Basic Travel Tips:
- Getting Around on Foot - The US Virgin Islands are not easily walkable as there are no sidewalks outside of the city centres or pedestrian paths. Some roadways don’t even have shoulders. Of course, you can walk from your city resort or hotel to a restaurant. If staying at a resort outside the town, though, you will need a rental car, taxi, or shuttle to get around.
- Customs – US travellers are required to go through Customs when returning from the USVI. If away for at least 48 hours, they are entitled to a $1,600 duty-free exemption, while St. Croix airlines allow travellers to take up to 6 bottles of alcohol back home for free.
- Cell Phone Roaming – You can use a US cell phone in the USVI, but your carrier is the only one that will determine whether you get hit with a roaming fee or not. The signal is usually fine when wandering around the cities, but barely existent (if at all) the further away from the towns you get. Also, take note that your phone might connect to a cell tower on Tortola (part of the BVI) if using it on the northern side of St. John island. In this case, you will definitely be charged a roaming fee so keep an eye on that.
- Where to Stay – Choose St. Thomas island if you desire lively nightlife, lots of action, cosmopolitan vibes, and impressive all-inclusive resorts. St. John island, on the other hand, is the perfect place to be if you want more relaxed and nature-related experiences, as it is a great place for snorkelling, scuba diving, and the like. Finally, St. Croix is the cultural island and where you need to be if you love small-town charms and wish to stroll around places that were once owned by not only one, but seven different rulers, including the French and Spanish!
Taxi Services
Expect to share your taxi with other passengers and have several stops before you reach your destination when taking a taxi in the USVI. There are two main taxi services you could use, the large, red, multi-passenger vans that are usually stationed outside the St. Thomas airport or the safari-style trucks that are most commonly available at St. John island. Regardless of which taxi service you use, always agree to a fare with the taxi driver before you get inside the vehicle as taxis are unmetered (and may carry you around for several kilometres before taking you to the intended destination, as they need to drop off other passengers as well along the way). Now, if you want to flag down a taxi, hold your arm in the air and stand on the edge of the road (not into the road, though). If the taxi is not full, it will stop and take you.
Getting Around
None of the islands that make up the US Virgin Islands have ride-sharing apps like Lyft or Uber. So, you can get around St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix islands by taxi or via public transport (buses and ferries). Kindly be aware, though, that there is little availability of public buses later at night, while buses tend to be a bit unreliable in the evenings.
Rental cars are also available, with most car rental agencies being located around St. Thomas airport (Cyril E. King International Airport). Some hotels and resorts also offer transport services to their guests (primarily drop-off and pick-up services for dining in town).
Cultural Dress Code in the US Virgin Islands
Although you will never see a local wearing a swimsuit at a restaurant or in town, there is no law against it. However, informally, you might be politely asked to throw on a shirt and shorts (for gents) or a dress (for ladies) when seated for dinner or lunch (even at a seaside venue) or browsing the local shops wearing your swimsuit.
What to Eat in the USVI
You will be greeted with an impressive range of restaurant options, from fast-food joints to white tablecloth restaurants, most of them providing the coddling tourist experience. If you go after local cuisine dishes, we suggest opting for food staples like peas and rice (these are black-eyes peas or kidney peas rather than green peas), fungi (corn meal), pate (it could be salted cod, chicken, or ground beef wrapped and deep fried), and a deep-fried dough called Johnnycake! Some popular meeting points for foodies in the USVI are the restaurants in the Frenchtown and Red Hook areas on St. Thomas, Cruz Bay on St. John, and West End on St. Croix.
Getting to the USVI
The Cyril E. King International Airport (STT) on the southwest of St. Thomas is the largest international airport (of the two in total) in the US Virgin Islands, offering direct flights from both the USA (via United, Spirit, JetBlue, Delta, and American) and other major parts of the world. You can check flight schedules here: Cyril E. King Airport - St. Thomas | Virgin Islands Port Authority (viport.com).
The other international airport in the USVI is the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix island which is a smaller operation enabling direct flights from the USA via domestic carriers. You can check the flight schedules here: Henry E. Rohlsen Airport - St. Croix | Virgin Islands Port Authority (viport.com).
Most Popular Events & Festivals
Visitors are welcomed by a lot of annual events and festivals almost year-round, with the Carnival being the most spectacular and exuberant event of the year. It starts in April in St. Thomas, late June in St. John, and from December through January in St. Croix, and involves fantastic costumes, great food, and endless dancing and fun.
Other popular activities and festivals include the Crucian Christmas Festival (which takes place on the 1st Saturday of December and lasts for a whole month, until the 1st Saturday of January) that amazes with the annual Boat Parade in St. Croix and the fireworks display with the coming of the New Year. As for St. Thomas island, the biggest event around Christmas is the Miracle which features steel pan music, local artwork and crafts, and carolers along Main Street.
