St. Thomas car rentals
Car rental on St. Thomas is a choice between the four companies the Virgin Islands Port Authority lists at Cyril E. King Airport and the island's local firms, several of which meet you at the airport. Three local firms publish rates as of October 2026: $100 to $180 a day for a Jeep or SUV, and $350 to $1,000 a week at Discount Car Rental. Ask before you plan to take the car to St. John.
Written by Virgin Islands Villas · Updated Oct 2026
The operators, side by side
| Name | What | Area | Group size | Rates | Phone | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avis | National brand, one of the four companies the Port Authority lists for the airport. | Cyril E. King Airport | about 5 to 7 | — | (340) 715-7729 | Oct 2026 |
| Budget | National brand, one of the four companies the Port Authority lists for the airport. | Cyril E. King Airport | about 5 to 7 | — | (340) 776-5774 | Oct 2026 |
| Hertz | National brand, one of the four companies the Port Authority lists for the airport. | Cyril E. King Airport | about 5 to 7 | — | (340) 774-1879 | Oct 2026 |
| Enterprise | National brand, one of the four companies the Port Authority lists for the airport. | Cyril E. King Airport | about 5 to 7 | — | (340) 725-2507 | Oct 2026 |
| National | Airport branch; shares Enterprise's airport phone; its page permits vehicle ferry crossings between St. Thomas and St. John. | 206 Julian Jackson Dr, by the airport | about 5 to 7 | — | (340) 725-2507 | Oct 2026 |
| Discount Car Rental | Jeeps, SUVs, a sedan and pickups; free airport pickup; its 4WD and AWD vehicles may go to St. John. | Contant, by the airport | 4 to 7 | $350 to $1,000 a week, by vehicle and season, before taxes and insurance | (340) 776-4858 | Oct 2026 |
| Rock City Rentals | Jeep Wranglers, Compass and Grand Cherokees; meets you at the airport. | Sapphire Beach parking lot, East End | up to 7 | From $100 to $165 a day, list rates | (340) 227-7813 | Oct 2026 |
| My Car Rental VI | Compacts to minivans and Jeep Wranglers; free airport pickup and drop-off; open daily 8:30am to 5pm. | Charlotte Amalie | 5 to 8 | — | (340) 776-9229 | Oct 2026 |
| Rent A Motion | Jeeps, scooters and motorcycles. | Havensight | 4 or 5 in a Jeep | Jeeps $160 to $180 a day, $616 to $791 for 5 to 7 days; scooters from $75 a day | (340) 774-5840 | Oct 2026 |
A car for most St. Thomas stays
For most stays you need a car on St. Thomas. We measured every listed area on the island in September 2026, and all 23 came out car required or recommended. The airport to the East End is 47 minutes by our measurement.
The alternative is the taxi, charged per person on the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission's tariff in force since October 2022. A taxi suits a stay in Charlotte Amalie, where a ride within town is $6 a person; a house on the hills or the East End is simpler with a car: the airport to the East End alone is $23 to $27 for one rider.
Keeping left and the seat belt
St. Thomas drives on the left. The Virgin Islands Police Department's traffic advisory for St. Thomas Carnival 2025 tells visitors to remember it, and the Department of Tourism's travel tips say the same, both read in October 2026.
Seat belts are required by law: the Virgin Islands Police Department's 2026 Click It or Ticket release cites Title 20, section 466 of the Virgin Islands Code, enforced from April 19 to September 26, 2026. The rental age is the company's: 25 at Discount Car Rental, as of October 2026.
How to choose among car rental companies in St. Thomas
The airport counters are the simplest pickup: Avis, Budget, Hertz and Enterprise are the four the Port Authority lists for Cyril E. King Airport, and National's airport branch is on Julian Jackson Drive. Most local firms bring the car to you.
Before you book, check the insurance: Discount Car Rental sells none and asks for your own full personal coverage. Then the car: 13 of the 23 areas we measured on St. Thomas in September 2026 are steep; our driving guide weighs a Jeep against a sedan for them.
Taking the rental to St. John on the barge
The rental agreement, not the barge operator, decides whether a car hired on St. Thomas may ride the Red Hook barge to St. John. As of October 2026, National's airport branch says on its own page that crossings between St. Thomas and St. John are permitted, and Discount Car Rental says any of its four-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicles may go.
The tradeoff: the last barge from Red Hook leaves at 7 pm on Love City Car Ferries' schedule as of October 2026, so a late flight cannot take the car across that night. Our car barge guide has the fares.
Questions about car and jeep rental on St. Thomas
- Do you need a car in St. Thomas?
- For most stays, yes: all 23 areas we measured on St. Thomas in September 2026 came out car required or recommended. A stay in Charlotte Amalie can manage on taxis.
- What side of the road does St. Thomas drive on?
- The left, per the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Department of Tourism, as of October 2026.
- Should you rent a car in St. Thomas or take taxis?
- Rent if you are staying outside Charlotte Amalie. Taxis charge each passenger by destination on the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission's tariff: from the airport to Red Hook, $23 for one rider or $17 each for two or more.
- Can you rent a car at the St. Thomas airport?
- Yes. The Port Authority lists Avis, Budget, Hertz and Enterprise for Cyril E. King Airport as of October 2026, and three local firms in the table offer airport pickup.
Sources: Virgin Islands Port Authority (checked Oct 9, 2026) · Virgin Islands Police Department (checked Oct 9, 2026) · Department of Tourism (checked Oct 9, 2026) · Love City Car Ferries (checked Oct 9, 2026)