GETTING TO ST. JOHN AND TO LA BELLA VILLA
FROM THE CYRIL KING AIRPORT ON ST. THOMAS


The St, Thomas airport is located toward the western end of St Thomas. You will likely arrive by air - unless you chose to swim, which we wouldn't recommend! After landing, you must go to the town of Red Hook on the eastern side of St. Thomas to catch a ferry to St. John. You have two choices on how to get there:

  • A. Take a taxi/van from the airport to Red Hook and catch take the “people ferry” and then rent a car on St. John; or
  • B. Rent a car on St. Thomas at the airport, drive to Red Hook, and then take the car/truck ferry -- known as the "barge."

Here are more details about each of these options:

A. RENT A CAR ON ST JOHN

  • Take a taxi from the airport to Red Hook to catch the “people” ferry to St. John.
  • Taxis/vans are located immediately outside the baggage area at the airport. Just say “Red Hook.” There is a charge for each person riding on the van, and an additional charge for each piece of luggage. The taxi ride takes up to 45 minutes, depending upon traffic. If you ask the airport dispatcher, he may be able to arrange for a private taxi.
  • People ferries leave from Red Hook for St. John on the hour up until midnight. The ferry costs about $8 a person plus $4 for each piece of luggage. The ride lasts 20 – 25 minutes and you disembark at the ferry dock in Cruz Bay. For more passenger ferry information, click here: https://www.vinow.com/travel/virgin-islands-ferry-schedules/stjohn/
  • Make arrangements in advance to be met by the greeter from our villa management company – St. John Signature Villas. They will help you get your rental car and to La Bella Villa.
  • Among the many car rental companies on St. John, here are a few to consider:

B. RENT A CAR ON ST THOMAS

  • Book a car before your trip. We suggest:
  • Drive to Red Hook and board the barge. The barge runs about every 30 minutes and the trip is about 40-45 minutes long.
  • The cost of the barge trip is about $35 one way or $55 round trip. You pay cash on the barge after you load, and you CANNOT make advance reservations to be on a barge leaving at a specific time.
  • The barge arrival point is at Enighed Pond. Arrange with our St. John Signature Villas greeter where to meet when you arrive.

COMMON QUESTIONS

  • Do you need a car with 4-wheel drive? Almost all rental cars on St. John come with 4-wheel drive, but you will not need it to get to the villa!
  • Do they really drive on the left side of the road? YES! STAY LEFT is not a joke! If you haven't driven on the left before, take it easy and get use to the experience. Turns can be a little challenging at first! But you'll get the hang of it.
  • What are the directions to La Bella Villa from the ferry dock? The greeter from St. John Signature Villas will take you to our villa which is located in Coral Bay on the East end of the island. The drive takes about 30 minutes. You will take Centerline Road (which does not have much of a centerline - so STAY LEFT. When you get close to Coral Bay you will take a left turn on Cedar Lane, just pass the "Hidden Driveway" sign. La Bella Villa is the first house on the left - and you will turn up our driveway to the villa gates and enter the magic code on the keypad to open the gates. The greeter will provide you with the code.
  • How long does it take to get back from La Bella Villa to the airport for my return trip?
    • Ferries return to Red Hook from St. John following the reverse route. People ferries leave from the ferry dock in Cruz Bay on the hour; car barges leave from Enighed Pond on the half hour and the last one leaves at 7:00 pm.
    • We recommend leaving the villa 4 – 5 hours before your flight time. You DO need to be at the airport 2 full hours before your departure time because Customs is sometimes quite crowded. Check out time from the villa is 10 am.