st john - car rental?

[Peggy Sue]

anyone ever rented a car on st john? road in good condition and easy to navigate? What sights did you enjoy driving too? beaches?? It it better to just hire a taxi for a tour and beach stop? Any words of caution?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Peggy Sue

[marshacher]

It's best to rent a jeep on St. Johns. Roads are not great, very mountainous and winding, but a really fun way to spend the day. You can drive to the top and enjoy a spectacular view and then hit all the magnificent beaches. The jeep rental concessions are at the docks in Cruz Bay, no advance reservations needed.

Have a fun day.

Marsha

[Host Walt]

It's best to rent a jeep on St. Johns. Roads are not great, very mountainous and winding, but a really fun way to spend the day. You can drive to the top and enjoy a spectacular view and then hit all the magnificent beaches. The jeep rental concessions are at the docks in Cruz Bay, no advance reservations needed.

Have a fun day.

Marsha

Points to consider:

 

Cruz Bay rentals can be expensive compared to St. Thomas rentals.

You need a way to get from Charlotte Amalie to Red Hook, so renting a 4 wheel in St. Thomas might be more efficient.

By going without a reservation, you can change your mind on the spot and take an island tour that are always available.

 

(On our 3rd time in St. Thomas we rented a 4 wheel drive in St. Thomas and planned to sightsee both islands. We started in St. Thomas but it was clear we would run out of time as we hit the ferry terminal. We just parked the car and went across as pedestrians. Not a great plan. Next time we just took the tour.)

[Esme]

anyone ever rented a car on st john? road in good condition and easy to navigate? What sights did you enjoy driving too? beaches?? It it better to just hire a taxi for a tour and beach stop? Any words of caution?

 

Thanks!

 

 

Peggy Sue

They drive on the left-hand side of the road and if you have never done this before, I would caution you against it.

 

Hire a taxi or take a ship's tour.

[imsulin]

And in the open-air jeeps, you must shift with your left hand. St. John is very hilly, and the roads are very narrow and twisty-windy. Much easier to hire a taxi and driver for the day!

[MandyGirl]

We've vacationed on St John and I've had no problems driving. Yes, driving on the left, steering wheel on left like cars in the States, and maximum speed on the island is 20 mph. Roads can have steep inclines (can be very slippery if wet!) and can be curvy. The book "St John Feet, Fins & Four Wheel Drive" by Pam Gaffin is DEFINITELY worth the money to purchase ahead of time - gives great driving tours and tidbits you wouldn't know/learn otherwise. (About $12 and available online - do a search with Google). Hints such as "Honky Hill" is near Trunk Bay - it has some very blind curves so that's why you hear people honking before they come around curves. The flattest part of St John is east of Coral Bay - about a quarter mile of straight "raceway" as it was referred to. And there is a very steep hill if driving from Cruz Bay towards the Westin - it was slick one day and I was afraid I might have concerns making it up. Yep, I was in a jeep.

We rented from StJohnCarRental.com

No problems from them for the week

One thing to be cautious of if renting on St Thomas from one of the FEW places that rent a car and allow it to be taken off-island: car barge can fill up to/from St John. No reservations for it. Can be crowded at peak times.

[rocks]

Hi Peggy Sue!

We LOVE St. John (always go there when our ship stops in St. Thomas) & we have always wanted to rent a car/jeep & drive around the island. The last time we were there we chickened out at the last minute. I have vowed to do it the next time!

If you do rent a car there, please post a report. I would love to know how you made out.

rocks