Maps:
Getting to
St. John
One of the reasons St. John has remained
relatively un-touristy and unspoilt is the lack of an airport on the
island.
Most visitors arrive by flying into the closest airport on St. Thomas
and continuing to St. John by ferry. Regular ferry service for
passengers and/or car barge service is available between St. Thomas and
St. John, St. Croix or the BVI. Service is frequent and makes for easy
day trips between the islands.
There is also a water taxi service which will take you to a destination
of your choosing, as well as a direct ferry from Puerto Rico.
Some cruise ships call on St. John, but because St. John lacks both a
deep harbor and dock space suitable or cruise ships, the "big boats"
must anchor nearby and transfer passengers to the island by tender.
Maps
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| Where are the Virgin Islands? | USVI Map |
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| Cruz Bay Map | |
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| Ruins on St. John | National Park Map |
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| Good Eats Map | BVI Map |
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| Horizons Cottage Floorplan | |
Ferries, Car Barges & Water Taxi
From St. Thomas:
Red Hook, St. Thomas to Cruz Bay, St. John:
Ferry tickets are $6 round trip, $3 one way for adults and $2 round
trip, $1 one way for children under twelve. The trip takes about 20
minutes. From Red Hook, St. Thomas: 6:30 am, 7:30 am, and then hourly
from 8:00 am to Midnight. From Cruz Bay, St. John: 6:00 am to 11:00 pm
hourly. More information is available by calling Transportation
Services, (340) 776-6282 and Varlack Ventures, (340) 776-6412
Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay: Ferry tickets are $7 for adults, $3 for children, one way. The trip takes about 45 minutes. From Charlotte Amalie waterfront, St. Thomas to Cruz Bay, St. John: 9:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm, and 5:30 pm. From Cruz Bay, St. John to Charlotte Amalie waterfront, St. Thomas: 7:15 am, 9:15 am, 11:15 am, 1:15 pm, 2:15 pm, and 3:45 pm. More information is available by calling Transportation Services, (340) 776-6282 and Varlack Ventures, (340) 776-6412
Car Barges
You can take your car (including rental cars)
back and forth from St. Thomas and St. John on one of the car barges
that make the trip several times daily. Since 2001 you have been able to
take a rental car on the barge legally, although you should always check
with your rental agent before doing so as some prefer their cars not to
leave their respective islands. The trip takes about 25 minutes on the
water, but show up early and be patient, especially in the mornings and
late afternoons in season. Price (subject to change) is about $35, round
trip, which includes passengers.
From Red Hook to Cruz Bay: Boyson: Mondays through Saturdays, every hour on the half hour from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm. Sundays, hourly 8:30 am to 12:30pm, then 2:30 pm, 5:00 pm, and 6:00 pm. Republic: Every two hours from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm. Roanoke: 6:15 am (except Sundays), 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm 4:00 pm, and 6:00 pm.
From Cruz Bay to Red Hook: Boyson: 6:00 am,
7:00 am, 8:30 am, then every hour on the half hour until 5:30 pm, plus
one more departure at 6 pm. Republic: 6:15 am, 8:00 am, then every 2
hours to 4:00 pm, followed by two additional departures at 6:15 pm and
8:00 pm (Saturdays in season only). Roanoke: 7:15 am (except Sundays),
9:00 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm, and 7:00 pm.
More information is available by calling Boyson, (340) 776-6294,
Republic, (340) 779-4000, or Roanoke, (340) 775-6279.
From the British Virgin Islands:
Cruz Bay, St. John to West End, Tortola, BVI:
Ferry tickets are $35 round trip and the trip takes about 30 minutes.
From Cruz Bay, St. John: 8:30 am daily, 11:30 am daily, 3:30 pm Monday to Saturday, 4:30 pm Sunday and 5:00 pm Friday.
From West End, Tortola, BVI: 9:15 am daily, 12:15 pm daily, 4:15 pm Monday to Saturday, 5:15 pm Sunday, and 5:30 pm Friday. More information is available by calling Inter-Island, (340) 776-6597
Water Taxi:
Dohm's Water Taxi can take you between most
U.S. & British Virgin Islands. (340) 775-6501.
From
Puerto Rico:
By ferry:
Between St. Thomas, St. John & Puerto
Rico: There is a twice-monthly passenger ferry service from Fajardo ,
Puerto Rico to St. Thomas and St. John. Call Transportation Services,
(340) 776-6282 for schedules and rates.
By air:
Seaborne
Airlines provides service between St. Thomas, St. Croix and San Juan,
Puerto Rico. For schedules and other information, visit their
website.
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Between St. Thomas and St.
Croix:
By
ferry: Smith's Ferry Service, (340)
775-7292, departs from the Marine Terminal in Gallows Bay on St. Croix
and the Marine Terminal in Charlotte Amalie (next to Seaplane Terminal)
on St. Thomas. Arrival should be at least 45 minutes prior to departure.
Photo Id required. Call for schedule information. Operator Virgin
Islands Fast Ferry has suspended all operations until further notice.
By air: Seaborne Airlines provides inter-island service, between St.
Thomas, St. Croix and San Juan, Puerto Rico. For schedules and other
information, visit their website. Fixed-base operator Bohlke
International is also based at St. Thomas and will fly you just about
anywhere in the Caribbean. Call (800) 653-9177. Visit their website
here.
Getting around St. John
By Bus: The
Vitran Bus System buses run along Centerline Road, travelling from the
Cruz Bay ferry dock, through to Coral Bay and then to Salt Pond Bay.
From Cruz Bay, the bus leaves at 6am, 7am, and then every 25 minutes
past the hour until 7:25pm. From Salt Pond Bay, the bus leaves at 5am,
6am, 7am, 8am and then every 10 minutes past the hour until 8:10pm. The
fare is US$1 a person. Senior Citizens receive a discounted fare of
US$0.55. Be aware that the public bus system is not very reliable, and
if you are on a tight or limited time schedule or need to make that
plane on St. Thomas, it is not a good idea to depend on the bus. For
scheduling information, telephone (340) 774-5678.
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By Taxi:
Taxis charge per person by destination, there are no metered taxis.
Official taxis show the letters JP on their license plates. Taxis on St.
John are usually vans or open air "Safari" buses - converted flat bed
pick up trucks with roofs and bench seats. Popular spots like the ferry
dock in Cruz Bay, Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay always have safari
buses/taxis waiting to assist you. A Safari Bus is also a convenient way
to get to one of the National Park beaches for the day or to Horizons
Cottage, if you don't plan to do much sightseeing during your stay. The
average taxi fare from Cruz Bay to Horizons should run about US$15.00
for one, US$12.00 for two (each) and US$10.00 (each) for three or more
passengers. Please note, this information is, as already stated above,
subject to change without notice and is contained here only as a general
reference. For average fares point-to-point on the island, check here.
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By Rental Car: Many international companies
are represented along with a variety of local companies. Most rental
agencies are located in Cruz Bay. All vehicles have U.S.-style steering
wheels on the left. A valid U.S. driving license allows you to drive a
rental car for up to 90 days provided you are age 25 or over. Some
rental agencies will make an exception for renters age 21-24 for an
additional fee. Rentals are also available to non-U.S. citizens with a
valid license. If you are staying longer than 90 days, you must get a
USVI license.
Drive on the left, look out for one way streets,
there are no right turns when lights are red, but left turns at red
lights are allowed if the road is clear. Sound your horn when
approaching blind corners. You can find a compilation of rental car
agencies here.
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