The quickest way from the airport to St. John is to jump in a cab and read to the Red Hook Dock then hop unto the ferry and your there. Probally 35 mintutes drive to the dock and 25 mintutes on the ferry. I would say allow an hour of transportation time, for getting lugguge on and off ect.

Beaches on St. John - hop to all of them; Cinnamon, Salt Pond Bay, Hawksnest, Caneel Bay, Trunk Bay... all great.

I would recommend renting a car/jeep for at least part of your trip so that you can beach hop and explore. If you plan on spending a couple days around the villa then don't rent a car on those days.

St. Barths roads are most interesting aren't they. Well I can say St. John's roads are a little better. Still steep and curvy however they are bigger, not much but they are bigger. And the drivers are not quite as crazy. And in St. Barths you have mopeds, motorcycles, jeeps, cars .... St. John it's mostly cars/jeeps, goats and donkeys.... nothing to fear.

Have a great time.

--Islander

Mary Ellen,

I'll try to answer your questions as best as possible, but please remember, these are mostly opinions.

JAZZ VILLA: I looked at the web site, as I have not stayed there. It looks as if it is located pretty high above Chocolate Hole. The driveway may be a climb. Ask your rental agent how it is to get to this villa if you are weary of driving.

CAR RENTAL: Check with your rental agent to see if they can rent you your jeep at a discount. I however, recommend Conrad Sutton, www.conradcars.com. Most rates on St John are compairable. We have used Conrad for over 20 years. We always get a new jeep, and Conrad lets you park in the lot when you are in town. Parking can be at a premium in town.

QUICKEST WAY TO ST JOHN: Slow down, after all, you are on vacation. There are ferries that run from Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook. It takes about the same amount of time for each. Usually just the travelers preference as to where you want to spend more time. Taxi or ferry. We always take the RH ferry. Our flight usually lands around 2:30pm and we catch the 4:00 Red Hook ferry, landing on St John around 4:20pm.

Charlotte Amalie ferry: 15 min from the airport. 45 minute ferry ride. $7.00 per person. Has a 1:00pm, 3:00pm and last ferry at 5:30pm

Red Hook ferry: 40 min from the airport. 20 minute ferry ride. $3.00 per person. Every hour until midnight.

RESTAURANTS: There are soooo many good ones. Where to begin!! My favorites, Roma, Fish Trap and Lime Inn. These are casual restaurants and moderately priced. Chateau Bordeaux and Cafee Wahoo for a higher priced meal. Make sure that you visit Shipwreak Landing towards Coral Bay and The Beach Bar in Cruz bay.

BEACHES: You have to visit to pick your favorite. My favorites: Francis Bay, Salt Pond Bay, Leinster Bay and Hawksnest Bay. Pick up a free map when you get to St John. This will show you locations of beaches. Try as many as you can and go from there. There is not a "bad" beach on St John. Each one has something to offer.

TIPS: Pack lightly. I always end up bringing unworn clothes home.
Take Cortizone Cream. $12.00 a tube on-island. (bug bites)
Try putting your beach items in a small back pack instead of a bag.
RELAX AND ENJOY!!!!!

There is a newspaper in St. John called The Tradewinds. Email them @:
editor@tradewinds.vi
They can get a copy to you and this paper is a MUST HAVE for a trip to lovely St. John. You'll read about local news, beaches, hot spots, events and so on. Also, if you should prefer to stay in the heart of Cruz Bay-(this is where the ferry docks) the Tradewinds has rentals- call toll free;
1-800-776-6496. Tell them Randy sent you. It is an Excellent spot to stay and very convenient. Just across the street is a jeep rental. Close in proximity to many of the best restaurants in St. John. When you get there, stop in and say " good day"
It is the island way to greet everyone. Enjoy. Peace. Randy

Hi, are any of the restaurants you recommended in Cruz Bay. We are taking a cruise and coming over on the ferry from St Thomas in May. We planned to go to Trunk Bay. We need a place for a good quick lunch before we catch the ferry back at 1:15. Where is Skinny Legs. I know its at the Westin but is that near the ferry. Any info would be helpfull. Thanks Cindy

Cindy, there are great restaurants in Cruz Bay a fw moments walk from the ferry. Just pick up a copy of The Tradewinds and you will find many listings with the location in for your convenience. Enjoy!!

The best thing to do on your trip is relax! I know it's hard to do just getting off mainland time, and charging around airports, collecting luggage, getting taxi's etc. but the minute you get to the docks in Cruz Bay--relax!! It doesn't pay to get stressed. We have found that you must rent a car to get around at your own pace and see what you want when you want. There are so many things to explore. If snorkeling interests you--Waterlemon Cay is great for seeing starfish, turtles, and lots or coral around the Cay-careful though, the water can be rough on the other side. The turtles are so much fun to watch! Francis Bay was great for calm waters and hot sun. It's fun to watch the fish jump and the pelicans dive. There is coral off to the left side of the beach, not much straight out, and some off to the right. Haulover bay is usually quiet, not too many people. The east beach, which is reached by a short hike has some pretty good snorkeling, but can be a bit rough. Watch for squids-fun to watch. The southern beach is good too, some good fish watching over to the right.
Salt pond is usually very good and calm. I saw a HUGE stingray in January. Scared the daylights out of me, coming up behind me. But all he did was bury himself in the sand. Lameshur Bay is also very good but you need a 4 wheel drive car to get there!!!!! Skinny Legs is great for casual and people watching. Have a burger! Also shipwreck landing has yummy stuff. We are partial to the Coral Bay area, and rent a cottage overlooking the east end and the British Virgins every year for the past 5 years now. I can't think of a more wonderful time than sitting on our deck, drinks in hand and watching the world go by. It's peaceful, quiet, (except for the birds and cottage cats) and beautiful. It's great listening to the peepers at night, after having been shut up all winter in the cold. Watch the bugs though! we went during a wet spell and I was chewed up so badly, that I was still itching a month later. BUG SPRAY!! Also, if you do any hiking, wear long pants-I got some poison ivy-type contact dermatitis from something after a hike. Not a pretty sight. Oh well, the price of paradise is sometimes high. Have a GREAT time.