taxi services on St. Thomas

[WAMomzart]

We are going to be in St. Thomas in one week and i was wondering if there are many taxi vans and cars, or mostly buses? Also, can you ask the driver to come back to pick you up at a certain time?

thanks

Donna

[blue_water]

Hi Donna,

 

The primany mode of transport at the cruise ship dock will be the open-sided safari truck taxis which hold between 8 and 25 people. These are licensed and regulated and allowed to be in the port area and charge the same rate for each destination, typically $4 - 5pp to downtown and $8 - 10pp to the nicer beaches.

 

There are also other safari taxis outside the port gates that are not part of this group but are also licensed, as well as vans and sedan taxis. Some of these others are also licensed while many are gypsy taxis with inadequate or no insurance.

 

There is also a "$2 bus" that runs from the Havensight port area to the East End (Red Hook, for example) which you can catch outside the gate at the bus stop. This is a fun way to see the island but can also take more time on a short day in port.

 

Have fun!

[Feelin' Nauti']

 

 

Tell your driver the time you would like to be picked up.

[dawvitt]

Thanks for putting up the picture of the taxi fares. I want to go to Magans Bay without the preamble that the set tours do. So a taxi there and back suits great. Just wasn't sure of the cost but so this really helps.

[blue_water]

There will be taxis at Magens because of the number of people there so no worries for the return.

[lostdart1]

 

 

Tell your driver the time you would like to be picked up.

 

 

These rates in the picture are from the Crown Bay dock........From the Havensight dock the rates to Magens Bay and other stops are a little cheaper.

[smilz]

Are these rates for open air safari type taxis or a smaller one?

[lostdart1]

Are these rates for open air safari type taxis or a smaller one?

 

 

The rates are the same.

[chelsearay]

Hi Donna,

 

The primany mode of transport at the cruise ship dock will be the open-sided safari truck taxis which hold between 8 and 25 people. These are licensed and regulated and allowed to be in the port area and charge the same rate for each destination, typically $4 - 5pp to downtown and $8 - 10pp to the nicer beaches.

 

There are also other safari taxis outside the port gates that are not part of this group but are also licensed, as well as vans and sedan taxis. Some of these others are also licensed while many are gypsy taxis with inadequate or no insurance.

 

There is also a "$2 bus" that runs from the Havensight port area to the East End (Red Hook, for example) which you can catch outside the gate at the bus stop. This is a fun way to see the island but can also take more time on a short day in port.

 

Have fun!

 

 

do you happen to know where we would get on a "dollar taxi/safari" outside of the havensight pier? do they have certain places that they pick up/drop off? I have found out that they will take you close to sapphire beach, but i dont know where to get on the safari. I want to pay $2, not $10!!!

 

any help is appreciated! :)

[lostdart1]

do you happen to know where we would get on a "dollar taxi/safari" outside of the havensight pier? do they have certain places that they pick up/drop off? I have found out that they will take you close to sapphire beach, but i dont know where to get on the safari. I want to pay $2, not $10!!!

 

any help is appreciated! :)

 

You will have to walk about 1/2 mile to the nearest east going stop. ( East on route 313 until you hit the bus stop in front of the hospital) Coming back from the East End the $2 safari stops close to the cruise ship dock on its way into downtown.

[SeymourKopath]

Does the $2 bus go near the Crown Bay dock?

[shay1]

You will have to walk about 1/2 mile to the nearest east going stop. ( East on route 313 until you hit the bus stop in front of the hospital) Coming back from the East End the $2 safari stops close to the cruise ship dock on its way into downtown.

 

Where would we catch the $2 safari bus when leaving Sapphire Beach?

[blue_water]

Right at the entrance to the resort along the road.

[roothy123]

If anyone wants the $2 local taxi/bus to the Red Hook ferry (east end of island - for catching the ferry to St. John), I have some good notes on where to catch it from Havensight. It took me about ten minutes to walk there, and once there, a safari taxi came within a couple minutes. Yes, it made a few stops along the route to the end of the island, but probably didn't take more than 3-4 minutes longer than the $13 one from the port (or outside the port) would have taken. When I returned back to Red Hook, St. Thomas on the ferry, there was a safari "bus" sitting there and I hopped on it. The whole process is fairly easy, and while it doesn't save you a lot of money, I was glad I gave it a try.

