Wuss here - steep roads a concern?

I really don't like steep roads... For those who have been, St. Kitts made me nervous. Will I be ok doing a tour in Tortola or should I stay away?

We didn't take a tour of St Kitts but did travel to different beaches and what we experienced was pretty flat. Tortola is much different with steep areas and switchbacks going over the steeper areas. Can't help you decide, but taxis full of people do this everyday. I highly recommend a tour as Tortola is beautiful and there are so many gorgeous views.

Another option is just taking a taxi to Long Bay (West End). It is a nice, flat coastal drive with island views, and Long Bay is a nice long picture postcard beach with a restaurant. If interested check this thread and use the search function for "Long Bay" for others. Long Bay (Beef Island) is a different beach by the airport with no amenities, you want to look at Long Bay (Tortola or West End).

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2253534

Here is a map -

http://www.skyviews.com/bviold/tortola/map.html

If St Kitts made you nervous then some of roads on Tortola would scare you to death I suspect. Blue is right in saying many people do this every day though without difficulty. Personally, I LOVE driving there.:D

If you are really that worried take Blue's advice and stay on the roads of the coastal drive or go to Long Bay West. Only one bump and that is Zion Hill road but it is short and not a real big deal.

Yes Zion Hill Rd is a baby as compared to the main spine of Tortola. The steeper areas are fun to drive for most, scary for some riders though! :eek:

Most tours do go to the higher elevations for great photo ops and drop into Cane Garden Bay for a beach/lunch stop and for the rum distillery. We've put our chairs by the road at Bananakeet on Windy Hill Rd to capture the faces and screams of folks going by in the safari taxis on video and we had a ball! Most people are just fine with it and find the steepr sections thrilling but fun.

But if you feel you're not one of those people you can also hire a private taxi and ask the driver to give you a "less thrilling" tour with a stop at Long Bay (West End). You can enjoy the beach and perhaps walk to Nature Boy's, and maybe even drive a little further and see gorgeous Smuggler's Cove. The come back over Zion Hill Rd (wouldn't recommend the scenic drive over Belmont to WE! :eek:) and go into Soper's Hole to see the marina and shops there.

Very nice day that! A bit pricier, as the group safari taxis are just $25pp and the private tours are posted at $55/hr for 1-2 ppl with a beach stop. But still not a bad deal and it's your itinerary! :)

Yes Zion Hill Rd is a baby as compared to the main spine of Tortola. The steeper areas are fun to drive for most, scary for some riders though! :eek:

 

Most tours do go to the higher elevations for great photo ops and drop into Cane Garden Bay for a beach/lunch stop and for the rum distillery. We've put our chairs by the road at Bananakeet on Windy Hill Rd to capture the faces and screams of folks going by in the safari taxis on video and we had a ball! Most people are just fine with it and find the steepr sections thrilling but fun.

 

But if you feel you're not one of those people you can also hire a private taxi and ask the driver to give you a "less thrilling" tour with a stop at Long Bay (West End). You can enjoy the beach and perhaps walk to Nature Boy's, and maybe even drive a little further and see gorgeous Smuggler's Cove. The come back over Zion Hill Rd (wouldn't recommend the scenic drive over Belmont to WE! :eek:) and go into Soper's Hole to see the marina and shops there.

 

Very nice day that! A bit pricier, as the group safari taxis are just $25pp and the private tours are posted at $55/hr for 1-2 ppl with a beach stop. But still not a bad deal and it's your itinerary! :)

Blue. We've been to the baths and both CGB and Brewers several times. We were wanting to do our own land based tour by renting a car/jeep etc.

Can we do your itinerary above and if so how long would that take and approximately how much to rent a car/jeep in Tortola?

Thanks in advance for all your help and advice! :)

Blue. We've been to the baths and both CGB and Brewers several times. We were wanting to do our own land based tour by renting a car/jeep etc.

 

Can we do your itinerary above and if so how long would that take and approximately how much to rent a car/jeep in Tortola?

