Travel to Tortola BVI in May

[scuba_ben]

I'm taveling to Tortola in May with several other divers. Does anybody have any experience with flying into St. Thomas and then taking the ferry over to Tortola? Looks like a good deal but I'm not sure how easy it will be to handle the luggage.

Any input welcome! We're departing from the Philadelphia, PA area and am trying to find the best prices and connections.

Thanks in Advance!

Ben Feferman (a.k.a. scuba_ben)
feferman@pond.com

 

[diversteve]

After you get your bags there'll be a fleet of full-size vans (St. Thomas taxis) at the terminal exit. They try to fill the vans before leaving so it can be a short wait there.

My recommendation would be to catch the Fast Ferry from the Charlotte Amalie ferry port - it's near the airport - to Tortola.

If that doesn't work logistically there's also ferries out of Red Hook on the East End but that's a 1/2 hr. ride or more. And they fill the vans first so expect that to delay you at the airport and for drops along the way. If you have a big enough group, make your own deal. My un-expert opinion - you could catch a ferry from Red Hook that left two hours after you land.

A couple of links to ferry schedules:

http://www.bvitravel.com/ferries/
http://www.bviwelcome.com/ferries.html

Call them close to your departure to verify your booking. Things slow down in St. Thomas after the end of April and I don't know if that affects the schedules.

If you go through Red Hook, to get back to the airport on your return - http://eastendtaxi.com/ - they're at the ferry dock.

 

[Sirenne74]

it can be a pain to get to Tortola, i've done it several times. (and from st thomas, to st john to tortola to VG)
You definitley MUST call the ferry companies (as they recently told me that they just change the cover of the BVI Welcome w/out updating the times) also what time will you get in? and where on tortola? you can get to west end easy, but if you want to go to road town, not all of the ferries will continue on -depending on time of day.., you may have to switch or get a taxi.
**On St Thomas,you could also get a dollar bus. ask if it's the dollar safari that goes to red hook. and you'll pay only $2. rather than $20. they'll nail you when you get into St Thomas and will charge you by the bag as well..so it's easier to go get the dollar buses. *** unless you are simply more comfortable in the airport shuttle stuff. (I don't have alot of money though)
they actually take the same amount of time to go from CA to RH.
cabs on tortola from west end to road town will run $25 or so and if you miss a ferry and need to get to Beef Island you will pay around $50 from west end.)
ask for Raphael a cab driver, who's son is a captain on Native Son ferry. if he's working he is very pleasant.

hope that helps.

 

[eagleray2003]

I live on Tortola and ferry service from St. Thomas is not bad at all, Roadtown Fast Ferry runs from Charlotte Amalie into Roadtown.
Check the schedule as times change,luggage is no problem they can hold lots of it.

 

[scuba4me]

Who are you diving with in Tortola? We are going to be there in May also but haven't set any dives up yet. We dove with UBS last time and they were great.

 

[LOOPS]

I would suggest not completely trusting the ferry. Many times they break or get stuck somewhere. I would fly to tortola. That is the fastest/safest and most efficient.