How do I get around St. Thomas?

The safari taxi is St. Thomas's real transit system. These are open-air pickup trucks with bench seating and a canvas canopy, running fixed routes along Route 30 (Veterans Drive) between Charlotte Amalie and Red Hook. You flag them down anywhere along the road. The fare within Charlotte Amalie runs $2 per person; Charlotte Amalie to Red Hook costs $12-14. The Virgin Islands Taxi Commission sets all rates, posted at Cyril E. King Airport and the Havensight cruise terminal. Private taxis run about $24-28 for the same Red Hook trip. Worth noting, the breeze through the open sides at 28°C and 85% humidity is the best air conditioning on the island. You will smell diesel and feel every crack in Veterans Drive's pavement. Safaris thin out after 9 PM, so plan your evening return before heading out.

Renting a car is the right move if you want to reach Magens Bay Beach, the north-shore overlooks, or anything off the Charlotte Amalie to Red Hook corridor. St. Thomas drives on the left, a holdover from Danish colonial rule, but uses American left-hand-drive vehicles. You sit on the left, drive on the left, and your passenger-side mirror hangs over the cliff edge on mountain roads. The roads above Charlotte Amalie climb at 15-20% grades with no guardrails, tight switchbacks, and local drivers who know every curve at speed. Budget and Avis operate from Cyril E. King Airport. Expect $60-90 per day in high season. Parking in Charlotte Amalie is tight; the Fort Christian lot near the waterfront is the reliable option.

The Red Hook to Cruz Bay ferry runs every hour from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM, takes 20 minutes, and costs $7.50 each way. The Charlotte Amalie to Cruz Bay route runs roughly every 2 hours, takes 45 minutes, and costs $13. If you want a day on St. John, Red Hook is the departure you want. Water Island gets a 10-minute ferry from Crown Bay Marina for $10 round trip. Mind you, the Red Hook ferries do not take reservations. Show up 15 minutes early, pay cash at the booth, and brace for the concrete waiting area where the heat rolls off every wall.

Uber and Lyft do not operate on St. Thomas. VITRAN public buses run Routes 1 through 4 across the island for $1, but schedules are unreliable and stops are unmarked. Do not plan your itinerary around them. Walking works within Charlotte Amalie's waterfront grid, maybe 8 blocks from Havensight to Emancipation Garden, but the hills behind Main Street will soak your shirt within 5 minutes. Route 30 has no sidewalks outside the town center. For anything past the cruise terminal, you need wheels or a safari. The Pueblo station near Tutu Park Mall tends to stay open until 9 PM, but most other gas stations close by 6.