going to break down far from town (it wouldn't even start half the time, but the rental company said that it was the only vehicle available). I'm not saying that every vehicle available for rent on STJ is in bad shape, not at all, but their experience was bad enough that they decided to rent from one of the larger companies on STT from now on....just trying to give you as much information as possible so you can decide what is best for your family 🙂

hi, jp

Safety: If you've being to Jamaica, my personal opinion is that I felt a lot safer walking in St. John than in Jamaica.

Villa: We are also looking traveling the end of May, which means Memorial weekend. I've being paying attention for quite a few weeks now. Just in the pass few weeks, I noticed the popular villas are gone fast for that week. I also noticed that a 3 bedroom villa with good price is very hard to find. You might want to act fast.

rental car: We rented from Budget last Nov from St. Thomas and drove to St. John. We were very happy with them. Our last trip was only 4 days and we have a little infant. For us, renting from St. Thomas was a much more convenient choice that I was willing to risk. Our next trip will be 8 days and with more people, I am seriously thinking about renting a car on St. John instead.

There are another thing to consider to rent a car from St. Thomas, other than the risk of a broken car. The car barge leaves from Red Hook which is on the other side of St. Thomas (away from the airport). If you arrive late on St. Thomas, you might not be able to catch the last barge. I saw someone recommanded at another thread, if you are arriving after 2pm in St. Thomas, ( unless you would like to overnight), you probably shouldn't consider car barge.

I've never arrived in STT before 2 pm, and have always taken the car ferry without a problem. If your flight was significantly delayed, I suppose you could have a problem though.

Love City's last ferry leaves at 7 pm, Boyson's at 6:30 pm, and Roanoke's at 6:15 pm. I would never count on catching the last car ferry though, as you'd be screwed if it was full.

on 6 trips in last couple yrs with arrivals after 2pm have never had a barge problem. i also know our luck will eventually run out but the convenience of leaving airport in car, the savings of stt rental and beneift of wheels till afternoon of flight home make up for than infrequent problem that WILL eventually arise.

if renting at stt airport, be sure rental co allows cars to go to stj. hertz doesn't, budget did earlier this month and jan 07 reservation says can. used avis couple times to and they allowed.

as TLRK posted, always plan for at least one extra barge on travel day/times especially on return. we normally go for the 9:30 am return and use the extra couple hrs going to mt top, market and lunch at west western emerald beach.

good luck