Sharing the best Virgin Islands travel tips that everyone should know before they go to the beautiful Caribbean Islands for the first time! Make sure to take notes so you can be prepared for your trip.
Overall, I absolutely loved my time on St. John and already am planning my next trip back! As a solo female traveler, I never felt unsafe during my trip and found that the people were super friendly and happy to have tourists visiting.
Although the US Virgin Islands are technically a part of the United States, there are some things specific to the islands that you’ll want to be aware of. I’m going to share what I learned from my visit so you will be fully ready for yours!
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However, I would still recommend bringing your passport to expedite your return back to the United States mainland.
Also, if you are planning on doing a day trip to the British Virgin Islands, you WILL need your passport for that!
2. Cars in the Virgin Islands drive on the left side; the driver seat is also on the left.
This was one of the more interesting things I’ve ever seen when it comes to driving in a new place. If you plan on renting a car, be aware that although the car layout may be similar, cars drive on the OPPOSITE (left) side of the road.
3. Shared taxis can be found all over the island.
These vehicles are called taxis, but are really more like open-air mini-buses. Most taxis have two or three rows of benches, and no seatbelts.
You can flag them down if you see one on the road going in the direction you’re headed. Or, you can usually find one located at a central location, like the ferry port or beach parking lot.
The Virgin Islands taxis were really easy to use, and each ride cost me anywhere from $6 – $12.
Since I was by myself, these rates were on the higher end. If you’re traveling with multiple people, the taxi driver will usually give you a small group discount, and charge you less per person.
Additionally, when you get of the plane, unless you booked a private transfer, these shared taxi vans will be waiting to take groups of people to their hotels or to the ferry port. It really couldn’t be easier to get around the islands without renting your own car!
In case you are in a more isolated spot and can’t locate a taxi, I recommend saving the taxi driver numbers – there are different taxi companies for each of the islands – St. John, St. Thomas, St. Croix, etc. If you’re heading to the Virgin Islands soon and want these numbers, send me a DM on Instagram and I can share the taxi contacts I used!
4. Make sure to bring cash for taxis, tips, and more.
The currency in the US Virgin Islands is the same – they use the US Dollar. I recommend bringing $50-100 cash per person per day, depending on what types of activities you’re planning on doing.
Most restaurants I went to accepted credit cards, but cash is definitely the easiest and most appreciated on the islands.
5. Hurricane season typically runs from June to November.
As with most spots in the Caribbean, you’ll want to look out for hurricane season. You can usually find great deals on flights and hotels during this time, but be aware that it comes with an additional risk!
Especially if you’re not staying on St. Thomas, where the airport is located, you may have a harder time leaving the island in the event the islands get put on hurricane watch.
6. Power outages can occur randomly with no notice, especially on St. John.
On my last night in St. John, I woke up at 2 AM to the power being totally shut off. It turned back on at 3:30 AM, but was out for about 2-3 hours in total.
This is something that really surprised me when it happened to me and I started reading more about it. It’s apparently a well known issue across the islands, especially in St. John – residents are unfortunately at the mercy of the Water & Power company, and typically don’t know how long the power will be out for.
If you want to avoid any potential issues, book a hotel or other lodging that has a generator so your power will be uninterrupted on your trip.
7. The roads through the Virgin Islands National Park are steep, winding, and narrow.
If you choose to rent a car, know that the roads you’ll be driving on are full of lots of twists and turns, narrow streets, and steep hills.
I was glad that I didn’t end up renting a car, especially since I was alone, and taxis were readily available all over the island.
8. Food costs are generally higher than in the US mainland.
Since the Virgin Islands import nearly all their food, food costs will be higher when you’re on the islands. My meals out at restaurants averaged between $25 – $45 per meal.
If you want to cut down on your food costs, I recommend getting groceries from the closest grocery store. However, keep in mind that the prices at the grocery store will likely still be higher than you’re used to back at home!
9. Be careful not to bring sand fleas back from the beach.
This is something I learned the hard way. Luckily for your sake I’ll spare you the photos I took of the 50+ sand flea bites all over my legs!😂
To avoid this – make sure you shower immediately after getting back from the beach. I would also recommend leaving any sandy towels, chairs, clothes, etc outside or in a bag separated from the rest of your belongings.
10. Cell phone service is available throughout most of the island.
All major US cell service providers have cell coverage over the US Virgin Islands.
I have Verizon Wireless and only lost service briefly when I was down in the water at one of the beaches. However, by the time I would have actually needed my cell service again up at the parking lot, it was back.
One thing to note is you may get roaming charges if you get close to the British Virgin Islands. If you’re worried about this, I suggest putting your phone on airplane mode when you’re on a boat excursion or venturing out to the right side of St. John.
11. Tipping is expected.
Similar to the United States, tipping is expected. A good rule of thumb is 15% – 20% of your total bill, including on things like your boat excursions.
I personally didn’t tip my taxi driver on the little rides all over the islands, but I did tip on my rides to and from the airport.
12. The Virgin Islands are on Atlantic Standard Time (AST), +1 hour from EST.
I didn’t realize this until I landed, but both the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands are one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST), on Atlantic Standard Time (AST).
Let me know what surprised you the most the first time you visited the Virgin Islands in the comments below! And be sure to follow me on Instagram for more travel content.
mariss
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