Karrie Williams - Cruise Contributor
Transportation in Saint Thomas is serviced by one international airport; this is the Cyril E. King Airport, located at about eight minutes drive from Saint Thomas Capital City Charlotte Amalie. This is a small airport which offers interesting views of the airstrip from the waiting area. You’ll see what I mean when you go there.
There is no connecting gate for planes at the Cyril E. King airport, so steps are used instead. This was my first experience disembarking an airplane using steps and I found it quite fun; unfortunately I did not get my picture taken, but next time!
Major airliners such as Delta and American airlines fly directly into St. Thomas from either Miami or Atlanta. Flight time from Atlanta is approximately four hours. Alternatively you can get a connecting flight from San Juan Puerto Rico; the airliners Jet Blue and Cape Air offers this service on a daily basis.
There is no immigration check on arrival in Saint Thomas if you are entering from the United States or another US territory such as Puerto Rico.
Once you disembark the plane, you can simply walk to the baggage collection area, collect your luggage, grab a waiting taxi and go.
Alternatively, if you’ve arrived via cruise ship, the same immigration rules apply and there are several taxis on the outside just waiting to take you to your tour destination or hotel; as shown in pic.
Public Transportation in Saint Thomas
With Saint Thomas being a United States territory, most of the motor vehicles on the island are standard American left hand drive vehicles. However it is important to note that driving is done on the left in Saint Thomas.
Roads are generally in very good condition; however most of the island is hilly and because of this the associated roads are also narrow and winding.
The island has a speed limit of 20 mph for driving in town areas such as Charlotte Amalie and 35 mph elsewhere. Speeding and the use of cell phones while driving are both prohibited. The wearing of seat belts when driving is also a must.
The taxi fares charged for transportation in Saint Thomas are standardized. Taxis are comprised of large converted vans called safaris and are largely shared although a private journey to a specific destination can also be arranged with your driver.
Regulated taxis carry a sign marked VI Taxi Association and a driver’s 
telephone number usually displayed at the top; while on the license plate is an official commission sticker from the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission. I had to crop this picture of a Saint Thomas taxi significantly, but I do hope that you can still see the signs mentioned.
Taxis can be found parked at many hotels, the airport, ferry docks and at Vendor’s Plaza in the capital Charlotte Amalie.
Drivers are very helpful and will either load you directly into their taxi if you are headed in their direction or take you to another driver who can assist you.
Although fares are standardized, there is no harm in tipping your driver also. It is customary for drivers to offer a mini tour of the island while driving you to your destination.
My friends and I had a blast out of this one evening, as our driven commenced a tour dialogue through a microphone that wasn’t working. Yea, transportation in Saint Thomas can be real fun!
Here is a small sample of per passenger one way taxi fares for transportation in Saint Thomas. Please note that these were in effect back in 2011 and can change without notice.
Airport to Best Western Emerald Beach & Island Beach Comber Hotels US$4
Airport to Charlotte Amalie US$8
Airport to Red Hook US$15
Airport to Marriot Frenchman’s Reef US$10
Charlotte Amalie to Red Hook US$13
Charlotte Amalie to Havensight Mall US$8
Charlotte Amalie to Coki Point Beach & Coral World US$9
Charlotte Amalie to Magens Bay Beach US$10
If you final destination is to another island such as Saint John or Tortola, the ferry service operating from Charlotte Amalie and Rook Hook on the island can take you.
If you plan on doing a lot of tours and sightseeing while on the island of Saint Thomas, I strongly recommend renting a car, as taxi fares do add up.
I hope you find this article on Transportaion in Saint Thomas helpful.
Go here to access information on St. Thomas car rental agencies.
Go here to access information on dining in Saint Thomas.
