Have you dreamed of traveling to St. John? But thought it was too expensive.
I’m here to tell you that you are wrong.
I am going to tell you how I travel to St. John on a budget.
First, if you don’t know, St. John is part of the US Virgin Islands. The US Virgin Islands consist of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix. Check out all this great information about the US Virgin Islands.
These islands do not require a passport because they are a US Territory. My husband and I first discovered St. John during the pandemic. They were easy to travel into and out of.
We had spent the past 10 years traveling to the British Virgin Islands, aka the BVI. My heart is in the BVI, but due to the pandemic, it was just too difficult to visit. I will be sure to do a post about the BVI in the future. Check out everything you need to know about the BVI.
Getting to the US Virgin Islands is easy enough. We had already been flying through St. Thomas to get to the British Virgin Islands… so getting to St. John was the same.
So how do you get to St. John? You will book a flight to St. Thomas and take a ferry to St. John. It’s quite easy. There are non-stop flights from most major airports into St. Thomas daily. There are ferries to Cruz Bay almost every hour.
So, how in the heck can you do this on a budget? Keep reading below and I will give you all the tricks I use to make this trip budget friendly.
Airline Travel
First of all, you will need a flight to St. Thomas. The first step to how I travel to St. John on a budget is by using airline perks.
I carry an airline credit card, which gives me all the perks of my preferred airline.
First of all, I only advocate using credit cards if you pay them off every month. Which I always do.
If you have read my post on traveling on budget, then you know that I prefer to travel on weekdays. The costs or points required are way less. We also prefer the quiet of weekday travel. Less hassle than the weekends.
Because I use my airline card, we receive free checked luggage. Which is a huge saving.
If we don’t have the airline miles for the travel, then we will use a companion ticket. That is another one of my airline credit card perks.
If you travel a lot, I recommend looking into airline credit cards and what they have to offer.
If an airline card is not for you, then try looking at a discount carrier. There are several discount airlines that have direct flights into St. Thomas daily. Check out all the flight options to St. Thomas.
Travel with Friends
Traveling with friends is how I travel to St. John on a budget. You are wondering how this matters.
St. John is an island that is mostly a state park. Most of the island is protected from development.
Thus there aren’t many hotels. Even if you do find a hotel, they are expensive.
Most of the accommodations are villas. So you are going to find houses with 2, 3 and 4+ bedrooms. As a couple, we don’t need that much space.
So, we opt to travel with other couples. This gives us a huge saving on our accommodations….plus its so much fun to travel with your friends.
Another way that traveling with friends saves money is by sharing the cost of excursions. It’s so much fun to be able to rent a boat, paddleboard, kayaks, and more. Being able to share the cost allows us to do more.
Rent a Villa
Renting a villa is a great way to save money. As we discussed above, you can share the cost with friends.
How I traveled to St. John on a budget and rented a villa seems crazy, but it’s not. Not only do we get to split the cost of the villa with another couple, but we aren’t staying at a hotel.
I am not a fan of hotels most of the time. They are expensive. You can avoid all the tipping and extras that go along with a hotel.
You also get a kitchen in a villa. This is a huge saving. We don’t want to have to go out for every meal. Having a kitchen saves us a lot of money.
Don’t get me wrong, we do enjoy going out to nice dinners, but not every night, and not for every meal.
Bring a Cooler
Since we have been sailing the BVI for over 10 years, we have always packed a cooler. It’s so simple.
We pack a soft-sided cooler the morning of our flight and check the bag with the airline. And since I use my airline card, my checked bay is FREE!
We have been doing this for years. The food will stay frozen for up to 24 hours.
After our first trip to St. John in 2021, we discovered how expensive the grocery store could be. For reference, a roll of aluminum foil was $17. OMG…sticker shock.
When we planned our second trip, I did some easy meal planning and packed a cooler.
Once we get to our villa, I unpack the cooler and head out to the grocery store. The only things I will need will be eggs and bread.
Rent a Jeep
How I travel to St. John on a budget always involves renting a jeep. St. John is a large island and you will need to get around.
Most of the rental car companies offer jeeps. You will need 4 wheel drive to be able to safely navigate the island.
You have the option to rent the jeep in St. Thomas and take it over via the car ferry or you can rent a jeep on St. John.
Most of the restaurants are located in the main town known as Cruz Bay. If you aren’t staying in town, which we don’t, then you will need to drive there.
The beaches are mostly located on the north shore. You can take a taxi, but the cost will add up.
Since we travel with friends, this is also an expense that we can split. It’s nice to get up and go when you want.
One quick and important note is that they drive on the left side of the road. Be sure to keep left and watch out for the donkeys.
Free Stuff
Everyone loves free stuff. There is so much to do in St. John that is free.
Most of the beaches are free..some have a small parking fee, but worth it. Check out some of these beautiful beaches. We still haven’t seen them all yet.
There is also lots of hiking on the island, which is free. Check out some of these St. John trails. We have only done a few so far.
So… we are going to have to keep going back until I see them all. LOL
Pack a Lunch
How to travel to St. John on a budget always involves packing lunches. Since we spend most of our days at the beach, we usually pack a lunch.
Most of the villas come with coolers and beach chairs to take to the beach. If not, I always have the cooler that I brought with me.
We typically make breakfast in our villa. Then go for a hike, before heading to the beach for the day. The beaches in St. John are stunning.
I will pack lunches and snacks….and some beverages for everyone.
Happy Hour
There are many sites to find all the best happy hours. Happy hour in St. John is typically 3-6 pm. Be sure to check out social media for all the happening places.
We love happy hour because it gives us a chance to try out some appetizers and drinks at a discount.
Because Cruz Bay is a casual beach town, we will try and hit happy hour when we come off the beach. This way we don’t have to go back to the villa. We love the casual vibe.
I hope this helps you start planning your next trip. Travel can be so good for you. Check out my post about the benefits of travel.
There are so many great things to see and do in St. John. How I travel to St. John on a budget is a great way to budget for any destination.
