Travelry Guide to St. John US Virgin Islands

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Ever wanted to live out your Pirates of the Caribbean fantasies or simply relax on a ? If so, then the Virgin Islands are the perfect spot to go for your next vacation.

Our team celebrated a co-founder's birthday on St. John this past month, and learned a lot about the area and how to pull off an ideal trip to St. John and what to/ what not to do while you're there as well as things we felt we had to share!

General Info and Tips for St. John

1. Flying to the Virgin Islands

First off, be aware of the weather conditions in the area or connecting airports from wherever you're flying in from. Some of our party had overnight delays due to severe weather, so just something to keep in mind!

Flights from the mainland go into St. Thomas where travelers then take a ferry to St. John. When scheduling flights, try to schedule arrival time before the last crown ferry to save some headaches.

2. Ferry to St. John

There are 3 ferry terminals from St. Thomas to St. John: Red Hook, Crown Bay, and Charlotte Amalie. We took the Crown Bay ferry to St. John due to its proximity to the airport, however, the delayed portion of our party took the Red Hook and had no problems. We recommend buying your tickets online or calling head for Crown Bay as ferry frequency may vary.

3. Getting around the island

We highly recommend renting a car from St. John instead of St. Thomas to avoid the headache of dealing with car ferries, and locals tend to rely on the ferries to get their cars from island to island. Very important to not that you drive on the left hand side of the road, so choose an experienced person to be the designated driver. The island has lots of steep elevation change, windy roads that can at times feel like you're off-roading, which is why most rental cars will be jeeps.

4. Choosing where to stay

Our team chose to stay near Fish Bay to enjoy some scenic views and get away from the hustle and bustle of the main city. Trade winds keep the island cool, so if you choose to stay in town you will notice it is significantly hotter than other parts of the island.

5. Using Travelry to Simplify Planning

Travelry is a fantastic tool for planning group trips and will help relieve the painstaking process of planning an entire vacation. The platform offers comprehensive vacation packages that include housing, transportation, and activities curated by independent local experts. This means less hassle and more time to enjoy the trip, all you have to do is book a flight and Travelry will handle the rest. Plus, Travelry's cost-splitting feature ensures everyone pays their share easily.

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‍General Tips for the Island

• The USVI are a United States Territory, so a passport is not needed. However, if you wish to take a charter to the BVI's you will need to have one with you
• When flying out of St. Thomas you will have to go through customs, so arrive with plenty of time in case there are any delays
• American Express is not widely accepted throughout the island, so bring cash or other cards as a primary
• Don't forget the bug spray: Noseeums (scientifically known as Ceratopogonidae) are very aggressive, especially after dark. They are about the size of fruit flies so you may not notice them until it's too late
• For island hotspots, leave early as parking can be hard to find
• If you stay outside of town or plan on enjoying some painkillers, there are local taxis that can take you around the island and are readily availble throughout the day

‍Beach recommendations:

• Maho bay
• Hansen bay beach
• Cinnamon bay
• Oppenheimer beach

Restaurant recommendations:

• Skinny legs - good burgers on the north side of the island
• Windmill bar - beautiful lookout spot for sunset
• Morgan's Mango - solid dinner spot with lots of options
• Lime out - floating taco bar in the bay
• Sam and jacks deli - located in town and has delicious sandwiches

Activity recommendations:

• Take Catamaran boat charter for a day and see all the island beaches and many other sights in the area
• Hiking the reef bay trail/ exploring USVI national park
• Island hop for the day to the BVI, although you will need a passport to do so

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We hope you find this helpful and consider using Travelry for you group vacation needs! Check out our app on the apple and google play store to view fully packaged vacations brought to you by us!

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