It depends......

Assuming you're going to STT....

Taxis are very expensive if you use them a lot. Safari Buses, although only $2., do not service all areas of the island and there will be a waiting period involved.

Rental cars are convenient...no waiting for anyone. If you need to pick something up at the grocery store, go to a remote beach or try an interesting restaurant the car is very handy.

If you're only spending 2 or 3 days on-island and plan to stay & eat at your resort then a taxi is your best (least expensive) option.

We rent from Hertz or Avis. With a AAA discount...a Hertz rental for a week costs about $200. for a compact (our credit card provides collision insurance so we do not accept the "extra" insurance). AVIS gives a discount for using the Entertainment Book. You may have access to other disounts too, like the airlines, Expedia, etc.

Walking is usually not an option.

F.I.

We have always rented a car while we are in St Thomas as we like to explore on our own time schedule. We rented a Jeep the last time we spent a week in St John for two reasons. 1) it is easier to get on and off the ferry with a Jeep rather than a small sedan 2) there are some roads on St John that are a little tougher to get over in a small sedan
The first year we went to St. Thomas Dependable Car Rental was recommended to us by a couple that had been doing business with them for years. It is a small company and I prefer to support a small local firm rather than the large off island corportations. Besides they have always bent over backwards for us even when I screwed up my reservations with them.
Rick & Deb

I'm a little confused about the car rental thing.

From what I understand, there aren't too many car rental agencies that will allow you to rent a car on St. Thomas and then ferry it over for use on St. John. Is that true?

We've rented from Discount Car Rental this time and they said they are one of the only rental agencies that allow that. Is that true too?

Also, we rented a jeep and plan on taking it to St. John at least a couple days to explorer, but I've also read and get the impression that it's a pain in the but with jockeying for position on the ferry.

What's the real story?

Last time I went I rented a car from hertz no problems

March 1, 2006...when I rented at the airport (STT).

Hertz - No.

Avis - Yes.

Yes, it is (imho) a pain to take the car ferry over. I tried it once...would not do it again....just my opinion.

F.I.

Hello Connie,

I think roughly half of the car rental agencies on St. Thomas allow their cars to be ferried over for use on St. John. Budget, Avis, Dependable, Discount, First, Thirfty - I believe are some of those that do, but definately one should double check when contacting them for rates/reservations. Also ask what the policy is for assistance should you say lock your keys in the car or something along those lines; just so you know.

--Islander

I think I remember from reading about this before: The car ferry has different running times to be careful of. I would look into this to ensure that you don't miss the last one and end up having to leave your car there overnight! 🙁

There are others that permit it. I believe that all tell you that if you misplace your keys or get a flat you are on your own if you are in St John. What the heck, be adventurous, you're on vacation. Also the car barges aren't THAT bad. Kind of fun to watch but Jeeps are easier.

YES!!!

what do we think about not having a car while on STT but doing a one-day rental on STJ- is this possible- how far in advance do i need to reserve one?

We are going to STT and are planning a day trip to St. John. We have reserved a car on St. John with Varlack (www.varlack-ventures.com) for the day that we will be spending there (we are also renting a car on STT for the rest of the time) I reserved it several weeks ago (when we had about 45 days left before our trip) We are going April 13 and will be heading to St. John on the 14th.

We rented a car last year for a few days on STT and ended up extending it. We quickly realized how fast taxi fares add up for our family of four.