Car rental in St Thomas

[cruisin2934]

Has anyone rented a car in St Thomas. Are there any places near the port. The only car rentals I can find are by the airport and I didn't see that they shuttle. Thanks so much

[hathaway42]

It really depends what port you are going into.

 

 

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[cleophus12]

We have rented a car when docking at Havensight. I think there are a couple to choose from close to the dock. The one we used was within walking distance from the dock in one of the strip centers just across the main street from the dock. It was National or Thrifty I think. Traffic in STT is difficult, and if you aren't accustomed to driving on narrow, curvy mountain roads, the driving may be a problem for you. However, it's a great way to see the island because you can hit most of the highlights in a day. Have fun. STT is one of my favorite places to visit.

[Clownfish Cruiser]

Traffic in STT is difficult, and if you aren't accustomed to driving on narrow, curvy mountain roads, the driving may be a problem for you.

 

I would be terrified to rent a car there for this exact reason! I had to close my eyes in the taxi :D

[39august]

You couldn't pay me enough to try to drive on St. Thomas. The traffic is crazy as are the drivers and the roads.

[Clownfish Cruiser]

You couldn't pay me enough to try to drive on St. Thomas. The traffic is crazy as are the drivers and the roads.

 

Yes, exactly!!! Our cab driver had one foot on the gas, one foot on the brake, one hand on the steering wheel, and one hand on the horn. He honked madly around every single corner. I don't know how many times someone had "eased" over into our lane (whichever one it was - I couldn't tell half the time). We won't even talk about the potholes big enough to swallow a car!

[iluvcruzin]

I've rented a car in St. Martin many times. In St. Thomas - never. Too much traffic. Especially in the afternoon.

[Wildgrits]

Havensight Port?

 

I could see a Budget right from the boat.

[Livethelife]

Because I live here I have my own transportation, I can’t help with finding the best places for cruisers to rent a car. If my visitors rent, they rent at the airport. IMHO there are more minuses to renting a car when you are in St Thomas for only a short time than there are pluses.

The pluses are easy: 1) Freedom to go where you want, 2) Flexibility to go when you want, 3) Financial savings especially when there are multiple people to transport.

The negatives are 1) the time eaten up with transportation to the agency and rental paperwork, 2) driving on the left (In the Virgin Islands we drive on the left in cars that are made for the US market so the steering wheel and the driver are on the shoulder side of the road. This is not usually an insurmountable problem but it is a little weird to get used to in a short period of time. Drivers experiencing this for the first time may be so focused on the road that they don’t actually ‘see’ much of the island.) 3) difficulty in finding parking especially in the downtown area, 4) limited route markings and few street signs especially outside of Charlotte Amalie, and 5) watching out for pedestrians - Because many people are visiting from areas where cars are driven on the right side of the road, visiting pedestrians tend to look to the left out of habit when crossing a road and step into on-coming traffic. When driving through areas with heavy pedestrian traffic drivers have to be constantly alert to avoid hitting someone.

Whatever you decide we hope everyone has a safe and happy day on St. Thomas! :)

[pbrady]

We've rented a car in St. Thomas many times. We did it to show people around the island - not to go downtown shopping. We never had a problem & enjoyed the flexibility.