My windows were fogging up and no matter how much I adjusted the air conditioning, I couldn’t escape the heat and humidity as I cracked my windows.
The lopsided headlights from the clunker vehicle behind me were drunkenly weaving between the right and left side mirrors.
The sun had set hours ago and the lack of street lamps threw the island into almost complete and utter darkness.
While trying to figure out how to defrost my windshield, I momentarily took my eyes off of the road.
Not my finest hour, as I quickly realized the chickens decided to cross the road in front of me.
Whenever you’re looking for an adventure in a new location, rent a car and take it out for a spin. Driving on St. Thomas is an adventure that is guaranteed to get your blood pumping.
I’ve driven on islands and countries around the world, and nothing is more liberating than getting behind the wheel and experiencing the driving culture.
This was my second time driving on St. Thomas and it was still a blood-pumping adventure.
Read here for my first experience driving on St. Thomas!
Tips for Driving on St. Thomas
If this is your first time driving on St. Thomas, have no fear! Although it might be a little intimidating driving on an island for the first time, you’ll soon find that it’ll become super easy to get around.
Drive on the Left
As soon as you get into your rental vehicle, you’ll probably notice a large sticker on the windshield that says “STAY TO THE LEFT.”
Yes. When driving on St. Thomas, you’ll need to stick to the left on the road.
To be honest, it was quite a shock the first time I arrived on the island. In all of my research, I never once came across an article or anything stating that you drive on the left. Granted, more articles have been written since that 2016 trip.
The kicker – the cars all have the driver on the left-hand side of the vehicle.
As an American, this was one of the things that I had to get used to every time I was driving on St. Thomas. I’d get into my rental car and then have to mentally remind myself which lane I needed to turn from and which lane I needed to be in.
To this day, I still have to remind myself which lane to turn into, even though I’m back home.
Use your Horn
When driving on St. Thomas, and any other island, you’ll want to utilize your horn more than you normally would.
Think about using your car horn as a voice, not necessarily as an aggression.
Beep-beep-beep!
Alert drivers that you’re coming around one of the numerous windy roads.
Beep-beep!
You’re alerting an oncoming traffic that they can turn, merge, or go ahead with their driving.
Beep-beep! Beep-beep!
Once you start driving on St. Thomas, you’re realize that people use their horns to say “hi” to each other. If you find yourself driving around the same areas over and over again, say hi to new friends!
Get Insurance
Oh. My. Goodness, I can’t stress this enough: GET INSURANCE when driving on St. Thomas!
You know when you arrive at your rental car for the first time after getting the keys, you do a low-key vehicle inspection? And you take pictures of all of the dents and scratches so you don’t get charged for damage that you didn’t sustain?
Well…forget taking pictures.
You’ll actually need to take a video.
The video I took from my latest rental (Nov. 2020) is almost 90 seconds long.
Rental cars are notorious for being completely scratched and dented.
Even if you have insurance through your personal vehicle, I urge you to consider getting the maximum coverage when driving on St. Thomas in a rental car.
Rent Small Vehicles
When you Google “car rental St. Thomas,” inevitably you’re going to be bombarded with Jeep and luxury SUV rental offers.
Don’t fall for the advertising gimmicks.
You don’t need a large vehicle on the island, unless you’re wanting to flex your wallet and not really use the vehicle.
Roads are narrow, local drivers are crazy, and a lot of times the parking situation only accommodates smaller vehicles.
Don’t Panic
Locals whip around the roads like they’re Formula 1 drivers, regardless of the conditions of the roads. They will tail you until you go the speed limit or get out of their way.
There were multiple times that I pulled into a random driveway or business so I could allow vehicles to pass, simply because I didn’t feel comfortable going
It can be a little nerve-wracking and intimidating the first night you drive around the island. There aren’t any real places to turn off to let people pass you. The roads are windy and steep.
If you’ve got someone coming up behind you and they’re going faster than you feel comfortable driving, there’s nothing wrong with pulling over and letting them pass. Take your time.
Driving on St. Thomas should be a fun adventure, not a death-defying endeavor.
Have you ever driven on an island before? What other tips would you add?
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