To Coki Beach, renting car vs taxi?

[Middleager]

We have 3 couplese cruising on Destiny in Aug. We'll be in USVI St. Thomas Aug. 27, 7am-5pm. I'm going to dive and going to send the others to Coki Beach/Coral World. It's $9/p by taxi, making it $45 each way or $90 roundtrip.

 

It sounds like a lot for taxi $45 each way. Do you pay tip on top of that? If so, it makes it $50, or $100 roundtrip?

 

I've found that Budget has a rental office at Havensight, for $56/day, and they only have mid-size cars (no vans, or other types), at least for Aug. 27. What is the tax on top of the $56 rental?

 

Is there a gas station near the pier (that's easy to find), to gas up before returning car?

 

How is the driving on the left side of the road, to/from Coki Beach? How long would it take, by taking it easy driving?

 

Thanks a lot.

[pigfarmer]

there is a gas station quite near the pier but the traffic is quite hectic. we have always taken cabs to coki beach and if you all jump in open taxi together you will get a better rate. the traffic seems quite snarled at all times around Havensight. its much nicer not to have to drive and enjoy the scenery and maybe a cold beer on the beach.

[Big Sky Country]

You can walk a little bit toward town and take the bus to very close to Coki Beach for ~$2 pp. It is a little more adventurous, but the downside is that you'll still be weighed down by the cash you still have in your wallet. ;) (Sorry, I couldn't resist).

 

The walk is a little long if you are not fit (~20 min). Personally, I'd take the walk next time rather than shell out the money I paid for a taxi (but that is a matter of personal choice - $100 just to go to the beach is pretty steep).

[Middleager]

there is a gas station quite near the pier but the traffic is quite hectic. we have always taken cabs to coki beach and if you all jump in open taxi together you will get a better rate.

So you can negotiate the taxi rate for 5 people? Just curious what it could come down to?

[pigfarmer]

we went to sapphire beach last trip and that is not much of a differance in distance and for the 8 of us we paid $10 each round trip. we paid when he picked us up. we just told him the time to be back and he was waiting in the parking lot. we did tip him but i really cant remember how much. the time before that we took the city bus to coki beach it was cheap and fine. mainly full of tourists.

[Analog187]

For what its worth, we'll be renting a car when we are there on the 14th. I plan to cirle the whole island, starting with the west and then ending up at Coki Beach by mid morning. On the way back, we'll probably stop at Red Hook and then the marina before we get back to HS at about 4. I've never done this before but I've been to STT several times so I know what I'm in for.

 

The city bus might be a little tricky to find as they look just like the tourist taxis, but just ask the locals if you are not sure where you are going or if you are getting on the bus, confirm that its a city bus.