Virgin Island/St Thomas? Would you recommend?

[AMB444]

I've never been to Virgin Islands/St Thomas so searching around the net for info.

The best advise though is first hand experiences so.... anyone have any info that they'd like to share about travel there?

What hotels, B&B's, beaches, things to do?
Is it safe?
How to get from airport to hotel?
Rent a car?

Thanks so much! :thumbup:

[retiredguy123]

Since the Virgin Islands are owned by the United States, I would consider them to be safer than islands that are not. Saint Thomas is well known for shopping, but you really need to know what you are buying and don't fall for the hype that everything is a bargain. It's not.

[Stu from NYC]

Never stayed there but have been there for a day at a time via cruises.

Megans Bay is a beautiful beach. nicer ones is go via ferry to St John. Trunk bay is probably the best we have seen.

You will find pricing is not cheap, and taxies have gotten rather expensive

[biker1]

I prefer the British side (BVI). There are quite a few nice places such as Peter Island Resort, Scrub Island, Leverick Bay, The Bitter End, Anagada Reef Hotel (if you really want to get away from it all), etc. You can fly into the east side of Tortola (Beef Island), or St. Thomas and take a ferry over to the British side. It is not an inexpensive place. There are cabs and ferries to get you around.

I've never been to Virgin Islands/St Thomas so searching around the net for info.

The best advise though is first hand experiences so.... anyone have any info that they'd like to share about travel there?

What hotels, B&B's, beaches, things to do?
Is it safe?
How to get from airport to hotel?
Rent a car?

Thanks so much! :thumbup:

[tophcfa]

Been there at least 20 plus times, but only as a conduit to get to St. John. Always had to fly to Puerto Rico, then to St. Thomas, then take a cab to either Charlotte Amalie or Red Hook, then take a boat to Cruise Bay in St. John, and pick up a rental Jeep and drive to Maho Bay. In my opinion, St Thomas is overcrowded and overbuilt, mostly impoverished low income, relatively unsafe, and not overly appealing. St Thomas depends a great deal on cruise ship stops and those folks spending while on the island. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful island, but unless you are in a gated resort, you better watch your back. St. John on the other hand is absolutely beautiful, relatively undeveloped, and pristine. But it’s definitely not for everyone. If your thing is fancy dinning, nightlife, casinos, and being around action, forget it. It’s more about beauty, pristine beaches, relaxation, snorkeling, reading a book, and playing some cards or other games. All that being said, we haven’t been back since Maho Bay closed down and we bought a home in the Villages. From what I understand, both a string of devastating hurricanes and Covid has really set the area back to third world status. It’s a part of the world that is unfortunately poverty stricken and is totally dependent on tourism dollars. My wife and I have returning to St. John again on our bucket list, but it’s hard to do with the dog.

[Bassdeer]

Was there once about a month before covid hit. Buddy won a silent auction on a place on the hill and said it's free just get there. We rented a car, looks unsafe after dark but we had no problems. They do drive on the wrong side of the road (kind of weird) Picture of our view, place was great.
https://i.imgur.com/g3jUxsH.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/YJJqVII.jpeg

[Calisport]

All these islands are poor. St Thomas doesn' t have much to do and there are some unsafe areas outside of the main city. Snorkling is horrible. The only good time is a drive around the island or hanging out at a resort pool. Not really anyone's favorite island.

[AMB444]

Oh Gosh. Thank you for your input. I understand about the dog. I'd think about Captiva, yes?

We're actually in the best place on the planet but...shhhh! Lol.

[jsa]

St John. Google it or better yet, watch some videos on YouTube. They'll provide a lot more info.

[oneclickplus]

I've never been to Virgin Islands/St Thomas so searching around the net for info.

The best advise though is first hand experiences so.... anyone have any info that they'd like to share about travel there?

What hotels, B&B's, beaches, things to do?
Is it safe?
How to get from airport to hotel?
Rent a car?

Thanks so much! :thumbup:

Love St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands). As such, we were mistaken for locals - there is a good mix of white / black population. Of course, that assumption goes away as soon as you open your mouth to speak. But, if you keep quiet and dress properly, you look like a local (LOL).

Best visit we had was behaving like locals. We rented an airbnb (whole house) overlooking Magen's bay. Rented a car for the week. Did our own shopping and cooking with a few restaurant visits. Keep in mind that driving is on the left side of the road if you rent a car. My wife was freaked out about the driving so I did all driving. The trick is:
1) no drinking at all if you are driving - NONE.
2) be slow and methodical because any sudden reactions on your part will probably be wrong.
3) visually picture what you do at intersections and "roundabouts" before you get there.

