At least rent one for a few days if not the whole week. The majority of those who decide not to rent a car say afterwards that if they'd known then what they know now they would have done so. Going where you want when you want is priceless and generally much more cost effective than taking taxis. Just to get into Red Hook from Point Pleasant will cost you $5 per person each way. And as long as you don't rent from Hertz you can take your car over on the car barge to St John, pack up all your gear and enjoy exploring the beautiful beaches there to your heart's content!

Ditto what STT resident said.
It's great to visit STJ via the barge on your own terms without waiting for taxi vans to fill up and go where you wish and cost you an arm and a leg.

I am one of the few who was glad I didn't rent a car on the first full week trip last June on STT though I did rent a jeep on my day trip on StJ. Spent a bit on taxis but they were dependable with friendly drivers and allowed me to get an idea of just how to get everywhere if I ever decide to rent a car or move on island. I am coming again this November and staying the entire week on St. John right in Cruz bay. I again may rent a Jeep for a day but will probably just taxi it to any of the beaches or trails I may want visit during the week. Just a preference for me because I do not like to drive and still am a bit intimidated with island driving.

BTW - If you are visiting in February be aware that this is the busiest tourist month so if you do not reserve a rental car in advance, you may not be able to.

If you wish to get around and see the island or shop for groceries, go to different beaches, out for dinners, rent a car. If you're happy to hang out where ever you are staying and don't plan on doing
a lot, then don't.

Renting a car it is then! Thanks so much for your help

By the way, you don't need to pay through the nose for a 4WD vehicle. A compact will get you around STT just fine and is also fine for a day trip to St John.

We ALWAYS rent a small sub-compact at the airport for our week on STJ. Leave the airport, stop for groceries on the way to Red Hook, cross on the ferry, and we have a blast spending the week going where we want to, when we want to. We have had Ford Focus, Nissan Sentras, and even this last trip (June) a Kia Forte, and they all do fine on the hills of STJ.

We usually rent a car for a week, even though most companies rent by the day with no price break for a weekly rental. We definitely waste money, because we usually plan at least 2 day trips where the car sits in the lot, but we are glad to have the convenience of a car for doing things on our own schedule. Many times we've arrived at a beach, only to find that the surf is choppy, the snorkeling is "meh" or the cruise ship people have landed, and we're glad to have the option of just driving to another beach.

And having a car for hauling groceries is great.

Besides, if you do daily rentals, you have to wait until they open (sometimes they arrive on time; other times they don't.), and then fill out paperwork each time.