jeff

We're going to St. John for 10 days in October. We'll be staying at the Westin,but like to explore by car for snorkeling spots, etc. <BR> <BR>For those who have been here, would you recommend renting a car for the entire 10 days, or will we find enough to do near the Westin. <BR> <BR>Any suggestions for where to rent?

ezron

My advice is rent a jeep for the whole stay. We always do when we are at the Westin and it makes it much easier.Cruz Bay is just a little too far to walk.We rent at the STT airport(Budget)and bring the car over on the ferry.The rental companies on STJ have some strange rules about having the top down. Enjoy, it is a great island. But try to get away for a day to see some of the BVI.

JIm

A car rental is a good idea for the whole trip but a jeep /4 wheel is not really needed as the roads are fine for the whole island. I would not rent a car on St Thomas the car ferry to St John is not very frequent take the ferry from Red Hook and rent a car in Cruz Bay the 4 times we have been there that has worked fine , don't know anything about rules about having the top down. The Westin is nice but you definatly want to go to other beachs etc. I agree about taking a day or 2 to visit BVI worht the time.

Tim

Jeff, <BR>Spent 4 nites at the Westin in July. Nice hotel but not a good beach. It is man made and it is actually a marina with a ton of boats coming in and out and docking. So you'll want to get out and see all the awesome beaches St. John has. <BR> <BR>Renting a car is a must. we rented at an agency in Cruz Bay not at the Westin. It was cheaper by $10-$15 per day and quicker than the Westin. The roads are steep and curvy and driving is on the left, but the views are beautiful. <BR> <BR>I also agree with exploring other islands like the BVIs. Therefore, you may want to rent a car for a few days at a time. Have a great time.

Tim

Jeff, <BR>Spent 4 nites at the Westin in July. Nice hotel but not a good beach. It is man made and it is actually a marina with a ton of boats coming in and out and docking. So you'll want to get out and see all the awesome beaches St. John has. <BR> <BR>Renting a car is a must. we rented at an agency in Cruz Bay not at the Westin. It was cheaper by $10-$15 per day and quicker than the Westin. The roads are steep and curvy and driving is on the left, but the views are beautiful. <BR> <BR>I also agree with exploring other islands like the BVIs. Therefore, you may want to rent a car for a few days at a time. Have a great time.

Mariarosa

Hi Jeff! We spent 6 nights at the Westin and rented a car for 4 of those days (if I remember correctly). The other 2 days we took day-trips by boat from the Westin's dock. Since the four days were non-consecutive (we rented for a couple of days, brought the car back, rented it for 1 day, brought the car back, rented it for an additional day), we just rented directly from the O'Connor car rental desk at the Westin. It was very convenient. If I remember correctly it was about $50-60 per day depending on how nice the 4-wheel vehicle was. However, since you are staying 10 days, your best bet would be to get a weekly rate - I bet you can save money that way. Believe me you will need the car every day as the the beaches in St. John are wonderful and there are so many great places to eat around the island. <BR> <BR>There's very little parking in St. John, so most of the time that you go to one of the beautiful beaches you will have to park roadside in un-asphalted terrain. I felt much better having a 4-wheel vehicle. Enjoy!

ezron

FYI, the longest we've ever waited for the car ferry at Red Hook is 20 minutes. We've waited that long for the regular ferry also. We like the jeep because we like to drive with the top down and you never know on STJ where you might end up exploring.

karen

Car ferry runs hourly on the half hour between stt and stj. Those renting vechiles that allow them to go off island do make it clear that if you have a problem, mechanical or otherwise, service options are limited. Not much to do "near" the Westin, the beach is not wonderful, and you will want to go to other beaches and dine other places.