Flight Times
Choosing the Best Flight Times
Understanding these few timetables for arrival and departure day will help you select flight times that will make your time on island truly... "island time."
Read the details below to have a smooth arrival and departure experience.
Arriving Flight to St John
Arrival
Whichever flight you choose, it will arrive in St Thomas at the Cyril E. King Airport (STT). The airport is on the west end of the island of St. Thomas.
Once you have collected your luggage, you will then need to take a taxi to catch the ferry across to St John. It will take 45-50 minutes to get to the Ferry. So, please allow ample time for this.
Flying to St Croix (not recommended)
You may notice cheaper flights that go to St Croix USVI however there is no public, or easy, transportation between St Croix (STX) and St John (STJ). Consequently, you will have to fly from STX to St Thomas (STT) at a round trip cost of about $200.00/ticket and then continue the journey to STJ.
Therefore, flying into STX, unless you are staying there, will add cost and travel time to your trip to STJ. We recommend against it no matter how cheap the flight.
Ferry Services from St Thomas to St John
There are now two different passenger ferries running to St John - one from Red Hook Ferry Dock on the East End of St Thomas and now one from Crown Bay Marina on the West End of St Thomas.
*For ease of travel day, we recommend taking the Red Hook route for most of our arriving guests.
We only advise taking the Crown Bay route if your arrival time ensures you will make one of the ONLY TWO departure times (3.30pm and 5.30pm) and if you call ahead to reserve a spot.
Consider Ferry Timetables
Please check the different ferry timetables to ensure you allow plenty of time between your flight arrival and your ferry departure. Remember it takes 45-50 minutes to taxi from the airport to the Cruz Bay Ferry Dock.
**The Red Hook Passenger Ferry - 15 - 20 minutes - $8pp + $4 per large bag
Red Hook → Cruz Bay:
5:30 am (not on weekends), 6:30 am, 7:30 am, 8:00 am, then every hour on the hour until Midnight.
**Crown Bay Ferry Service - 35 - 40 minutes - $20pp + $5 per bag (operated by Inter-Island Boat Services).
Since the schedule is limited, we advise calling ahead to reserve a spot. 340-776-6597 or 340-201-6311
Crown Bay → Cruz Bay:
3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m
Car Rental
It is important to consider your on-island transportation needs at the same time you are booking your villa and purchasing your plane tickets. Especially in peak season, but very often all year, it can be difficult to arrange for a rental vehicle last minute. Reserve your vehicle as soon as you commit to your stay.
Note: Most villas require a 4-wheel drive. All vehicles are similar to US cars - driver is operating on the left. However, prepare to drive on the LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD!
VITRAN BUS: If you don't feel comfortable driving on island you can catch a taxi to your villa and then catch the $1 VITRAN Bus. To find out more about the bus please click here
St Thomas Car Rental: If you are renting your car from St. Thomas, your experience from the airport will be worked out with the car rental company, and you will be taking the Red Hook car barge dock instead of the passenger ferry.
Please be aware that the car barges typically run less frequent and do not run past 6:30 or 7pm. Please confirm times for the day of your arrival.
Departing Flight from St John
Departure
Please check the different ferry timetables to ensure you allow plenty of time between:
* Rental Car drop off
* Ferry departure and arrival times
* Flight check-in times.
**Remember it takes 45-50 minutes to taxi from the Cruz Bay Ferry Dock to the airport.
The Red Hook Passenger Ferry - 15 - 20 minutes - $8pp + $4 per large bag
Cruz Bay → Red Hook:
6:00 am - 11:00 pm every hour on the hour
Crown Bay Ferry Service - 35 - 40 minutes - $20pp + $5 per bag(operated by Inter-Island Boat Services). Call ahead to reserve a spot. 340-776-6597 or 340-201-6311
Cruz Bay → Crown Bay:
11:00 a.m. and 4:15 p.m
Departure Flight from St John
Heading back to the airport on the day of your departure, it will take approximately an hour from the time your ferry leaves Cruz Bay until the taxi on STT drops you at the airport.
So, if your flight departs at 3:00 and American Airlines requires passengers be at the airport three hours before departure, you will need to be at the airport by 12:00. Therefore, you will want to be on the 11:00 ferry. That works perfectly with dropping your car off by 10:00. This is an example of a civilized departure day.
If you need to select an earlier flight, consider this scenario: Drop car at 6:00am, take the 7am passenger ferry from Cruz, arrive at airport via taxi at 8am, this will allow for a 3 hour flight check-in for 11am departure flight.
Departure Time Tip: Anything after noon is civilized. 11am flight is good. 10am flight is doable. 9am flight is rough. 8am flight is borderline and may not happen. 7am flight you will have a private water taxi or stay on STT for your last night.
Island Host Concierge
We offer full concierge services at no extra cost to assist with travel planning, car rentals, boat charters, provisioning, massages, and more! Feel free to contact us directly with any questions or requests. We are here on island to help!