 

Thanks in advance for all your help and advice! :)

WOW - you have a lot of cruises under your belt - that's great!

Yes you can rent a soft-top Jeep, we pay $50 - 60 with all insurance included. You don't really need the 4x4 traction unless there are heavy rains. But it's good to have the extra ground clearance if going to Smuggler's Cove because it''s an unpaved road. We've only rented from Jerry's in West End because we ferry there, but there are rentals in Road Town and you can find recommendations by searching the forum. Dedes is good if available.

If you want to visit a couple of nice beaches without traversing the steepest areas it's a 20 - 25 min drive from Road Town along the coast to Long Bay (West End), and another 10 minutes from LB to Smuggler's. Long Bay is a nice long beach great for watching the pelicans dive and enjoying the island views, and Smuggler's is a gorgeous beach off the beaten path with good snorkeling. Nigel may be there selling drinks and food or you can eat at the restaurant at Long Bay. You can also pack a lunch in Road Town, we like the French deli, excellent imported meats and cheeses and their baguette subs are amazing.

You can also go in the other direction (to the east) and visit Trellis bay and Long Bay (Beef Island), these beaches straddle the airport. Trellis has a nice pottery shop and a couple bars, and you can take the ferry to Marina Cay as well. You can google these different spots to see what interests you.

WOW - you have a lot of cruises under your belt - that's great!

 

Yes you can rent a soft-top Jeep, we pay $50 - 60 with all insurance included. You don't really need the 4x4 traction unless there are heavy rains. But it's good to have the extra ground clearance if going to Smuggler's Cove because it''s an unpaved road. We've only rented from Jerry's in West End because we ferry there, but there are rentals in Road Town and you can find recommendations by searching the forum. Dedes is good if available.

 

If you want to visit a couple of nice beaches without traversing the steepest areas it's a 20 - 25 min drive from Road Town along the coast to Long Bay (West End), and another 10 minutes from LB to Smuggler's. Long Bay is a nice long beach great for watching the pelicans dive and enjoying the island views, and Smuggler's is a gorgeous beach off the beaten path with good snorkeling. Nigel may be there selling drinks and food or you can eat at the restaurant at Long Bay. You can also pack a lunch in Road Town, we like the French deli, excellent imported meats and cheeses and their baguette subs are amazing.

 

You can also go in the other direction (to the east) and visit Trellis bay and Long Bay (Beef Island), these beaches straddle the airport. Trellis has a nice pottery shop and a couple bars, and you can take the ferry to Marina Cay as well. You can google these different spots to see what interests you.

as usual... Thank You so much for the info/advice Blue!!! You rock

 

Yes you can rent a soft-top Jeep, we pay $50 - 60 with all insurance included. You don't really need the 4x4 traction unless there are heavy rains. But it's good to have the extra ground clearance if going to Smuggler's Cove because it''s an unpaved road. We've only rented from Jerry's in West End because we ferry there, but there are rentals in Road Town and you can find recommendations by searching the forum. Dedes is good if available.

 

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Hi, blue_water! If you don't mind, I was just wondering a couple of things about Jeep rentals in Tortola. I notice that you mentioned both Jerry's and Dede's. I have found both of their websites, but am wondering if either business would be preferable to the other? Is either more reliable or convenient, to your knowledge? Also, do you know how we would get to either of them in order to pick up the car? Would we take a taxi, or do they have pick-up at the port? Also, would they have any maps to give us, or would I need to print some maps before we leave on the cruise? Thanks so much in advance for any information that you can provide!

If St Kitts made you nervous then some of roads on Tortola would scare you to death I suspect. Blue is right in saying many people do this every day though without difficulty. Personally, I LOVE driving there.:D

If you are really that worried take Blue's advice and stay on the roads of the coastal drive or go to Long Bay West. Only one bump and that is Zion Hill road but it is short and not a real big deal.

