St Thomas/St maarten cab or Rental car

[dutch369]

how much cheaper is it to rent a car then to take a cab everywere, also how easy is to rent a car from the pier, are the rental agentices in walking distance from the pier, should I book on`line? on St thomas we would like to go to St john has anyone taken the car ferry over....... it looks like we would be on both islands for about eight hours,is this enough time?...... it just seems to me there would be much cheaper to rent a car .
Thank you for any and all responses ....Frank

[LisaK]

please don't rent a car especially in St. Thomas/StJohn - the roads are very narrow, very steep, very windy and the locals drive like maniacs! Seriously - take a cab. St. Maarten - same thing in the city - very very narrow roads, they even drive on the sidewalks in some parts.

[zeno]

1. car rental at the pier is more expensive than elsewhere on the island - expect to pay $10-15 more for pierside rental.
2. Unless you plan on touring around the island I would just take a taxi. For example if you just plan on going to Marigot and Orient Beach, a taxi would probably be cheaper (particularly if you share (a taxi ride to Orient Beach can be as cheap as $5)).
3. However if you plan on touring around a car is probably cheaper (even if rented pierside). Traffic can be quite bad in Phillipsburg and Marigot and near the airport but the roads are pretty good and traffic is OK outside of the 2 towns.

[dutch369]

lisa and Zeno Thank you both....lisa would you compare the roads in St Thomas/St john to the ROAD TO HANA in Maui, now that was narrow...we will have our five year old with us I guess it would be best and safer to take a cab on both islands thanks again you two

[frankjjr77]

Hi Frank, Frank here just got back from St Thomas and St Marrten DONT get a hire car DO get a taxi, wacky races springs to mind about the driving over there.

Cheers, Frank.

[LisaK]

lots of blind corners going up and down the hills on St. Thomas and St. John- oh my you never know what you might encounter coming around the bend, and the drivers don't belive in directional lights, they use their horns!!