Is it safe to explore St. Thomas by car
 

Hello all . . . we've been to St. Croix twice and Tortola once and are thinking of going somewhere else. I've seen postings saying you shouldn't go off your hotel property in St. Thomas - we love to explore wherever we go. Any recommendations on where to stay in St. Thomas - my daughter has never been to the Caribbean and wants to see crystal clear, calm water to swim in. Also, we like to go off-site to restaurants.
Thanks for your help!

We rented a car for our entire 9-day stay and drove all over the place. No problems. However, we weren't out much after dark - just a couple of times from our resort to a restaurant and back.

We stayed at Crystal Cove (on Sapphire Beach) and drove to Magens Bay, Drake's Seat, Mountaintop, Charlotte Amalie, Paradise Point, Bolongo Beach, Secret Harbour, Red Hook, and Coki Point.

For a beach with clear water and fairly good snorkeling, you might want to consider staying at Secret Harbour (condos), Crystal Cove (condos), or Sapphire Beach Resort.

My wife and I were traveling with a 16-year-old and we really appreciated the LARGE 1-BR condo at C. Cove.

Coki and Magens are great for swimming, although they can get crowded with cruise ship visitors, and there are many beautiful beaches on St. John, just a short ferry ride away.

Some of the St. Thomas car rental firms allow you to take their vehicles on the car ferry to St. John, or you can take the passenger ferry, then use taxis or rent a 4WD.

hello beth. have been reading this forum for a couple years and do not recall ever seeing anyone suggest that you should not leave your hotel property while on st. thomas!! have been twice and i had no problems driving, all over the island, all by myself. NO place i went made me nervous. was out in evening as well with other people and never any problems. now i would not walk alone in charlotte amalie at midnight but i would hardly do that anyplace in the US either.
i can highly recommend secret harbour as a great resort. condos are huge and right on the beach!! wonderful beach. great snorkeling. on site blue moon restaurant is one of best on island. another outstanding spot to dine is havana blue at frenchmans marriott.
there is tons to explore and do on st. thomas. world class duty free shopping. many good beaches. coki world. historical stuff. and a really wonderful excursion is with www.newhorizonscharters.com (leave from red hook, stop st. john, to the baths on virgin gorda for explore/snorkel, to marina cay for lunch at pussers, followed by another snorkel at guana island and finally a swim into the soggy dollar bar for a painkiller and t-shirts) good boat, good excursion, good guides!! you must have reservations a couple months ahead.

Virginia,
Wow! Do I really need to make reservations 2 months ahead for New Horizons II ? We are going to STJ the weekend after Thanksgiving. Should I go ahead and book now?

Yes. Go ahead and book it.

Yes, book New Horizons II now to ensure you get the date you want. We booked 3 months out on their web-site before our trip. They reserve your credit card, but don't charge it until the trip is complete. Must have $20 cash p/p for BVI customs.

I have a toddler who I have carted around all over St. Thomas, just the 2 of us. It is like most semi-urban areas in Charlotte Amalie, okay if you keep your wits about you. At night, we have gone to various restaurants for dinner without incident. As another poster suggested, it is not dangerous per se. As in any strange city, if you're wandering around, looking like you don't know where you are, you may become a target for con artists and possibly robbers. On the beaches and elsewhere just be smart about visible things to steal left in your vehicle, etc. Common sense stuff. You should be just fine.

yes book new horizons today. this is an extremely popular tour but for good reason. you can cancel up to 24 hrs ahead of departure if you need to for any reason. you will also need money for soggy dollar. and they will give you a pussers menu on the boat and you must pay for your lunch.