Yesterday I shared some information about driving in St. John, whether you need to rent a vehicle, and whether or not four-wheel drive is necessary. (Click here if you missed that story.) Today, I would like to share a closer look at some of our roads, so you can see exactly what it’s like to drive in certain parts of St. John.
The following video starts at the old Aqua Bistro in Coral Bay and up Route 108 toward Bordeaux Mountain, which is the highest point on St. John. If you’re curious about what a switchback is, fast forward to four minutes and 44 seconds. You will see a pretty good one there. There’s another good one around five minutes and 12 seconds.
There are numerous vacation rentals in this area. If you are not staying at one of those, chances are you wouldn’t be driving this road unless you wanted to check out St. John’s highest point. This road does not lead to a beach, although it does lead to the Bordeaux Mountain Trail which takes you down to Lameshur Bay.
Want to see more videos from St. John? Check out Explore STJ’s Videos page at www.ExploreSTJ.com/videos.
Want to see St. John through the eyes of a resident? Book your Explore STJ island tour today! See beautiful places & beaches. Visit centuries-old historical sites. See a turtle, a donkey or perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two! Explore STJ is rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. Explore STJ was also awarded TripAdvisor’s Travellers Choice award in 2023 and 2022.
This is a question I get asked a lot. Do I need to rent a vehicle on St. John? And if so, is a four-wheel drive vehicle really necessary? The short answer is that it depends on a few factors. Please read on to learn more.
Do I Need to Rent a Vehicle on St. John?
Let’s start with the basics. Do you need to rent a vehicle on St. John or can you rely solely on the taxis? It depends on where you are staying. For example, if you are staying right in Cruz Bay at Grande Bay, Gallows Point, Lavender Hill, or Cruz Bay Hotel, you can rely solely on taxis. If you are staying at the Westin, you can rely exclusively on the taxis. But there is a small caveat. It is challenging to get a ride beyond Maho Bay. So if you want to see more of the island, including Coral Bay, you will want to rent a vehicle. Or you can book an island tour with me. 🙂
I would say yes. Our roads are very steep and winding. When it rains, these hills can be very slippery and tough to drive up without four-wheel drive. Certain roads and driveways also require four-wheel drive. These tend to be out in Coral Bay and beyond.
St. John has numerous switchbacks too. There are three just past Trunk Bay that you will have to traverse if you are driving to Cinnamon and Maho. You have to take these curves pretty tight, and four-wheel drives makes that so much easier. And when the road is wet, four-wheel drive is a must in this area. I cannot tell you the number of times I have seen a panicked driver in a car slipping backwards in this area.
Gifft Hill (Route 104) also has some pretty serious switchbacks. Route 108 does too.
Should I Rent at the Airport?
There are a few mainstream car rental companies located at the airport in St. Thomas like Thrifty, Dollar, Avis and Budget. I caution you from renting from these companies for two reasons. 1. They tend to oversell their cars. This means you may arrive and have no vehicle. 2. They sometimes tell you a vehicle is four-wheel drive and then they arrive and give you a car. I do not recommend renting a car. A Jeep or small SUV is a must in my opinion.
The Age-Old Debate: Should I rent on St. Thomas or St. John?
I’m a proponent of renting on St. John. I understand that it can be easier to rent of St. Thomas, but I’m in the mindset that the car barges should be reserved for residents who need it for business purposes, to go to a medical appointment, for shopping, etc.
St. John Car Rental Companies
Here is a list of St. John Jeep rentals on St. John. St. John Car Rental is my preferred company because the owners are some of my closest friends. We also hurricaned together at their house back in 2017. (Hurricaned is a new verb now – lol.)
So there you have it. I hope you found this information to be helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jenn@explorestj.com.
And if you are looking for more information about my island tours, please visit www.ExploreSTJ.com/tour. Explore STJ is rated Excellent on TripAdvisor. We also just received TripAdvisor’s Travelers Choice Award for the second year in a row! Woohoo!
Hello everyone, and happy Monday! I am finally back from a little New England vacay, and I am super excited to let you all know that The Beach Bar’s ridiculously fun Bar Wars event is back! It’s happening this weekend, and if you are lucky enough to be on island, you are invited to participate!
