Do I need to rent a car in Virgin Islands?

Top tips for renting a car in the U.S. Virgin Islands It is generally recommended to rent a car in the US Virgin Islands, unless you are staying in one of the larger towns. Taking cabs can be costly, and a rental car allows maximum flexibility for visiting beaches and hilltop settlements.



Whether you need to rent a car in the Virgin Islands depends heavily on which island you are visiting and your desired level of independence. On St. Thomas and St. Croix (USVI), a rental car is highly recommended if you plan to explore beyond your resort, as taxis are expensive (charged per person) and the public "VITRAN" bus system is notoriously unreliable for tourists. On St. John, a 4WD vehicle is almost essential for navigating the steep, winding roads that lead to the island's most pristine National Park beaches. In the British Virgin Islands (BVI), particularly on Tortola, renting a car is often the most cost-effective way to see the island's various bays and viewpoints. However, keep in mind that in both the USVI and BVI, you drive on the left side of the road, often in American-style left-hand-drive vehicles, which can be disorienting. If you only plan to stay at a single beachfront resort or take boat excursions, you can rely on taxis and water shuttles. For those seeking true freedom to discover "hidden gems" and avoid the high cumulative cost of group taxi fares, a rental car is the definitive choice for a 2026 Caribbean vacation.

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Public Transportation The Vitran Bus System services various areas of the island and usually runs Monday - Friday. Vitran buses run along Centerline Road. The buses travel from the Cruz Bay ferry dock, through to Coral Bay, Salt Pond Bay and back to Cruz Bay.

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Virgin Islands Ferry services make it easy to island hop. There are 7 main islands in the Virgin Islands: St Thomas, St John and St Croix in the USVI and Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Jost van Dyke in the BVI.

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There are three convenient ways to island hop; take a boat charter, use a ferry or fly between the islands. Below you will find a brief description of each island with links to more information on each island. Read through the descriptions and decide which islands you would like to visit.

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Thomas. While many places on island accept major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express), there are many venues which will only accept cash (taxis, ferry terminals, customs docks, and some vendors and restaurants).

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If you're a budget traveler, you can expect to spend around $50 to $100 per day in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This includes accommodation, food, transportation, and some activities. On the other hand, if you're a mid-range traveler, you can expect to spend around $150 to $250 per day.

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Thomas can be slightly less expensive overall than St. John. It's a bit easier to work within a budget on St. Thomas where you don't have to necessarily rent a car, you have different hotel tiers to choose from, and you have access to cheaper food options (in both restaurants and the larger grocery stores).

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St. John has the best beaches in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the best hiking in the whole archipelago. Accommodations range from beachfront campgrounds to high-end resorts. Laid-back Cruz Bay and Coral Bay provide an antidote to the outdoors with funky shops, hip restaurants, and buzzing bars.

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Taking a ferry boat is an affordable way to travel among the U.S. Virgin Islands and to the British Virgin Islands for a daytrip. Boats frequently leave from the Red Hook dock in St. Thomas heading to Cruz Bay, St. John or Tortola, BVI, and there are usually charters that shuttle between St.

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