Westin St. John - Vehicle Required?

[curitiba_tapley]

My family and I are headed to Westin St. John in mid-June. Looking online, I'm trying to understand the need for a vehicle on the island. I've done some searches for rental cars, and the searches have come back with St. Thomas (STT - airport) as the rental location - which last time I checked - cars don't float across water : ).

We definitely want to explore the island, different beaches and other locations. We'll be in a group of 4.

For those who have been there and can provide some savvy advice, I'd appreciate.

 

[Mroze]

There are ferries that take cars from Red Hook.
Since the charge is per car, all passengers in the car are included.
You can also rent cars from downtown St John.

St. Thomas - St. John Ferry Schedules - Virgin Islands

Traveling by passenger ferry between the islands of St. Thomas and St. John, in the US Virgin Islands, is easy and reliable. There are three ferry routes

www.vinow.com

Learn About Our Ferry Service to St. John, Virgin Islands

When looking for ferry service to St. John, Virgin Islands, come to us at Love City Car Ferries Inc. Visit us here to learn more about our ferry services.

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[curitiba_tapley]

Awesome! Thanks so much.

 

[Eric B]

We haven't used a rental car yet on St John; the taxis are a bit on the expensive side but we figure it evens out with what a rental plus fuel would cost. There are a few spots that you're better off having your own car to get to, of course, but we haven't taken the plunge yet. We do go there a couple of times a year and will no doubt rent a car one of these trips but don't feel a great need to have one for the entire time we stay there and we don't restrict ourselves to the resort.

 

[iftravel]

My family and I are headed to Westin St. John in mid-June. Looking online, I'm trying to understand the need for a vehicle on the island. I've done some searches for rental cars, and the searches have come back with St. Thomas (STT - airport) as the rental location - which last time I checked - cars don't float across water : ).

We definitely want to explore the island, different beaches and other locations. We'll be in a group of 4.

For those who have been there and can provide some savvy advice, I'd appreciate.

You sure you want to drive on the wrong / left side of the road? Lol. We took bus and ferry a lot last time we were there.

 

[Eric B]

You sure you want to drive on the wrong / left side of the road? Lol. We took bus and ferry a lot last time we were there.

That's a lot of our motivation for not driving. There are a few very steep roads with sharp curves as well - last time we were there an older tourist had just slid off the road taking one incautiously and died as a result.

 

[EnglishmanAbroad]

You sure you want to drive on the wrong / left side of the road? Lol. We took bus and ferry a lot last time we were there.

Sorry to correct you but the left side is the right side

 

[ljmiii]

My family and I are headed to Westin St. John in mid-June. Looking online, I'm trying to understand the need for a vehicle on the island...

So...earlier this year we visited both St Thomas and St John and rented a car on St Thomas for the duration. The first three nights at the the RCC St Thomas we didn't touch it, then we took the car ferry to the Westin St John where we stayed a week and used it on three days. Then we took the car ferry back and stayed at Frenchman's Cove and used it three days out of five. We liked WSJ so much that we bought two EOY weeks and are going next year and are renting a car for a week in the 'middle' (i.e. three days without, a week with, and four days without). Part of the reason for this is that weekly rates are cost effective. The advice I can give is...

Taxis are truly ubiquitous on St John. Most of them say "Westin" on the top and are they are plentiful at both the WSJ and the taxi stand at Cruz Bay. That said, they charge per person (and bag) and are open air 'buses' that seat around 15 people. Perfect for going into town (since we didn't have to find parking), buying groceries, etc. We never actually tried to go to one of the 'main' beaches (e.g. Trunk) using taxis but spoke with many people who did.

There are no national rental car agencies on St John, for next year we went with Sunshine's Jeep Rental but there are others. IMHO renting a Jeep is silly though 4 wheel drive is useful. That said...driving on St John is not for the faint of heart. Not only are you driving on the wrong side of the road but the roads are both very twisty and have steep elevation changes. More than once that I was taking the existence of the road on faith because the hood of our car blocked any view of same. Thankfully, the donkeys are tall and the goats travel in packs. I kid you not.

If you do decide to rent at car and take the car ferry to St John, I heartily recommend Paradise Rental Car. We used them this year and will once again be using them next.

 

[iftravel]

Sorry to correct you but the left side is the right side

And you sit on the right seat of car, which feels wrong to me too.

 

[ljmiii]

You sure you want to drive on the wrong / left side of the road? Lol. We took bus and ferry a lot last time we were there.

Sorry to correct you but the left side is the right side

And you sit on the right seat of car, which feels wrong to me too.