Bar Wars is a zany little competition that raises money Island Health & Wellness, the island’s only non-profit primary care practice. Island Health is instrumental to us residents, and so many of us would be lost without it. St. John has the highest rate of uninsured individuals in the Virgin Islands, a number that is five times the national average. And it’s not because people are opting to be uninsured; it’s simply not easy to get health insurance as a Virgin Islands resident. Island Health charges $50 per visit ($75 for bloodwork), and they will not turn anyone away due to their inability to pay.
Bar Wars is happening this Sunday, July 16th, at noon on the beach in front of The Beach Bar. Teams of four (plus one alternate) will be tasked with completing an obstacle course that will include tasks like jogging in snorkel fins, hula hooping, making margaritas, and perhaps a quick little dip in Cruz Bay. You do not need to be a bartender or restaurant person to participate. Anyone, both residents and vacationers, are invited to participate.
Setting up the 2022 course…
Costumes are encouraged and can give you a leg up in the competition. There will also be an award for the best team spirit.
Last year’s winner was Dave & Jerry’s Island Steakhouse. Do you think they have what it takes to be the winner of the 2023 competition??!! We shall see!
If you’d like to participate, please call/text Mike Hedy (a man who happens to be my other half) at 340-771-0768. 🙂 The cost is $250 per team, and that fee goes directly to Island Health and Wellness. Each team member will receive an event t-shirt too.
Anyone can watch the competition by tuning into The Beach Bar’s beach cam. See that webcam and more than 20 others at www.ExploreSTJ.com/webcams.
Have a great day everyone! I hope to see you all Sunday!
Want to see St. John through the eyes of a resident? Book your Explore STJ island tour today! See beautiful sights & beaches. Visit centuries-old historical sites. See a turtle, a donkey or perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two! Explore STJ is rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. Visit www.ExploreSTJ.com/tour to learn more or email me for more information –> jenn@explorestj.com
Landing at the STT airport is always so exciting! Leaving = not so much.
The island is busy again! Woohoo! So I thought this would be a good time to repost the following story. The St. Thomas airport is a little different, so here is a quick post about how to best navigate STT when going home.
You’ve made it. You’re here! You just landed at the Cyril E. King (STT) airport on St. Thomas, and you are excited to get off the airplane and start your vacation. When all of a sudden, an airport employee comes on the plane’s intercom and tells you to arrive three hours before your departing flight. What??!! Can this be real? Well, unfortunately it can be for many folks. Today’s post is all about navigating the St. Thomas airport when it’s time to go home.
So let’s start with the three-hour protocol. Is that real? Honestly, it really depends. If you are traveling on a Saturday and are checking a bag, then yes, you should get there as close to three hours before your flight as possible. Are you flying out on a Tuesday with carry on bags only? Then you’re pretty safe with only two hours.
Tip #1: If you can download your boarding pass on your phone or print your boarding passes in advance, I strongly urge you to do so. This will allow to to skip the counter if you are traveling with carry ons only. Checking a bag? Then it doesn’t really matter, because you have to go to the counter anyway.
Step One: Checking Bags (Skip to Step Two if you plan to travel with carry on luggage only.)
If you are checking bags, the first thing you need to do it get your bag tags. Once you receive them, the airline does not take your bags. You actually keep them with you until you pass through Customs & Border Patrol, which is step number two.
Step Two: Customs & Border Patrol
Now you may be wondering why you have to go through Customs & Border Patrol if the US Virgin Islands are part of the United States. The reason is because we are outside of the “customs territory.” Therefore we have to pass through and answer some relative quick and easy questions. The agents will ask if you have any souvenirs, the value of the souvenirs, if you have fruits, vegetables, alcohol or tobacco, where you are heading, where you stayed, etc. Families or groups living in the same household can go up to the agent together.
You do not need a passport for Customs (or to visit the US Virgin Islands), but if you have one, bring it. You will get through Customs much faster with one. However if you do not have one, a driver’s license or state ID is fine. And for families with small children, just bring along a copy of your child’s birth certificate.
Have Global Entry? Lucky you! There is a special lane for you right in the center when you walk through the glass doors and into the Customs area. (Heads up: You must have your physical card with you to utilize Global Entry in St. Thomas.) Just lift up the belt, and let yourself in. There are two separate lanes – one on the right and one on the left – for those of us who do not have Global Entry.