It's not difficult - you just need to be deliberate. Of all the places I've visited, it's my favorite place to go back again and again. Also, bring along a GPS with maps of the island. This will make getting around a breeze.

If you prefer a beach resort, consider the Westin.

[KendallW]

Traveled there many times as I was employed by Royal Caribbean in my younger years..Definitely spent most of my time on St John as much is a national park with many beautiful beaches. Don't buy anything there as you would likly find it less here in the states...you will be driving on the left side of the road, takes a little getting use to.

[rsmurano]

We’ve been to St Thomas many times as a stop on a cruise. Loved it. Been to the beach where there are thousands of crazies trying to touch the airplane tires when landing. It’s an amazing site. Then people hang on to the fence when a 747 is taking off and the jet wash makes their legs come off the ground and quite a few people lose control and roll over the road into the ocean.
We always do the Americas cup sailboat racing where you are actually crewing 2 Americas sailboats that race each other.

[Rocksnap]

We did a flight to PR, a flight to St Thomas followed by a boat ride to St John’s. Thomas is more run down, hectic and touristy. Another quick boat ride away is BVI Tortola. I’d stick to the smaller islands for a better experience.

[The Chipster]

I've never been to Virgin Islands/St Thomas so searching around the net for info.

The best advise though is first hand experiences so.... anyone have any info that they'd like to share about travel there?

What hotels, B&B's, beaches, things to do?
Is it safe?
How to get from airport to hotel?
Rent a car?

Thanks so much! :thumbup:

I am a former Villager and along-time sailboat skipper in the Bahamas and BVIs. The absolute best way to experience the Caribbean is on a big catamaran sailboat with a crew of 8-12 good friends. We fly down to the island of your choice, and sail from island to island, Jimmy Buffet style. I stay out of rough water (always sailing inside the island chains) and promise you a thrill of a lifetime. You need to be in decent shape for this adventure. I am 74 years old.

[Susan1717]

Love St John and the BVI’s. You can either stay in St John and take day trips via boats to BVIs like Jost Van Dyke (one of my favorites is Soggy Dollar). We’ve also had 4 couples in a 50’ Power cat and one of our friends captained. Both ways are fabulous!

[coconutmama]

We’ve been to St Thomas many times as a stop on a cruise. Loved it. Been to the beach where there are thousands of crazies trying to touch the airplane tires when landing. It’s an amazing site. Then people hang on to the fence when a 747 is taking off and the jet wash makes their legs come off the ground and quite a few people lose control and roll over the road into the ocean.
We always do the Americas cup sailboat racing where you are actually crewing 2 Americas sailboats that race each other.

Aren’t you speaking about St Maarten?

[coconutmama]

Since the Virgin Islands are owned by the United States, I would consider them to be safer than islands that are not. Saint Thomas is well known for shopping, but you really need to know what you are buying and don't fall for the hype that everything is a bargain. It's not.

I would highly recommend not wearing flashy jewelry, leaving anything of value in your car or flashing big bundles of cash. This is true on all Caribbean islands no matter who owns them. Just the same as any big city here in the States. Lots of petty crime

[Veracity]

My wife and I have returning to St. John again on our bucket list, but it’s hard to do with the dog.

I prefer to vacation at home with my dog. It's cheaper and more fun. :doggie:

[Range Rider]

I've never been to Virgin Islands/St Thomas so searching around the net for info.

The best advise though is first hand experiences so.... anyone have any info that they'd like to share about travel there?

What hotels, B&B's, beaches, things to do?
Is it safe?
How to get from airport to hotel?
Rent a car?

Thanks so much! :thumbup:

We had one of the best trips to St. Thomas and the Virgin Islands. We booked on a catamaran which took us to an island to snorkel. We had a meal and their specialty drink on the boat. Naturally, the water and weather was perfect....which is most of the time.

[Stu from NYC]

Aren’t you speaking about St Maarten?

That was my thought. One of these days a plane will be too low. Hope I am wrong though

[Stu from NYC]

I prefer to vacation at home with my dog. It's cheaper and more fun. :doggie:

Different strokes for different folks

[Normal]

We didn’t care for St Thomas, it reminded me a lot of the conditions in Aruba…yuk

Love St John’s and Bonaire

[retiredguy123]

I have always felt uncomfortable on these islands where poverty is rampant and I am viewed as a tourist sucker. What is the point? Go to Hawaii instead.

[Stu from NYC]

We didn’t care for St Thomas, it reminded me a lot of the conditions in Aruba…yuk

Love St John’s and Bonaire

What do you have against Aruba? One of the most prosperous islands in the Caribbean