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How to Get to St. John

Flying over Water Island near the STT airport

Happy Monday everyone! That weekend sure flew by! Ok, so when I started chatting about this new blog with friends on island, one mentioned how some of my readers may be new to St. John, so it’s important from time to time to chat about the basics. Well today we’re going to do just that! We’re going to start at the beginning – how to get to St. John. Now for my seasoned visitors, don’t leave just yet! You never know when you’ll get some new information. 🙂

Traveling Here & Heading Home

In order to get to St. John, you must fly into St. Thomas. The airport code over there is STT. All of the major airlines fly into St. Thomas, including Delta, American, JetBlue, Spirit and United. We also have two smaller airlines – Cape Air and Silver Airways (formerly Seaborne) that have daily flights via San Juan.

St. John (and neighboring St. Thomas and St. Croix) are part of the United States Virgin Islands. Because we are a United States territory, you do not need a passport to visit. When you leave, however, you will have to pass through US Customs & Border Protection.  This is because the US Virgin Islands fall outside of the “Customs territory of the United States.”

When you’re heading home, you always want to give yourself some extra time at the airport as it’s a multi-step process to leave. If you are checking a bag, you have to stop at the airline counter. They do not take your bag there, however. You’ll keep your bag and head to Customs. (For those of you with a carry on, you head straight to Customs.) Depending on the time of the year, the Customs line can be quite long.

The Customs agent will ask you some questions like where are you heading and where did you stay. They will ask if you have any souvenirs, fruits, vegetables, tobacco, alcohol. etc. It’s a lot faster if you have a passport or passport card with you, although a driver’s license works too.

From there, you will drop your bag just before security if you have one. Then head through security. There is a pre-check lane, but it’s not always open. During certain times, there will be one line, and pre-check passengers will be handed a card indicating they’re pre-check.

Once You Get Here

Taxis

There will be plenty of taxis available to take you to one of the three ferries to St. John. They are located just outside of the baggage area. The taxi drivers squeeze as many passengers inside as legally allowed, so the ride can be quite cramped at times. If you prefer not to be squished, you can hire a private driver onsite. That costs $90 for up to four people if traveling to Red Hook. You call also call my good friend Yogi, who is my number one driver on St. Thomas. His cell is 340-626-5695. Feel free to say Jenn on St. John sent you. He will love that. 🙂

Ferries/Barges

There are three ferries that connect St. Thomas with St. John – Red Hook, Crown Bay and Charlotte Amalie. I will post their current (as of Oct. 3, 2022) schedules below.

You can buy tickets for the Red Hook and Charlotte Amalie ferries online at www.stjohnticketing.com. You can buy tickets for the Crown Bay ferry online at www.interislandboatservices.com

You can rent a vehicle in St. Thomas and take it over to St. John via the car barges if you prefer. Click here to view those schedules. (Selfishly, I prefer that you rent on St. John to free up space on the barge for people who need it for work, doctor’s appointments, etc.)

And after all of that, you’ll be on St. John! We might not be the easiest place to visit, but we’re the best! And once you’ve arrived, be sure to explore the island with me! Explore STJ offers full and half day island tours. Check out beautiful beaches, centuries-old historical sites, grab a cocktail or two along the way, and have fun! It’s never too early to secure your spot! Just send me an email at jenn@explorestj.com or check out the website at www.ExploreSTJ.com.

That’s it for today, folks! If you’d like to bookmark this page, you can find it easily at www.islandtidbits.com/gettinghere. Have a great day!

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5 Comments

    • Island Tidbits

      He can take up to 14 people. If you have more than 14, he works with another driver who I have used also and would recommend.

  1. Lou Paris

    Just a quick note…I learned the hard way that Hertz doesn’t allow renters to take cars to St. John. Also…when returning a car to the STT airport be sure to drop the keys off BEFORE going through the customs checkpoint. Over and out.

    • Island Tidbits

      Thanks for the note Lou! You are correct… Not all car rental companies allow you to take their vehicles on the barge. Some on St. Thomas do not allow their cars to go to St. John, and vice versa.

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