The USVI is an interesting combination because you are sitting on the left and driving on the left. Which actually turns out to be incredibly useful because what you most have to fear is the cliff edge not oncoming traffic.

But the absolute worst is Australia. Because the turn signal and wiper stalks are on the wrong side. In city traffic, I took to driving with one hand on the wheel and one hand on the turn signal stalk so that I could alert other drivers (and not once again attempt to wipe a dry windshield).

 

[DavidnRobin]

You didn't say how long you would be on St John.
A party of 4 (more than 5 days) - definitely rent a 4WD vehicle. Don't give into the fear being perpetrated here.

Max speed limit is 25mph. It isn't that hard just pay attention (and passengers remain calm and quiet).
Expert move is to rent from Amalie Car Rental (they will pick you up at STT), then drive to RedHook and take the car ferry (the hardest part, but not that awful - easiest to take the longer route around the perimeter of St Thomas instead of over the top).
Having a vehicle on St John will allow for easy exploring to many locations best achieved by a vehicle (Coral Bay, East End, Salt Pond, Lameshur Bay...) - plus, you can get from WSJ to Trunk Bay in 17 minutes and 20 to Maho Bay.

 

[ljmiii]

A party of 4 (more than 5 days) - definitely rent a 4WD vehicle. Don't give into the fear being perpetrated here…Having a vehicle on St John will allow for easy exploring to many locations best achieved by a vehicle (Coral Bay, East End, Salt Pond, Lameshur Bay...) - plus, you can get from WSJ to Trunk Bay in 17 minutes and 20 to Maho Bay.

Maybe it’s the New Yorker in me… but why would you ever want to drive when someone else is happy to do it for you?

I completely agree that having a 4WD vehicle is useful for the days you want to visit the east side of St John. But not at all for resort, Cruz Bay, and ‘on the water’ days (unless you’re sailing out of Coral Bay). And after talking to others who used the taxi to get to the ‘main’ beaches (e.g. Trunk) I think the taxi is probably better than driving/parking. But YMMV.

 

[Eric B]

Completely agree with @ljmiii - no attempt at fear mongering on my part was intended. I fully plan to and do weigh the pros and cons of renting a car - to date we haven’t felt the need to because it’s typically just two of us and we do a fair number of boat trips anyway. The other options have their own pros and cons, of course. To each their own.

 

[Henry M.]

I've been to St. John twice and really liked having a car. I like to explore the island and go beyond Cruz Bay and the resort. I like being able to pick up and go to the next beach or interesting spot whenever I feel like it, without having to wait for the bus/taxi (they are more or less the same mode of transportation there). Also, the taxis only seem to frequent a set of beaches on one side of the island. If you want to do anything else, it is better to have your own transportation.

If you prefer to stay at the resort and maybe go to Cruz Bay for shopping or taking boat tours, then you don't need a car. Taxis are fine. You can probably manage if you just go to the few famous beaches nearby, though I think the taxis stop running relatively early. Much depends on how much independence you want to have and what activities you want to do. It also depends on how much exploring on your own you want to undertake.

It has been a few years since my last visit, but I second DavidnRobin about Amalie Car Rental (https://www.amaliecar.com/). If you take the car they bring you to STT and then the ferry over to St. John, you can save significantly over taking the Westin Ferry (is it still running?). I've also rented from the company at the Westin St. John resort (https://www.oconnorcarrental.com/) and that was very convenient.

Remember to take your passports if you want to go to the British Virgin Islands and for some of the boat tours.

 

[SandyPGravel]

We did not rent a vehicle our first visit and regretted it. I feel you cannot truly explore the island without the freedom to drive from place to place. Taxi's really add up especially with a group of people. We own at the WSJ and rarely spend any time at the resort. Parking around town(Cruz bay) is challenging though. Take your time, you shouldn't be going any faster than 25mph. Yes the roads are steep and the curves can be intense. We rent from Amalie on St Thomas. Always a pleasure to deal with. BTW, do not purchase a round trip ferry ticket. You must use the same company if you do that, and that may not work out with your itinerary.

I would suggest checking out the book "St John: Off the beaten track"

Enjoy!

 

[ljmiii]

...If you take the car they bring you to STT and then the ferry over to St. John, you can save significantly over taking the Westin Ferry (is it still running?).

It is indeed still running. Though it is quite expensive to use just as a ferry to and from St John - it is a fixed price per week and you can take as many trips as you would like. Maybe once upon a time someone envisioned that owners would want to stay at the WSJ and frequently go into Charlotte Amelie to shop/dine?

