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| Some of you may have read my travel
reviews of the British Virgins; several have asked for more details
about traveling back and forth to the nearby U.S. Virgins. This article
is written primarily to give you ideas about the vast extent of the inter-island
ferry system, and how easy it is to travel around the "Virgins".
Yes, I know, lots of people like to stay at one place, unwinding on
the same beach for a week or two, but adventurous vacationers may enjoy
taking a day trip to the "other islands" or staying a few days in both
the U.S. and British Virgins. Scuba divers, in particular, will find dive
sites in the BVI far more interesting and extensive than the U.S. Virgins,
but for some reason or another (such as shopping in St. Thomas, or visiting
the incredible beaches of St. John) want to see the U.S. Virgins too. So,
I have written this WITH some ferry schedules, but don't hold me to the
times and days listed which can vary depending on the month, the season
and/or the day of the week. Just use it for some ideas of planning ahead
and contact the ferry companies for current information.
Boats and ferry systems are a way of life in the Virgins. Residents
and vacationers in St. Thomas "escape" to the quiet BVI for a day or two
away from the gobs of cruise ships and hordes of shoppers in Charlotte
Amalie; British Virgin Island residents and vacationers go to St. Thomas
for a little excitement and to shop for all those things NOT available
in the BVI. Because of the narrow roads, mountainous terrain of Virgin
Gorda and Tortola, and traffic jams of St. Thomas, it is sometimes faster
to go by boat to the other side of the island, than by car or taxi! And
it is often easier to take a ferry between islands than a commuter flight
which usually costs twice as much as a ferry ride.
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Generally, the public ferry schedules are as
follows: (Subject to change; for current information, please check schedules
on arrival or by calling the ferry services listed in this article.)
Depart RT 6:15am; WE 7:00 am. & 10:00 am. & 3:00 pm. to St. Thomas Depart ST 8:10 am., 12:30 am., 4:30 pm. to Tortola Saturday : Depart RT 6:15 am., 8:45 am., 2 am.; WE 7:00 am., 10:00 am., 2:30 am. to ST Depart ST 8:30 am., 12:00 noon, 4:30 pm. to Tortola Sunday: Depart WE 9:15 am. & 4:00 pm.; RT 3:30 pm. for ST Depart ST 8:00 am. & 11:00 am. & 3:00 pm. to Tortola Daily West End (WE) Tortola to St. John (SJ) and Red Hook (RH), St. Thomas Depart WE 6:39 am, 8:20 am., 12:20 pm., 4:00 pm. Depart RH 7:50, 11:30 am., 3:20 pm., 5:30 pm. BETWEEN Virgin Gorda (VG) BVI and Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas (ST): Speedy's Ferries (trip: 2 hours)
Depart VG 6:30 am, 2:45 pm Depart RT 7:15 am, 3:25 pm Depart ST 8:45 am, 5:00 pm Saturday:
Depart RT 7:00, 9:00 am., 12:00 noon, 1:30 pm., 4:30 pm. Depart VG 8:00 am., (10:00 am Mon, Wed, Fri), 11:30 pm., 3:30 pm. Sunday:
Departs NS 7:10, 12:00 noon, 4:15 pm. BETWEEN Peter Island, BVI and Tortola on the east side of Road Town (this is not the main Road Town ferry dock) Peter Island Ferry - Daily (Trip takes 15 minutes):
Departs PI 8 am, 9 am., 12 noon, 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm, 6 pm., 10 pm., 11 pm Dive BVI makes day trips several times a week for day trips in their fast power catamaran the "Sea Lion"; call them to check days and times.  Please note that there are lots of small ferries which run between Charlotte Amalie and Red Hook, St. Thomas and which also travel between ST. Thomas and St. John. They are not listed since ferries are numerous and schedules vary. Now, a couple of pitfalls... During the week, most of the ferries depart and arrive at West End, Tortola. To go from West End to Road Town to catch the ferry to Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda OR from West End to the Beef Island ferry dock to catch the North Sound Express, you will need to take a taxi or rent a car to navigate the hairpin turns on narrow roads. The trip takes about 40 minutes, but the views are really spectacular! The same thing happens if you want to go from Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda to the North Sound - another rolly-coaster taxi or rental ride which will take about 30 minutes (but the views are fabulous on this trip too!) For current information about ferry schedules between the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, contact:
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If you plan to vacation in both the British and U.S. Virgins and to "shop 'til you drop" in Charlotte Amalie, I suggest that you depart from the U.S. Virgins. U.S. residents can each bring home $1,200 worth of duty-free merchandise, including a gallon of alcoholic beverages per adult if purchased in the U.S. Virgins; however, U.S. tourists can only bring $600 duty-free per person from the British Virgin Islands. Besides, you won't have to lug all that stuff back to the BVI! Another advantage is that you will go through U.S. customs at the St. Thomas airport BEFORE departure, instead of when making connections through San Juan. [For those of you new to this game, if you depart from the Beef Island airport in the British Virgins, you will fly to San Juan, have to retrieve all your luggage, drag it through customs, put it back on the airline carrousel, and go to the gate... allow at least an hour for this process.] If you don't plan to do a lot of shopping in St. Thomas, then it really doesn't matter (duty wise) which country you depart from. Check airline schedules for flying in and out of St. Thomas (STT) as opposed to Beef Island, BVI (EIS) or Virgin Gorda (VIJ). Fares are usually much cheaper and connections easier if you use St. Thomas (STT). Beef Island is serviced by American Airline Eagles and several commuter airlines, which are often booked up way in advance. Virgin Gorda is served from San Juan only by commuter flights, mostly unreliable at this time and subject to going out of business at any time without notice! To fly into St. Thomas and transfer by ferry to West End or Road Town, Tortola on the same day, you must arrive at the Charlotte Amalie downtown ferry docks no later than mid-afternoon! Leaving the BVI and taking a ferry to Charlotte Amalie to catch a flight home on the same day is usually easy... leave on a BVI morning ferry and take an afternoon flight from St. Thomas - you'll even have time to do a little shopping since the docks are just a few blocks from the main shopping attractions and the St. Thomas airport is only a 15 minute ride away. The Native Son ferry system will allow you to leave your luggage at their dock in downtown Charlotte Amalie if you want to spend a few hours shopping before leaving for the airport. I suspect that Smiths and Speedy's will too. You should arrive at the ferry docks about 15-20 minutes before departure. The ferries are seldom full or sold out, but this will allow time to purchase your ticket and become settled on-board. Fares generally run about $20-22 for one way between the U.S. and British Virgins. Purchase the tickets from the small ferry stands at the dock, NOT your taxi driver who often adds $2 or $3 to the cost of the ticket. Taxis are abundant at the ferry docks, so don't worry about being "stranded" once you step off the boat. Other tips:
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