Cyril E. King Airport (STT)
The U.S. Virgin Islands are U.S. territory, so U.S. citizens arriving from the mainland need no passport and clear no customs on arrival.
Source: VI Port Authority · Checked Jul 2, 2026Official source ↗Flights · ferry · taxis
How to get to St. John
St. John has no airport. Fly into St. Thomas (STT), taxi to a ferry terminal, and cross Pillsbury Sound to Cruz Bay — about 20 minutes on the water.
Fly into STT20-minute ferryDrive on the left
Published schedule, not a live departure guarantee — confirm same-day before you go.
Step 1 · Fly into St. Thomas (STT)
Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas is the gateway airport for St. John, with nonstop service from many U.S. mainland cities.
Book with the ferry in mind
Aim to land by mid-afternoon: allow time for baggage claim, up to an hour crossing St. Thomas in traffic, and a 15-minute ferry check-in margin. Red Hook passenger service runs into the late evening.
Arriving from abroad
International visitors clear U.S. immigration at STT. Returning U.S. residents get an enlarged $1,600 duty-free exemption from the USVI.
Source: U.S. Customs & Border Protection · Checked Jul 2, 2026Official source ↗Step 2 · Cross St. Thomas by taxi
Taxis and shared safari trucks wait outside baggage claim. Fares are per person, with a per-bag charge.
Airport → Red Hook
The main route, all the way across St. Thomas. Plan on roughly 45–60 minutes depending on traffic — more at school-run and cruise-ship hours.
Drive times are approximate — allow extra in rush hour.Airport → Charlotte Amalie waterfront
Much closer to the airport, but the downtown ferry to Cruz Bay runs only a few times a day and is marked seasonal — check that it operates on your date.
Check the schedule →Luggage
Taxis charge per bag and ferries per piece. Keep travel documents, medication, and a swimsuit in a carry-on in case checked bags are delayed.
Step 3 · Ferry to Cruz Bay
Verified schedules, fares, and operator links for every route are on the ferries page; the full published schedule is also shown below.
Red Hook ↔ Cruz Bay
The workhorse passenger route: roughly hourly through the day, about 20 minutes across. Arrive at least 15 minutes early.
Schedules & fares →Charlotte Amalie & Crown Bay ↔ Cruz Bay
Longer crossings (35–45 minutes) with only a few departures a day. Convenient when the timing lines up; confirm before relying on them.
Schedules & fares →Car barge (Red Hook ↔ Enighed Pond)
Vehicle barges carry cars and trucks throughout the day. Arrive 30–60 minutes early, and confirm a St. Thomas rental agreement allows the crossing.
Barge schedule & fares →Step 4 · On St. John
Cruz Bay is small and walkable; the rest of the island is steep and spread out.
Taxis from the dock
Shared safari taxis meet ferries in Cruz Bay and run to villas, resorts, and North Shore beaches. Agree the fare before you board.
Rental cars & jeeps
Driving is on the left, and roads are steep and winding — 4WD helps for many villa driveways. On-island fleets are small, so book early in high season.
Get oriented
Cruz Bay is the main town on the west end; Coral Bay is the quiet east end. Knowing which side you’re staying on shapes the whole trip.
Towns & communities →Ferry schedules
Passenger and vehicle service
Published operator times, organized for quick mobile reference.
Passenger ferry · About 20 minutes
Red Hook, St. Thomas ↔ Cruz Bay, St. John
Transportation Services of St. John / Varlack Ventures
Red Hook → Cruz Bay
Monday–Friday
Saturday–Sunday
Cruz Bay → Red Hook
Daily
Confirm before travel. Published times are schedules, not live departure guarantees. Arrive at least 15 minutes before departure and allow more time with luggage. Weather, maintenance, holidays, and operator changes can affect service. This record is scheduled for review by July 31, 2026.
Passenger ferry · About 35 minutes
Crown Bay Marina, St. Thomas ↔ Cruz Bay Creek, St. John
Inter Island Boat Services
Crown Bay → Cruz Bay
Daily
Saturday–Sunday additional trip
Cruz Bay → Crown Bay
Daily
Saturday–Sunday additional trip
Crown Bay Marina is about five minutes from STT by road. The operator requires check-in 30 minutes before departure.
Published operator fares
- Adult · one way
- $20
- Senior · one way
- $15
- Child under 12 · one way
- $10
- Luggage or box
- $5
Confirm before travel. Book or confirm directly because the schedule has fewer departures than Red Hook service. Allow time for baggage claim, taxi transfer, and the 30-minute check-in requirement. Weather, vessel availability, and operator changes can affect service. This record is scheduled for review by July 31, 2026.
Passenger ferry · About 45 minutes
Charlotte Amalie Waterfront, St. Thomas ↔ Cruz Bay, St. John
Transportation Services of St. John / Varlack Ventures
Charlotte Amalie → Cruz Bay
Published seasonal schedule
Cruz Bay → Charlotte Amalie
Published seasonal schedule
VIPA marks this route as subject to seasonal change. Confirm that it is operating on your travel date before relying on it.
Published operator fares
- Adult resident · one way
- $12
- Adult non-resident · one way
- $13
- VI senior · one way
- $6
- Child · one way
- $3.50
- Infant
- Free
- Luggage or box
- $4
Confirm before travel. This route is convenient for downtown Charlotte Amalie but runs much less frequently than Red Hook service. Tickets purchased in advance are published as valid for up to 10 days; confirm current terms. Seasonal, weather, maintenance, and operator changes can affect service. This record is scheduled for review by July 31, 2026.
Vehicle ferry · About 30 minutes
Red Hook Car Barge Dock, St. Thomas ↔ Enighed Pond, St. John
Big Red Barge
Enighed Pond → Red Hook
Monday–Saturday
Sunday
Red Hook → Enighed Pond
Monday–Saturday
Sunday
Published operator fares
- Car, small truck, or SUV · one way
- $65
- Car, small truck, or SUV · round trip
- $80
- Motorcycle · one way
- $15
- Motorcycle · round trip
- $25
- Passengers and luggage in vehiclePer Big Red’s current FAQ.
- Included
VIPA Red Hook port fee
- Car, small/medium SUV, or motorcycle
- $3
- Pickup truck
- $4
- Taxi/cargo van or safari
- $6
Big Red sells trip-specific tickets, while VIPA states that loading is first-come/first-load and an online purchase does not guarantee space on a particular barge. Confirm the current boarding policy directly. Tickets are not interchangeable between operators.
Confirm before travel. Arrive 30–60 minutes before departure, especially for airport connections. Confirm that a St. Thomas rental agreement permits taking the vehicle to St. John. Port use fees may be collected separately at the Red Hook cargo port. This record is scheduled for review by July 31, 2026.
About this section
How we keep it honest.
Every route to St. John runs through St. Thomas: plane to STT, taxi across the island, passenger ferry (or car barge) to Cruz Bay. The steps below are the stable part; schedules and conditions change, so confirm ferry times same-day and build in margin rather than treating each published time as a guaranteed connection.
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