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i am going to st john for 9 nights ( but 7 days). we are arriving at 9pm into st thomas then going to st john. im hesitant to rent a car because driving seems scary on st john with the steep hills (do i have to shift car gears going up and down cuz i live in a flat state and dont really know how to do that) and dark roads at night. we are staying in a villa and even with detailed directions, driving at night up and down mountains seems kind of scary. we are 5people , (of which one is a three yr old...do taxis charge for him?) Also probably staying on the east end by coral bay. How difficult/easy is it to find a taxi/bus between coral bay and cruz bay (particularly at night) if we chose not to get a car. do they take you directly to your villa? and how do u get a taxi when you are at home? do u have to walk somewhere?....
help! someone tell me if I(me) CAN drive on st john.
Dear Beachbum82
Ok...Let's simplify if we can.
When you arrive late in St Thomas I suggest you spend your first night near the airport. There is a Best Western Emerald Beach that we have used before. www.emeraldbeach.com You will take a quick, but expensive taxi ride from the airport.
Unless you are prepared to pay up to several hundred dollars a day for taxi's or private drivers, you will need to rent a car. Is someone in your party a licensed driver over the age of 25? If not there are very few places that rent to younger drivers. Be sure that you can take the jeep to St John on the car ferry.
Have you checked with all of the St John car rental agencies to see if any will rent to you? If you are a careful and experienced driver you will not have problems driving on St John. However, Ask your rental agent what the condition of your Villa's driveway is. Some are very steep and narrow.
Have you already signed a contract on your villa? Are you sure it is the one you want? Has your rental agent acknowledged your deposit?Your rental agent can be very helpful. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions.
Cramming 5 of you into one nice hotel room is a far better choice than renting two cheapie motel rooms. You said it: "8 hours". Again, and I cannot stress this enough: 4 WHEEL DRIVE. Spend your money on a good vehicle and conserve on the food. There is no reason to save money by not renting the safest vehicle possible and instead spending it on food and activities. You will be on an island where the beaches are pretty much free and grocery shopping vs. eating out will save you about 30-50%. I'm only 28 and it's amazing what a few years and a bit of experience can provide in terms of responsibility. My husband and I are also on a tight budget right now being that we're both finishing school, but St John isn't a vacation on which penny pinching is an option. The best way to save money is to buy a cheap plane ticket, partake in free activities, bring your own food, and eat out as little as possible. The rest is non-negotiable.
OK, I feel a LITTLE better now 🙂
I would stay at the Best Western Emerald Beach at the airport - make sure you have a reservation.
Rent a 4WD (Jeep) from a company that allows the car to go to St John, it will be worth it to you as you seem nervous about driving here - I live here and would not drive a car !!! - make sure you have a reservation - do not use Hotwire etc as you do not know what company you will be with and if the car can leave STT or not.
You do have a villa rented already - please, please tell me yes 🙂 You can't wait to get one on St John (I live on St John by the way) we are in peak season and even if it shows available on the villa rental's website it may not be available for rent - sometimes they need maintanence and cleaning before a guest arrives and if it is not rented for awhile they will wait to do that.
East End is waayyyy out there - you know there is no activities out there right ? - great views, quiet, good snorkeling - but I am assuming you are not going out anyway with a 3 year old.
I think we are all freaking out because of the 3 year old - the good people of the forum are talking from experience - I live here and the "names" people are posting under I recognize as very frequent visitors to STJ and we are talking from experience and are used to "the way things are done here" not the same as Stateside at all.
Let us know please that you have things in place (at least a confirmed villa reservation) - if not I'll be wandering the streets looking for 5 x 20 somthings and a 3 year old wandering around 🙁
Pia
About a vehicle--
For one example, it appears that Budget has a compact 4WD (Wrangler-- seats 4) available from STT for your dates. They specify that you CAN take it to St John, and they will rent to you at age 24 BUT they'll charge you an extra $10/day for being under 25.
Don't know whether you've been to the VIs before, but are you aware that driving is on the LEFT?
Here's a video someone made of driving on St John, with a note that
"Doesn't look as harrowing as it felt in real life, but you can see how the road disappears coming up to the switch backs on the way to the villa that we rented on St. John island, USVI."
This whole thread made me laugh. Beachbum, don't be rude to the members of this site. Everyone here is very helpful and they are good people, if you want help, don't be rude!
if you were truly on a budget, you would have booked way in advance when you probably could have got a deal. And if you're on a budget, if you thought $1000 for a jeep is a lot, wait until you get the taxi bills.
Still haven't got a villa, and it's peak season.... Plan on staying in a tent or 2 x the price you would if you booked months ago.
oh, i'm the one being rude?
Dear Beach Bumb:
Read your thread on driving. If I understand your first comment there are 5 of you. A standard size 4 wheel drive jeep is out of the question. Too many people too much luggage. Don't want to rain on your vacation but it sounds to me you are more than a little tense about driving on St. John and with crazies that drive there plus cement trucks and very slick roads when it rains for you it might just be more than a little white knuckle. Why go to a place where it may increase your stress level - save St. John for another time when you have someone that will not be stressed when they drive. Now don't get me wrong, I love St. John, matter of fact so much that I built a house there and wrote a book about the people living there.
But at this point in your life I believe you might have a better time on a more flat island - maybe Nassau or something like that? Just my opinion.
Beachbumb,
Nobody was trying to be rude. We were simply concerned that perhaps you had not put in much planning for your trip, and with a toddler, you really can't fly by the seat of your pants. Your language had indicated that you were traveling this upcoming weekend with no lodging reservations, car rental etc, and we were just trying to give you advice. I don't have loads of money either, which is why I plan my vacations months in advance to get the best deals. Its the people who have scads of money who say - hey, let's just go down to the Virgin Islands this weekend! (with no planning) I'm sorry you had a negative experience with this message board, because it is really the best source on info that I've found. Wish you luck in whatever you choose to do.
Back on the topic of driving on STJ, which was your original concern...
We were there last week and drove all over the island. The only thing we were cautioned about (besides the usual "keep left" and "vacuum the sand out of the vehicle") was to avoid driving Centerline Road for the first time at night. We drove it during the day and didn't find it that bad, but i can see where it would be nerve-wracking to do it for the first time in the dark. Overall, I didn't think driving on STJ was that bad. As someone else mentioned, if someone is pushing you from behind, pull over and let them pass. We only had one jerk who was right on my bumper and flashing his headlights (and I was already going 25 when the speed limit was 20), but we have those in Chicago, too. Just be careful and take your time, especially on the switchbacks.
What about renting a car a week in St. Thomas? Is that needed? I just dont want to pay a lot for taxis all over the place to the hotel, the store to get booze, downtown, etc. Also, for dinner, what are some good places to eat that is somewhat near the Marriott on Morningstar Beach? It will be our honeymoon so a few romantic suggestions would be great. Nothing too expensive, however.
Thanks,
Jeff
