Travel Logistics

LOCAL “ON-ISLAND” HOST - DESTINATION ST. JOHN

Our goal is to exceed your expectations and for you to have a wonderful experience on St. John and at the St. John Great House. Our local hosts are John and Laura Brego, owners of Destination St. John. They manage our property and all of the staff. Chances are you will at some point talk to them or their team Kelly, Leslie, or Bernard. They will leave a packet with you of their contact information and after-hours phone number. Together we will do everything we can to make your stay enjoyable and memorable.

CALL THEIR OFFICE OR AFTER-HOURS NUMBER IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE AT THE VILLA. They will make every attempt to troubleshoot the issue over the phone to save from sending maintenance staff to the villa. If you have any questions or need island recommendations, please don't hesitate to contact Destination St. John at info@destinationstjohn.com or 340-779-4647.

**** You will receive an e-mail approximately 3-4 weeks prior to your departure from Destination St. John. They will require your arrival information, guests names, can answer any questions and help you with provisioning the house or hiring local chefs, etc. **** 

Getting to St. John

STEP 1: ARRIVE IN ST . THOMAS

Upon landing in St. John you will depart the aircraft by stairs onto the tarmac. Take your time and hold onto the rails. I don't recommend traveling in flip flops or high heels for this very reason. Best to wear comfortable flat shoes or sneakers.

You can expect a quick health screen upon arrival before you enter the main lobby of the airport. A territory wide mandate requires that masks be worn during screening and in airport public spaces. Masks are NOT required in outdoor settings once you depart the airport. 

Once you arrive in the terminal you will claim your bags (if you checked any) and then proceed out the doors of the airport toward the taxi stands or over to the car rental desks across from baggage claim if you reserved your car on St. Thomas. The airport is very small and manageable.

Generally the time it takes to get from St. Thomas airport to St. John is approximately 60 min regardless of which ferry marina you depart from. There are 3 public passenger ferry marinas and there is also a private water taxi you can reserve that is very close to the airport. For more information see ferry schedules.

STEP 2: CROSS THE ISLAND TO THE FERRY DOCK (RED HOOK)

Your next step will be to cross St. Thomas over to the town of Redhook where the ferry dock is located. Ferries depart every hour on the hour until 11p.m. There are other marinas that are closer to the airport, but with very limited schedules. 90% of all travelers depart from Red Hook when traveling to St. John. 

This step will require either a taxi or a rental car. It’s about a half hour drive from the airport on a winding road full of twists and turns that will reward you with pretty views over the sea.

TAXI - You have the choice of a shared van or private van. If you have 6 or more people a private van is only a few dollars more than the shared van. I've listed prices below under taxis.

While exiting the airport will not seem organized, it is. Just tell the first taxi driver you see outside of baggage claim where you’re going and they’ll point you in the direction of the appropriate passenger vans that are departing to a ferry to Cruz Bay, St. John. If you’re not sure who the taxi drivers are, look for someone in the taxi area with a clipboard, or just someone who looks like they know what’s going on, and they’ll get you to where you need to be. We know it sounds a little haphazard, but you’ll get to the right taxi van. Trust us on this.

STEP 3: TAKE THE FERRY OVER TO ST. JOHN

After you get to Redhook, or other marina, make your way over to the ferry dock and buy your tickets. Credit cards and cash are accepted but I would have enough cash just in case the credit card machine is off-line or if they are understaffed and only accept cash. It happens. Prices and schedules are listed here.

If you rented a car on St. Thomas, then you will need to catch the car ferry ONLY from Red Hook. This is a big ol’ barge that will carry as many cars as it can hold across the short trip between St. Thomas and St. John. Be sure to check the schedule in advance and arrive at least 30 min prior to departure. The ride will take about a half hour.

What I consider to be a better option is renting your car on St. John and taking the “people ferry”. This is faster, more comfortable, scenic, and cost effective. The ride takes about 20 minutes and leaves every hour on the hour.

Both options will drop you off in Cruz Bay on St. John. You can then grab your rental car if you take the people ferry. After that, there is an abundance of restaurant and bar options around for your first island meal. We normally choose High Tide, which is a short walk from the ferry dock.

MORE SPECIFIC ST. THOMAS FERRY AND TAXI INFORMATION

There are other ferry options besides Red Hook. The closest passenger ferry dock in St. Thomas is Crown Bay Marina and is closest to the airport, approx 5 minutes by taxi. Approx taxi cost is $5-8 per person. The ferry ride is approx 40 minutes long. The ferry cost to Cruz Bay, St. John is approx $20.00 each way. There are only a few scheduled ferries each day from Crown Bay to Cruz Bay, so you need to check if your flight coincides. If your flight arrives within 30-35 minutes of the ferry departure schedule from Crown Bay, you generally can make it. Taxi drivers will let you know if you can make it or if you need to proceed to another marina.

Next closest is Charlotte Amalie (downtown St. Thomas) and is a 10-15 minute taxi ride and ferry trip is approximately 35-40 minutes. Taxi cost is approx $10-$15 per person. The ferry cost to Cruz Bay is about $13 each way. Limited schedules. If your flight arrives within 45 minutes of the ferry schedule, you can generally make it.

Red Hook has the most consistent and frequent options to Cruz Bay and It is about a 30-40 min drive across St. Thomas from the airport, depending on traffic. Cost for a shared taxi is approx $20 per person and about $100 for a private taxi to Red Hook ferry.

Ferries leave Red Hook reliably at the top of the hour from 7am until 11pm. The ferry ride from Red Hook is about 15 minutes and costs $8 per person. Your flight needs to arrive about a minimum of 60 minutes prior to the Red Hook ferry departure for you to make it. Otherwise you wait for the next one which will be one hour later. There are a few bars and restaurants next door to the terminal.

All ferries have a small baggage fee of $2.50 - $4.00 per bag.

For all three passenger schedules click here.

PRIVATE WATER TAXI

The most convenient way to get from the airport in St. Thomas to St. John is hiring a private water taxi, which is very close to the airport. For more information and booking a private water taxi which is closest and most convenient click here.