Yes, some of the roads in Tortola would absolutely scare your to death! :eek:

Hi, blue_water! If you don't mind, I was just wondering a couple of things about Jeep rentals in Tortola. I notice that you mentioned both Jerry's and Dede's. I have found both of their websites, but am wondering if either business would be preferable to the other? Is either more reliable or convenient, to your knowledge? Also, do you know how we would get to either of them in order to pick up the car? Would we take a taxi, or do they have pick-up at the port? Also, would they have any maps to give us, or would I need to print some maps before we leave on the cruise? Thanks so much in advance for any information that you can provide!

Both are great choices and if one is able to meet you at the port and the other is busy that would be the only advantage of one over the other. They will provide a map and helpful info. Just contact them for availability and prices and Enjoy your day!

Both are great choices and if one is able to meet you at the port and the other is busy that would be the only advantage of one over the other. They will provide a map and helpful info. Just contact them for availability and prices and Enjoy your day!

Thanks for the info! [emoji1]

Blue;

Didn't see the option to send you a PM so posting to this thread directly.

So I checked out Dede's and Jerry's and it looks like the Jeeps are about $75/day WITHOUT taxes.

Can you share with me or point me in the direction to where you were able to get a rental for $50-$60 WITH taxes Please?

Blue;

 

Didn't see the option to send you a PM so posting to this thread directly.

 

So I checked out Dede's and Jerry's and it looks like the Jeeps are about $75/day WITHOUT taxes.

 

Can you share with me or point me in the direction to where you were able to get a rental for $50-$60 WITH taxes Please?

Hi! I see Jerry's prices for a soft-top Jeep are now $60 (summer) and $70 (winter) which includes all taxes and insurance. So they've gone up since I rented but that is all-in. His office is located in West End but you can email him to see if they deliver to Road Town.

http://www.jerrysrental.com/reservations.htm

I don't know Dede's prices but James is a great owner to work with too and he does deliver.

Hi! I see Jerry's prices for a soft-top Jeep are now $60 (summer) and $70 (winter) which includes all taxes and insurance. So they've gone up since I rented but that is all-in. His office is located in West End but you can email him to see if they deliver to Road Town.

http://www.jerrysrental.com/reservations.htm

 

I don't know Dede's prices but James is a great owner to work with too and he does deliver.

Thanks Blue. I guess I'm out of luck. James at Dede's reports they are booked (no vehicles) and I tried reserving a Jeep at Jerry's several times and I get a message that the email account has been disabled (below) :(

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Yes, I've been in several open air taxis in Tortola, and the roads that they take to get over to the West End will likely terrify you. I've seen a few people get upset and freaked out over the years.

Stick to the lowlands. :-)

Thanks Blue. I guess I'm out of luck. James at Dede's reports they are booked (no vehicles) and I tried reserving a Jeep at Jerry's several times and I get a message that the email account has been disabled (below) :(

 

We Couldn't Process Your Request

 

For additional assistance, please visit our Help Center

Sorry, the account you are trying to access has been cancelled or deleted

 

You may contact support if you believe this has happened without your knowledge. We may be able to restore you account.

For additional assistance, please visit our Help Center

Sorry you can't connect, can't understand what's going on with the site.

If you don't want to call him there are other agencies in Road Town that others here have used, maybe you can search this forum using "car rental" and find another recommendation.

I searched TTOL and didn't see anything about Jerry closing up shop so it's probably just a website/email glitch. We've experienced that with other outfits in the BVI over the years and just have to call to confirm bookings.

Good luck!

Yes, I've been in several open air taxis in Tortola, and the roads that they take to get over to the West End will likely terrify you. I've seen a few people get upset and freaked out over the years.

Stick to the lowlands. :-)

Some folks do react more than others, and when you're riding in a safari taxi and not driving your own vehicle it can be a little more "exciting".:D

Yes there are some steeper sections of road, and there are switchbacks to make getting over the hills less steep. But I would never discourage anyone from seeing the beauty of Tortola from the hilltops while also visiting the north shore beaches because of the ride. Last visit I took videos just for fun of folks on a safari taxi going over the switchback by the Heritage Inn where we were staying, most were having a great time!