USVI-On-Line

If you are travelling soon you had better rent asap as rental cars can be in short supply in february..we're getting in on the 18th and I had to call 7 places before getting a car..

Please note that Hertz does NOT allow their rental vehicles to come to St John and that may not be altogether clear on their web site. In season, we get at least one frantic call a month from people stranded at their counter.

We have used O'Connor twice now. The woman at the Westin (Niala sp?) was wonderful to work with. We had trouble with a/c in one of the vehicles and they had it swapped out and we were on our way in no time!

Coincidentally, I just booked the last available jeep from St. John Car Rental for March 19-26. Cynthia was just as nice as she could be, just like everybody said. I'm a little concerned that it was TOO easy. I just gave my name and my cell phone number and she said I was all set. No deposit, no credit card, no confirmation mail/email. I've heard that this agency is old-school (informal) and very reliable, but I'd feel a little better if I had some sort of confirmation.

But I'm always smitten with angst when it comes to renting a car on St. John and never sure if I did the right thing (so I guess I'm not much of an expert). But from reading the forums for the past few years, here's what I've gleaned.

Every car rental place has their fierce loyalists, but the two on St. John itself that get consistently highest kudos are St. John Car Rental and Courtesy Car Rentals.

There are a couple of others that are very controversial - many reports of rude or unprofessional behavior, always balanced by fierce defense from people that love them. Search the forums and draw your own conclusions. I'm not taking sides.

Amalie Rentals (St. Thomas) has probably the best reputation of all for service and vehicle quality. They are also the most expensive, even when you factor in their promise of "no extra charges."

I've always found the best prices at Paris, but decided to switch out of concern for their lack of roadside service. I never had a car break down, but wasn't happy with their answers when I asked what would happen if it did.

When comparing car rental places online, read the terms very carefully. Many of them charge extra for a 2nd driver. At least one adds $10/day if you want to be covered for roadside service! One has a clause that says drivers over 65 "are not covered by insurance" (whatever that means). Some close at 5pm and have no provision for picking up a car if you arrive later than that. They all take credit cards, but some are picky about which cards they will take.

Has anyone used Sunshine's Jeep Rental? They have a Memorial Day discounted rate for the month of May...