Do I really need 4WD on St. John?
 

Hi all,
First post - I just discovered this website and I love it!

I am planning a trip to St. John and want to rent a car. It seems like I need a jeep since that's practically all that's offered on the island, but one villa owner I spoke with mentioned that most roads are paved. It would be so much cheaper to rent a little car on St. Thomas and ferry it over if I could get away with it...

Thanks in advance!

I found the roads on St. John in very good condition. I don't think you HAVE to have a 4wd. It's mainly a preference.

You could get away with a regular car on St. John, although you may find that no matter how well-paved some roads may be, the steepness is a challenge, especially after rain. Also, you would not be able to go on some of the rougher roads, for example, the road to Little Lameshur or out to Privateer Bay, which may not be a priority for you. A simple 4 wheel drive car on St. John may not be that much more expensive.

This is our 5th year of renting a jeep/4WD vehicle, and we feel it's necessary. Yes most of the roads you will go on, especially as a 1st timer, are paved. However, most are a climb & some pretty steep, especially when you do some switch-back turns. And yes, it's more trickly when wet. We feel it's definitely worth it to have the extra power and feel comfortable pulling the hills --I wouldn't try it otherwise.

the 1st time on st.john i thanked God i had 4wd..yes, the main roads are paved but to access some of the villas you're on dirt "roads" and the 4w can come in handy..check these sites: www.conradcar.com or www.stjohncarrental.com - both close to ferry dock and the usual rentals are: jeep liberty,suzuki vitara,jeep wrangler.some people do w/out the 4wd and are fine. guess it depends how much exploring you plan to do !!

Hello? Respondants? Are you crazy? YES! You do need 4WD on St. John. I've had heart attacks going up some of those hills. And it may rain every day for even half an hour most often, so it's not like they're going to get wet... Just get it!

Thanks everyone!

You should rent a 4wd on St. John. But whatever you do, just don't rent from Conrad Sutton. They are extremely rude and difficult to deal with. Mrs. Sutton even swore and hung up on us. Even many of the locals have no respect for them. Try St. John Car Rental. I would rather not have a vehicle than rent from Conrad.

We've used L&L Jeep rental for 5 years. They are great, meet us at the dock, very friendly. The owner actually loaned us his personal vehicle one day when ours wouldn't start temporarily. We've never had a problem.

So I'm crazy, maybe after those roads and rain on Tortola, I found driving on St. John was a breeze....