 

Blue_water is right on target with the advice about the safari taxis, which operate like a bus on regular routes.

[shay1]

Right at the entrance to the resort along the road.

 

How do you know the difference between the safari bus and the safari taxi that charges $10pp?

[roothy123]

How do you know the difference between the safari bus and the safari taxi that charges $10pp?

 

I'm not Blue_water, but I will answer what I think is the correct answer and Blue_water can correct me if I'm wrong!

 

I didn't go to or from a resort, but rather to the ferry on the eastern end of the island. I had instructions from another CC poster to find the Pueblo store and gas station and flag down a safari bus. I saw the gas station and then saw a safari truck pull up at a stop light right before where he was to turn to pass the station. Because there were at least 5 people on there, and they all looked like residents and not tourists, I figured that was the right bus. Since the light was red and there was room to go talk safely to the driver, I did. I simply asked if he was a $2 taxi (I said taxi, but perhaps the correct terminology was bus) that passed by the Red Hook ferry and he said something like, "yes, mam, I am the ONLY one that will stop for you here." You could tell he had been asked before, and I don't know if he came across as being cranky because he didn't think I should have walked on that street and literally stopped him, or if he just gets asked this question so many times by tourists that he was sick of it and a little cranky. In any case, I hopped on, and rode until he pulled over right past the ferry. I had never been to the ferry and it wasn't obvious that the building I had just passed was the terminal, but 2 people got off, and we had ridden for almost 20 mins., so I figured it was probably the right place. I jumped off, confirmed with the driver that it was where I needed to be, and gave him my 2 dollars.

 

I would say that you might want to look for a little area that looks like a shelter, although most stops or places where people want off do not have them. I'd also say to look for a truck that has a lot of darker-skinned people on it, and not a bunch of lighter skinned or sunburned people on it with cameras around their necks! I would confirm with the driver that he's a $2 cab, and if so, jump on. Don't worry too much if you end up in the middle of a group of people on a bench when you need to get off. They will pull in their knees, slide over, get off the bus or whatever is needed if you tell them you're getting off (or are able to push the button to signal you will be getting off!) My bus had a button on top that you could push when you wanted off, but you'll hopefully get a helpful driver who will pull over and let you over by the dock (as close as he/she goes) if you ask nicely when you get on. For Havensight, if you see the Wendy's, you'll be in the vicinity of where you want to stop, and at least for me, coming from the east end of the island, it was easy to see the ship as we got closer to the port. If in doubt, look or ask for Havensight Mall, or Sr. Frogs, or Wendy's or the Skyride (tram) station as they are all close to Havensight. If you're going to the Crown Bay dock location, you need other landmarks.

 

Pay when you get off. I took dollar bills; not sure if every driver can make change.

 

If in doubt about what side of the street you need to be on, remember that everyone drives on the left, so you need to be on the correct side of the street. In my case, the bus picked up from the same spot at the ferry terminal as he dropped me because of routing and also the need to drive on the left. Overall, it was easy and I would not hesitate to do it again, although at least for the Red Hook bus, you DO need to walk maybe 8 minutes from the Havensight docking location (exit gate right by ship) to take the bus, so if you're looking for easier and faster, you may want to just pay for a regular taxi. In my case, it would have been $26 round trip instead of $4, so I opted for the bus. I went to the far end of the island, but I'm sure it didn't take more than 5 or at most 10 minutes more than if I had simply gone with one of the safari taxis located on the pier. Yes, you may have to wait a bit more for one, yes, you probably have to walk a little bit more, and yes, it may take an extra few minutes as people stop and get off/on with the $2 bus, but I felt it was worth it. Others will want to just take a taxi. In either case, I would recommend going on the vinow web site to see if you're the only ship in town or if there are many, as that will affect the traffic and time to get back from most locations. Allow plenty of extra time. When we were there, we were the only ship in town, so things were relatively quiet, but it's a very, very busy cruise port, so you just never know.

 

Blue_water, it IS acceptable to just flag down a bus, right? Is what I've written correct?

Edited March 10, 2014 by roothy123