St. John Holiday Travel Tips

Forget the fruitcake! Give yourself the ultimate gift this year: Bury your toes in the powdery white sand of St. John while your neighbor is shoveling powdery white snow! The holidays are the busiest travel time of the year so a bit of planning will go a long way.

Here are a few tips to ensure a hassle-free experience:

Pack Light

St. John’s average temperature during the winter months is nearly 80 degrees so outside of maybe one long sleeve shirt for boating adventures, leave your sweaters at home. The island’s informal vibe means your wardrobe should be comfortable and casual, especially when it comes to shoes, have you seen our uneven streets? Stilettos should also stay at home unless you are a die-hard glamazon. On the plane, dress in layers as the temperature can vary greatly between the terminals and the tarmac.

Be Safe

When checking bags at the airport make sure all medication, necessary documents, and anything you can’t live without (like your jewelry) are with you or in your carry-on. Mistakes happen during the holiday crush and better to be safe than sorry.

Fly Smart

International and domestic flights arrive and depart from the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas. Departing, choose an early flight so if you miss a connection, you are more likely to catch another flight the same day. Remember that you also have to catch the ferry to St. John and that can take 1-1.5 hours. The day before you leave, fill out your customs form (grab an extra form upon arrival, or Catered To sometimes has extra ones) and check in online (better seats sometimes open up).

Returning home, though the U.S. Virgin Islands is a U.S. territory, you must clear customs and immigration and show proof of citizenship (birth certificate, drivers license or passport) to return to the mainland. Allow an hour to get from Red Hook to the airport, and for the holidays allow another two hours to get to your gate.

Big Tip: use the porters. They’re not expensive and you basically skip both the airline line and the customs line, much to the dismay of those who are not aware of this trick.

Know Your Way Around

Once you arrive in St. Thomas, you will need a taxi to get to a ferry dock. Taxis are plentiful and rates are posted on the wall near the entrance of the terminal. You can either take a private taxi (which can cost $90 to Red Hook) or a 10-passenger van which may make multiple stops for about $15 per person. Ferries to St. John depart from two locations. The downtown Charlotte Amalie ferry departs three times a day during high season and the Red Hook ferry, on the east end of St. Thomas, departs every hour from 5:30am to midnight.

In the past, the downtown ferry has been less reliable, but when it’s running it’s the one to go with when you are leaving St. John, and if it fits your departure schedule (it’s a prettier ride too). We feel it’s best to take the Red Hook ferry when you are arriving. Here’s a complete list of ferry schedules. A note about the ferries: some have compartments with A/C so look around!

Mind Your Manners

From the moment you get off the plane, it’s a good idea to conform to local customs. In the Virgin Islands, a proper greeting is Good Morning, Good Afternoon or Good Night (or the all-inclusive Good Day) rather than Hello. This greeting, accompanied by a hearty smile, will serve you well during your stay. It’s also important to adopt a conservative approach regarding dress–beach attire is strictly for the beach. Despite it’s laid back reputation, the island is rather conservative.

Chillax

Everything moves slower in the Caribbean so try adopting the “island time” state of mind as you travel and don’t let the inevitable inconveniences cause you stress. You may even decide to take our relaxing way of life home with you. Now that would really be a gift.