The white sand beaches and turquoise waters of the U.S. Virgin Islands is just a short flight away from the continental United States. The three main islands that make up this tranquil paradise are St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, situated just east of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea. The British Virgin Islands are located east/northeast of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Traveling to the Virgin Islands
To get to the U.S. Virgin Islands, you can fly into Henry E Rohlson International Airport on St. Croix Island or Cyril E. King International Airport on St. Thomas Island. There are daily non-stop flights from major cities like New York, Baltimore, Atlanta, Miami, Boston, Chicago and more.
They are the U.S. Virgin Islands, so you must be wondering, “Do you need a passport to go to the Virgin Islands?” The short answer is that U.S. citizens (and lawful permanent residents) don’t need a visa or a passport, but that’s only if you are arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland.
You will need a government-issued photo ID, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection also recommends that you bring a copy of your birth certificate. If that seems like a hassle to you, you may just want to bring your passport to save any potential headache. Lawful Permanent Residents should carry proof of their status (which could be a green card or passport).
If the U.S. Virgin Islands are part of a longer trip where you are traveling internationally and then going to the islands after, you will need your passport (but you’ll have it with you for international travel anyway, so you’ll be ok!). Even when traveling to the islands from a foreign country, U.S. citizens won’t need a visa.
Those who want to island-hop to the British Virgin Islands during their vacation will need their passport, so keep that in mind when planning out your trip. Your passport just needs one empty page, and you can stay up to one month visa-free, according to the current entry and exit requirements on the State Department’s website.
Traveling Around the U.S. Virgin Islands
U.S. citizens can rent a car and drive a vehicle using a current valid U.S. driver’s license. Keep in mind, though, that motorists drive on the left side of the road, so it’ll require you to pay close attention and will take some getting used to.
Another nice perk for Americans visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands is that, as a United States territory, the islands use U.S. dollars as their currency.
If you want to save as many USD as possible, be sure to book your flight, hotel and car rental early. Those will be your major expenses, and Skyscanner can help you reduce costs by finding the best deals available right now – for free!
