I would not chance that since you have to clear customs at the airport and the line was LONG......spend the last night in STT for sure....
I just returned and we went to the airport 2 hours early and it was perfect and relaxed!

Hi there.

I just saw the post about renting a car in STT and taking it to STJ via the Red Hook ferry. We did that last month and will do it on our next trip in 2009. We hadn't anticipated how interesting the ride would be, and it is not for the faint of heart or someone with perceptual challenges as you will be driving on the left and traversing some pretty steep grades, but we enjoyed it.

One thing about returning the rental jeep and making your flight is that you have to anticpate that there could easily be a traffic backup at Havensight on your return trip...we waited 45 minutes in traffic to drive 1 mile in that area, and had little time to spare to get through baggage check, customs and security. I'd recommend giving yourself 4 hours from arriving at the Cruz Bay car ferry terminal to be sure you will have no issue with ferries, traffic, rental return and airport processes. We'll also be looking at the map for a better route back to Charlotte Amalie from Red Hook to avoid Havensight next year!

Hope you have a great trip!

I have known plenty of people who have made the 7:55 flight leaving from St. John in the morning, but I get way too nervous to try. As long as you don't have anywhere to be at a particular time if you don't make it, you might be OK.

They all got to the 6 a.m. ferry VERY early so they didn't miss it and printed their boarding passes at Connections the day before. Carryon early would also be very helpful.

I always opt to take the later flight instead, because having less than an hour to get through customs and security makes me super-nervous.

The ride can be long or short depending on time of day. Between 730-9AM on weekdays the traffic going into town from country either via Frenchman's (Havensight) or Tutu (Weymouth Rhymer Highway) can get very backed up with people going to work in town. The Skyline Drive route (turn right off Weymouth Rhymer up the Donoe Bypass and then left on Skyline (over the mountain) can be less of a hassle but of course as I'm writing this I realize I'm only creating more confusion...

Just to continue confusing the visitors, if your flight arrives late afternoon on a weekday, then expect traffic tie-ups in town as people leave work to go home, along with tie-ups on the aforementioned Weymouth Rhymer Highway and Frenchman's Bay routes.

And, yes, in season and with increased cruise ship traffic, the Havensight area is a total zoo. The roads there are being re-organized and it remains to be seen whether this latest attempt at easing traffic congestion on heavy cruise ship days will prove successful.

Hey, on your return trip you have A/C to keep you comfortable in your rented vehicle and likewise on your incoming trip to the Red Hook Ferry Terminal (plus you can stop off and buy some groceries en route.) Cheers!

I always just get on the taxi and am prepared to fork over money. We paid the usual $15 to go from the airport to RH on Aug 9, but on the 16th, got charged $31 for 2 people and 3 bags to go from RH to Frenchman's Reef. I think we paid a "I don't want to go to the Marriott" fee.
I love that I paid a prime number. My only guess was $25 for the 2 of us and then $2 per bag. Maybe it was accurate, but the $31 struck me as funny.
The next day, we paid $20 to go from FR to the airport (same 2 people and 3 bags).

Hi Leslee,

The traffic in Havensight can be pretty bad if there are multiple ships in port. Particularly so in the am with residents going to work and cruise passengers heading out to explore, also during lunch time, and in the afternoon with cruise passengers going back to the ship. It's been worse lately as there is road work going on in that area.

On your next visit you might check out the cruise ship schedule for the day of departure and post on the board asking whether the road work is still going on and then decide if you want to go that route again or try a different route.

--Islander