Basic Travel Tips:
- Getting Around on Foot - The US Virgin Islands are not easily walkable as there are no sidewalks outside of the city centres or pedestrian paths. Some roadways don’t even have shoulders. Of course, you can walk from your city resort or hotel to a restaurant. If staying at a resort outside the town, though, you will need a rental car, taxi, or shuttle to get around.
- Customs – US travellers are required to go through Customs when returning from the USVI. If away for at least 48 hours, they are entitled to a $1,600 duty-free exemption, while St. Croix airlines allow travellers to take up to 6 bottles of alcohol back home for free.
- Cell Phone Roaming – You can use a US cell phone in the USVI, but your carrier is the only one that will determine whether you get hit with a roaming fee or not. The signal is usually fine when wandering around the cities, but barely existent (if at all) the further away from the towns you get. Also, take note that your phone might connect to a cell tower on Tortola (part of the BVI) if using it on the northern side of St. John island. In this case, you will definitely be charged a roaming fee so keep an eye on that.
- Where to Stay – Choose St. Thomas island if you desire lively nightlife, lots of action, cosmopolitan vibes, and impressive all-inclusive resorts. St. John island, on the other hand, is the perfect place to be if you want more relaxed and nature-related experiences, as it is a great place for snorkelling, scuba diving, and the like. Finally, St. Croix is the cultural island and where you need to be if you love small-town charms and wish to stroll around places that were once owned by not only one, but seven different rulers, including the French and Spanish!
Taxi Services
Expect to share your taxi with other passengers and have several stops before you reach your destination when taking a taxi in the USVI. There are two main taxi services you could use, the large, red, multi-passenger vans that are usually stationed outside the St. Thomas airport or the safari-style trucks that are most commonly available at St. John island. Regardless of which taxi service you use, always agree to a fare with the taxi driver before you get inside the vehicle as taxis are unmetered (and may carry you around for several kilometres before taking you to the intended destination, as they need to drop off other passengers as well along the way). Now, if you want to flag down a taxi, hold your arm in the air and stand on the edge of the road (not into the road, though). If the taxi is not full, it will stop and take you.
Getting Around
None of the islands that make up the US Virgin Islands have ride-sharing apps like Lyft or Uber. So, you can get around St. John, St. Thomas, and St. Croix islands by taxi or via public transport (buses and ferries). Kindly be aware, though, that there is little availability of public buses later at night, while buses tend to be a bit unreliable in the evenings.
Rental cars are also available, with most car rental agencies being located around St. Thomas airport (Cyril E. King International Airport). Some hotels and resorts also offer transport services to their guests (primarily drop-off and pick-up services for dining in town).
Cultural Dress Code in the US Virgin Islands
Although you will never see a local wearing a swimsuit at a restaurant or in town, there is no law against it. However, informally, you might be politely asked to throw on a shirt and shorts (for gents) or a dress (for ladies) when seated for dinner or lunch (even at a seaside venue) or browsing the local shops wearing your swimsuit.
What to Eat in the USVI
You will be greeted with an impressive range of restaurant options, from fast-food joints to white tablecloth restaurants, most of them providing the coddling tourist experience. If you go after local cuisine dishes, we suggest opting for food staples like peas and rice (these are black-eyes peas or kidney peas rather than green peas), fungi (corn meal), pate (it could be salted cod, chicken, or ground beef wrapped and deep fried), and a deep-fried dough called Johnnycake! Some popular meeting points for foodies in the USVI are the restaurants in the Frenchtown and Red Hook areas on St. Thomas, Cruz Bay on St. John, and West End on St. Croix.
Getting to the USVI
The Cyril E. King International Airport (STT) on the southwest of St. Thomas is the largest international airport (of the two in total) in the US Virgin Islands, offering direct flights from both the USA (via United, Spirit, JetBlue, Delta, and American) and other major parts of the world. You can check flight schedules here: Cyril E. King Airport - St. Thomas | Virgin Islands Port Authority (viport.com).
The other international airport in the USVI is the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix island which is a smaller operation enabling direct flights from the USA via domestic carriers. You can check the flight schedules here: Henry E. Rohlsen Airport - St. Croix | Virgin Islands Port Authority (viport.com).
Most Popular Events & Festivals
Visitors are welcomed by a lot of annual events and festivals almost year-round, with the Carnival being the most spectacular and exuberant event of the year. It starts in April in St. Thomas, late June in St. John, and from December through January in St. Croix, and involves fantastic costumes, great food, and endless dancing and fun.
Other popular activities and festivals include the Crucian Christmas Festival (which takes place on the 1st Saturday of December and lasts for a whole month, until the 1st Saturday of January) that amazes with the annual Boat Parade in St. Croix and the fireworks display with the coming of the New Year. As for St. Thomas island, the biggest event around Christmas is the Miracle which features steel pan music, local artwork and crafts, and carolers along Main Street.