I would add that in addition to the public ferry from Red Hook to Cruz Bay there is also one that departs from Charlotte Amelie (though less frequently). We loved it...it was an almost-free excursion on the water that brought us back home to our resort without having to take a taxi to Red Hook.

 

[Henry M.]

Added web sites to the car rental companies I've used to my post above. To be sure they're not overlooked:

Near St. Thomas Airport: https://www.amaliecar.com/
At the Westin St. John and also on Cruz Bay: https://www.oconnorcarrental.com/

 

[curitiba_tapley]

Thanks everyone for awesome recommendations. My family and I are finishing up our week here in St. John and its been awesome.

Having a car made a huge difference for my family of 4; The curvy, steep graded roads made for some tremendous driving adventures, including getting squeezed by a 15 passenger Taxi trying to make it up and around one of those uphill, hairpin turns during a rain storm and slipping and sliding around the corner, while we were caught on the downhill turn at the same time. Took some backing up, and the taxi making three of four attempts to finally make it around the corner. We were able to explore much of the island, ending up in places we didn't expect and are sure we wouldn't not have gone to if we just took taxis.

 

[Henry M.]

I forgot to make a point earlier, but in case it helps others, here it goes. At some locations on St. John my cellphone would actually pick up towers in the British Virgin Islands. I'm glad I had an international plan on my phone as it could be a very expensive surprise if you don't notice it and you end up roaming internationally. This is also an issue when you take any boat trips. Smartphones are constantly communicating so you can incur charges for data roaming even if you don't make any calls.

 

[bobpark56]

If you want to got to the other side of St john or to any of the outlying beaches (other than by bus), a car is essential. Renting a car on St John also lets you park in their downtown lot when going out to shop or dine. If you don't mind being more constrained, going without a car is fine. Trying to find a parking spot downtown in Cruz Bay is a real challenge.

 

[ljmiii]

At some locations on St. John my cellphone would actually pick up towers in the British Virgin Islands…roaming internationally. This is also an issue when you take any boat trips.

Very much this.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Thanks everyone for awesome recommendations. My family and I are finishing up our week here in St. John and its been awesome.

Having a car made a huge difference for my family of 4; The curvy, steep graded roads made for some tremendous driving adventures, including getting squeezed by a 15 passenger Taxi trying to make it up and around one of those uphill, hairpin turns during a rain storm and slipping and sliding around the corner, while we were caught on the downhill turn at the same time. Took some backing up, and the taxi making three of four attempts to finally make it around the corner. We were able to explore much of the island, ending up in places we didn't expect and are sure we wouldn't not have gone to if we just took taxis.

Been off TUG - TapaTalk stopped working.

So glad to read that you rented a vehicle and you had a great time. STJ is a special place and we miss it.
I was born to drive left.

 

[KS2beach]

We haven't used a rental car yet on St John; the taxis are a bit on the expensive side but we figure it evens out with what a rental plus fuel would cost. There are a few spots that you're better off having your own car to get to, of course, but we haven't taken the plunge yet. We do go there a couple of times a year and will no doubt rent a car one of these trips but don't feel a great need to have one for the entire time we stay there and we don't restrict ourselves to the resort.

I am heading there in 2 months, can anyone throw out if they still have the shuttles from the Westin that go places? remember Trunk bay for like $7 a person each way? do those shuttles go other beaches? Planning to rent a Jeep for a day or two but trying to figure out what transportation options there other then taxis

 

[daviator]

When we went to St. John, we did not rent a car and relied on taxis and it was fine. However, it was our first visit to the island and we didn't explore as widely as we'd have done on a subsequent visit or with a car.
I think I would try to plan my time and figure out which days you are actually going to go to the far flung parts of the island where you need a car, and just rent a car on the island for those specific days. I wouldn't really want the expense or the responsibility (worrying about damage, break-ins, etc.) of a rental car there for any more time than necessary, nor does it make sense to pay for a rental car on days you are spending at the resort or in town (which is a quick taxi ride from WSJ.)

 

[ljmiii]

I am heading there in 2 months, can anyone throw out if they still have the shuttles from the Westin that go places? remember Trunk bay for like $7 a person each way? do those shuttles go other beaches? Planning to rent a Jeep for a day or two but trying to figure out what transportation options there other then taxis

The taxis do indeed still run to/from the major beaches though the prices have increased - the 2024 price to Trunk Bay is $12/person.

That said, I second @daviator's comments. A car with 4 wheel drive is somewhere between useful and necessary to visit the east side of St John and I heartily recommend doing so for a day or three while you are at WSJ. But there is no need for get one for your entire stay - taxis are ubiquitous and reasonably priced as long as you are a party of 4 or less.