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Taxi drivers in both the USVI and BVI are of two types – helpful or shockingly rude. Taxis are plentiful at airports, docks, and hotels on the more populated islands. If you plan to go off the beaten path, ask your hotel or villa manager to line up a taxi. It’s pointless to argue about overcharging – chalk it up to the cost of vacationing.

A few brand names such as Hertz and Avis operate in St. Thomas, St. Croix, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda, but most car rentals are local companies. Ask your hotel for recommendations. It’s best to reserve before you travel. Rates are high.

Get a vehicle with four-wheel drive and high clearance to drive on the dirt roads. Visitors to more populated islands should ensure their vehicles have a hard top and locks to prevent theft.

Motorscooter rentals seem to come and go, particularly on St. John, but in general they’re a bad idea. Traffic moves at a good clip and sudden rain showers make for slippery roads, both creating conditions that can lead to accidents. Don’t be tempted by a price lower than a rental car.

Drivers in both the USVI and BVI drive on the left side of the road in left-hand drive vehicles. On all islands, drivers are prone to stop for a chat with someone walking along the road, causing dangerous traffic conditions as impatient motorists try to pass on a curve. Use caution.

Roads range from a major highway in St. Croix to sandy tracks in Anegada, with every permutation in between. The roads on the mountainous islands twist and turn. On the more populated islands, the main roads and many secondary roads are paved, but you’ll find dirt roads everywhere.

While your current driver’s license will do to rent and drive a vehicle in the USVI, the BVI requires that all visiting drivers also purchase a temporary BVI license, available at all car rental agencies – you must present your regular driver’s license for this.

The USVI has VITRAN buses, though the service is unreliable in St. Croix and St. Thomas. For patient folks, they’re a good way to sightsee at minimal cost. BVI has no public bus service.

Hitchhiking is an accepted way to get around in the USVI and BVI, but think twice about it in St. Thomas and St. Croix. It’s a bit safer on other islands, but use caution. Stick out your forefinger to indicate you want a ride, pointing in the direction you wish to go.

Addresses in both the USVI and BVI are horribly confusing. In Charlotte Amalie and Christiansted, the buildings have numbers that often don’t make sense. Out in the country, it’s even worse. Make sure you have a map and written directions.