The advantage of a rental is that you are not limited to whatever is walking distance from your hotel. The catch is that parking at the best-known beaches fills up, and it fills up earlier than most visitors expect.
Go early
The most useful advice on this whole page: arrive before mid-morning. On a day with cruise ships in port, earlier still. A beach that is impossible at 11am is often relaxed at 9am.
Check the ship schedule
Cruise arrivals shape the day on St. Thomas. If several ships are in, the popular north-side beaches and downtown will both be busy. That is a good day to drive somewhere less obvious, or to go early and leave by lunch.
Practical parking notes
- Park facing the direction you will leave in — turning around on a narrow beach road is awkward.
- Fold your mirrors in on tight streets.
- Do not leave anything visible in the vehicle. This is ordinary advice anywhere, and it applies here.
- Some beaches charge an entry or parking fee. Carry a little cash.
Ask us
Conditions change with the season, the swell and the day of the week. When you pick up your vehicle, ask which beach is good that week. We live here, and the honest answer changes.
Need a vehicle for this?
Tell us your dates and group size and we will match you with a class that fits. Call (340) 776-4858 or start a reservation request.