Caribbean · United States
US Virgin Islands
St. Thomas is the airport and the cruise pier. St. John is the beach. St. Croix is a separate trip.
Best months
December–April (drier); May and November can be quieter value
Budget
$$ Mid-range
Getting around
A transfer or two
The snapshot
The US Virgin Islands are the no-passport Caribbean many mainlanders forget they already have. St. Thomas has the jet airport, the shops, and the cruise-day crowds. St. John is a ferry ride away and mostly national park — Trunk Bay, Cinnamon, and a quieter overnight. St. Croix sits alone to the south with its own airport and a different pace. Book the island you actually want. They do not share a bridge.
Atlantic hurricane season June–November. Irma and Maria in 2017 are still part of how the islands talk about roofs, ferries, and power.
Pros
- No passport for US citizens; US dollar, US phone plans, and familiar car-rental desks
- St. John is one of the best protected beach-and-snorkel islands in the Caribbean
- Short flights from the East Coast into STT; St. Croix has its own jet runway if that is the trip
- A real spread of condos, inns, and resorts — not only a single hotel strip
Cons
- You drive on the left, in a left-hand-drive car, on steep roads — the first afternoon is a sport
- Charlotte Amalie on a cruise day is a different island from St. John at 8 a.m.
- The St. Thomas–St. John ferry is easy until luggage, a missed boat, or a swell delay
- St. Croix is not a casual add-on; treat it as its own flight
Airports
Transit on the ground (and water)
Safari taxi and regular taxi
Open-air safari trucks on St. Thomas; taxis with posted-ish rates.
Agree the fare. Safaris are the local bus. Fine from STT to town; less fun with four giant suitcases after a night flight.
Rental car
Freedom on all three islands, with left-side driving.
St. John in particular is steep, narrow, and worth the car if you want beaches beyond Cruz Bay. Do not leave bags visible. Book early in winter.
Ferry to St. John
Red Hook (and sometimes Charlotte Amalie) to Cruz Bay, about 15–25 minutes.
Passenger boats are frequent by day. Car barges exist and fill up. Last boats matter. If your room is in Coral Bay, budget more time after Cruz Bay.
Visitor takes
Notes from travelers sit next to optional comments saved in this browser. They are for other readers, not a question for the site.
Dana
Philadelphia · March 2026
5Two nights in Charlotte Amalie was enough. Four nights on St. John was the trip. Trunk Bay in the morning before the taxis arrived.
Pro · Snorkeling inside the park
Con · Left turns my brain did not want to make
Marcus
Atlanta · November 2025
4STT was easy from home. A cruise ship was in and town felt like a mall. We should have gone straight to Red Hook.
Pro · No passport line
Con · Magens Bay at noon on a ship day