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Hello,
We thought of taking the car ferry over from STT to STJ but I started to read that we may need 4WD to get around the island and to some of the beaches. We rented a standard full size car and wanted to confirm that this will be ok to get around or should I rent a jeep or SUV for the day? Thanks for your help.
The answer is: it depends. On where you want to go mostly - if you plan to stay on the beaten paths (i.e. paved roads) you should be OK in a car. If you want to be a bit more adventurous and go onto the trails (like to Lameshur Bay), you're definitely gonna want a 4WD. Plus, the car rental place is going to have an opinion on where they want you driving as well.
Regan is exactly right.
We've done both. Had a Taurus from Budget once and a Jeep Wrangler (also from Budget) last year. Both worked extremely well going to the north shore beaches (Hawksnest, Trunk, Cinnamon, Maho, Leinester). We ventured to the south shore with the Wrangler and I would not do that in a Taurus. Too many bumps (major potholes) on the way to Lameshur. If money is not a deciding factor - take the Jeep - it's so much more fun than a sedan. If money is a factor - bring your sedan and stay on the north shore area.
Good Luck! Have Fun!
We rented a 2 jeep wranglers in May and we didn't use the 4x4 once when we were there. Be warned that there's some crazy hills to travel up, but you should be fine if you stay on centerline road. Jeeps are fun, depending on your age. One of our jeeps had 20 somethings in it and they loved to have the top down. Our jeep had 4 50 somethings and we couldn't take the sun blaring down on us all the time after spending so much time on the beaches.
Whatever you do, don't worry and have fun!
We have taken a day trip to the North shore beaches in a Taurus and had no problems. This year we stayed on STJ and rented two Jeep Liberties. We never did use the 4wd but just having the higher clearance was a factor when going to some of the more remote beaches. I found that the Jeeps that sit up higher also give you a better vantage point when trying to around corners. If you want to stay on the paved roads a car will do just fine, if you want to be more adventuresome I would go with a 4wd.
Since you're coming for a day and you stay on the north shore or centerline roads and it doesn't rain, you should probably be okay w/o 4wd. Roads on STJ are steep and windey. Some of the switchbacks are astonishing. They become very slick when it rains (and it doesn't take much rain to make them slick). Some villa driveways just can't be driven w/o 4wd and sedans will bottom out on some roads.
Here's a link to a video to give you some perspective:
Get a jeep.
