 
| 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. Below are the most common connections to St. John. Please note that all information is subject to change on short notice and should be verified independently before your departure.
 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 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 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. As of 12/31/01, you are legally allowed to take a rental car on the barge - although you should definitely check with your rental agent before doing so as some prefer their cars not to leave their repsective 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 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 available by calling Inter-Island,(340) 776-6597
From Puerto Rico: By ferry: Between St. Thomas, St. John & Puerto Rico: There is ferry service from Fajardo, Puerto Rico to St. Thomas and St. John. Call Transportation Services, (340) 776-6282 for schedules and rates. This ferry makes about two trips a month. By air: Seaborne Airlines provides service between St. Thomas, St. Croix and San Juan, Puerto Rico. For schedules and other information, visit their website.
Between St. Thomas and St. Croix: By ferry: The newest ferry service in the US Virgin Islands, Virgin Islands Fast Ferry is a high speed catamaran between Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas and Christiansted, St. Croix in only 75 minutes. For schedules and other information, visit their website. 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.
Information contained on this webpage was accurate as of August 2005. HorizonsCottage.com and/or its owner/operator cannot be held liable for changes in any information provded on this website. All information on this page is provided as an informal informational service only, with no warranty, express or implied. Find an error? Please notify the webmaster! | 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 774-5678. By Taxi: Taxis can be called to pick you up at other destinations. 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, click here. 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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