Since the USVI are part of the US we debated renting a car but since we are on vacation and wanting to relax we decided against it. While we didn't spend much time on St. Thomas but on St. Johns and when we hired a cab for an island tour of St. Croix, we realized that it would be quite easy to drive here.
However, it is not exactly the same as driving in the US there are a few things to note:
- Drive on the left instead of the right - this allows you to see the side the road that most cliffs are on
- Unless otherwise posted speed limits are:
- 35m/hr in the country
- 20m/hr in town
Drivers can be a bit more aggressive when driving (passing happens quite often) and if the road you are on has pot holes then people will regularly drive into on coming traffic to avoid them. They also have a habit of parking in random places even if they block traffic but besides those two things there is nothing else that is different so feel free to rent a car and get exploring!
The island roads are just a general loop so eventually you will meet up again at the start if you just drive in a loop around the outside of the island. If you are going to explore in land then it might we worthwhile to get a GPS or map.
Also, if you keep an eye out for tourist magazines while you are on the island you can sometimes get discount coupons / promo codes that can save you a bit. Discount Car (www.discountccar.vi) 1-877-478-2833) usually places the ads and some range from 12% off to free baby car seats, discounted GPS, free pickup / drop off from hotel or airport, and more. As we did not rent a car I'm not sure what the quality of their service is nor what they offer.