Tip #2: Do not bring pork products to the airport in the USVI.
You cannot bring certain pork products through Customs, and those that you can bring, must be in a sealed container. Here is the official verbiage from the USDA:
The revised Federal Order also allows travelers to bring certain processed swine products and byproducts in passenger baggage. These products must be shelf stable, packed in hermetically sealed containers and cooked by a commercial method. Unprocessed swine products and byproducts in passenger baggage will not be allowed to enter any other States or Territories.
Step Three: Dropping off your luggage(Skip to Step Four if you have a carry on only.)
Once you leave the Customs area, you will see a sign indicating that baggage drop off is ahead to your left.
Step Four: Security
Ok, so the people dropping their bags go to the left. The people with carry ons only go in the middle. The people with precheck go to the far right against the wall. If you have precheck, and this is a service you can sign up for, you do not have to take off your shoes, belts or a light jacket, and you do not have to remove your electronics or liquids from your bag. It’s a real time saver. The application fee for precheck is $78, and it is good for five years. Click here to learn more.
Checked bags get dropped to the left.Passengers with carry ons only (and no precheck) go in the middle. Precheck goes to the far right against the wall.Precheck to the right.
So as you can see, if you are checking a bag, it’s a four-step process. If you are not checking a bag and have your boarding passes ahead of time, it’s only a two-step process.
Tip #3: Avoid Saturdays, if possible
Saturday is the busiest day at the St. Thomas airport. This is due to the fact that most villas rent Saturday to Saturday. Also, it’s because it’s easier to travel on the weekend for many. If you are traveling on a Saturday, I would arrive as close to three hours as possible, especially if you are checking a bag. The St. Thomas airport is packed on Saturdays, and oftentimes there are more people than actual seats inside the terminal. Fridays and Sundays are pretty busy too, but not as bad at Saturdays. So if you can travel Monday through Thursday, the airport will be a bit better.
Tip #4: Hire a Porter
If you get to the airport and the Customs line is out the door, you can always hire a porter. They charge a nominal fee per bag, and they have the ability to bring you to the front of the Customs line. You can find them outside of the Customs area and near the airline counters. The porters can be easily identified by their red shirts.
Get to know St. John. Visit beautiful beaches & centuries-old plantations. Perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. 2023 & 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Winner. Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour
Hello everyone, and happy Thursday! Need a new St. John view to check out every day? Well you’re in luck because I just added a great new webcam, courtesy of our friends at St. John Brewers. Their webcam overlooks the car barge area and has great, seasonal sunset views too! Check it out!
Our friends over at Mare Blu Villa and Villa Circe updated their webcams also, so their views are now better and much clearer. Here are the updated views:
As always, you can access these and all of our webcams 24/7 at www.ExploreSTJ.com/webcams. We have more than 20 live-streaming webcams, including streams from The Windmill Bar, The Beach Bar, Soggy Dollar Bar, and a variety of villas around St. John. Enjoy!
Looking to take a St. John island tour?
Get to know St. John. Visit beautiful beaches & centuries-old plantations. Perhaps stop at a tiki bar or two. Full & half days available. Rated “Excellent” on TripAdvisor. 2023 & 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Winner. Learn more here –> www.explorestj.com/tour
Last night’s fireworks – Image credit: Steve Simonsen Photography
I hope you all had a fantastic July 4th yesterday! I know I did! Let’s be honest, today is not going to be a super productive day in the work world. So here are several things that will help you pass the time today… Enjoy!
Wish you were taking the ferry to Cruz Bay today? Well here’s the next best thing! Check out this video that I recorded in 4k.
Trunk Bay consistently ranks as one of the top beaches in the world and with good reason! Here is a video we took at one of St. John’s best beaches.
Want to know where a certain restaurant is located on St. John? Visit www.ExploreSTJ.com/restaurantmap to view our searchable map.
Looking to explore a new hiking trail? Visit www.ExploreSTJ.com/hiking to learn about several of my favorite hikes, including Ram Head, Murphy House and the Lind Point Trail.
A view from the Ram Head trail
Well folks, I hope some of this helped you pass the time. Have a wonderful day!
