Air Travel from United States to the BVI
General Information
Due to new U.S. State Department regulations for travelers returning to the U.S., we highly recommend
that every visitor obtain a passport prior to departure for the B.V.I. You won't need one to land (yet),
but you'll need one for the return trip.
There are many ways to enter the BVI, but since most Americans come by air, almost all of them
will come in either from St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands or from San Juan in the territory of
Puerto Rico. Routes of entry by boat are too numerous to mention.
The most common carriers for the BVI from the West Coast are
American Airlinesor
Delta Airlines.
For example, if your point of departure is Seattle you can go
- through San Juan, Puerto Rico via American Airlines. Two plane changes are necessary,
the first in Dallas, Chicago or St. Louis and the second in San Juan for final destination of Beef Island,
Tortola.
- through St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands via Delta Airlines. One plane change
is necessary in Atlanta, then a ferry ride from Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas to West End, Tortola.
Airline ticket prices vary according to season and the usual ups and downs of the airline industry.
The most expensive time to travel is during the main tourist season, from December through May. These
are the months we are usually in Tortola occupying the main house. It is less expensive to travel during
the months of June to November, which is hurricane season, but it can be a very nice time to be here
provided there are no hurricanes. We have found
Expediato be a good website for comparing prices but we
generally buy tickets directly from the appropriate airline website for either
American Airlinesor
Delta. This way it's easier to make changes or request refunds
if there are errors in ticketing or if your plans change.
Alternatives Transit Routes
The island of St. Thomas has several cities; the primary airport is located near the main city
of
Charlotte Amalie. To get from Charlotte
Amalie to the West End of Tortola requires taking a ferry boat ride that lasts about 45 minutes.
Be sure to check that your arrival time allows at least 45 minutes before the last ferry leaves for
Tortola (varies according to season and whims, but is usually around 4:00 or 5:00 PM).
There are many air routes to St. Thomas, but the bulk of them are ticketed from the East Coast.
Since St. Thomas is a U.S. territory, you will not have to show your passport when you check
in for your U.S. departure. However, you will need to show it when you enter the BVI by
whatever route you choose.
To get from St. Thomas to Tortola, you'll take one of several ferries to Road Town or the West
End. The trip lasts less than an hour. We personally prefer this route for visitors for two reasons:
Unselfishly, it's a beautiful trip almost anytime. Selfishly, the West End ferry dock is
a beer bottle's throw from our front porch; by contrast, the Beef Island airport (see below) is a full
50 minutes by car over uncertain roads.
The city of
San Juanis a completely different
environment from Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. It is one of the largest, most sophisticated
cities in the Caribbean, and its airport is sizeable. Due to the capacity of the airport and its
customs and immigrations facilities, San Juan is the preferred routing for tourists from the U.S.A.
When you arrive by plane from San Juan, you'll land at Tortola's Beef Island airport. Be aware
that the airport is at the far East end of Tortola, and Rawleigh Hill House is at the far West end:
it's a 50 minute taxi or car ride
When arriving in St. Thomas, you'll collect your baggage from the baggage carousel and immediately
be supplicated by local men with large wheeled carts who want to carry your bags. If you
have a lot of bags, use them. If not, just follow their carts outside to the taxi
rank. At the St. Thomas airport, all the "taxis" are really vans that take several people
at once to common destinations, such as hotels and cruise ships.
Tell one of the ubiquitous "helpers" that you want to go to the Tortola ferry dock.
The dock is really only about five minutes from the airport, so its very simple. They'll
usually load you and your baggage last because you'll be the first ones out of the van.
Once in the ferry building, there are usually at least two ferry companies to choose from.
Choose the ferry company that has the earliest departure for the West End or Road Town.
Be sure to tell them which destination you want because they are often different ferries.
If you're coming to Rawleigh Hill House, you'll ask to go to West End.
You will need to show your passport to buy the ferry ticket. You may be harangued to buy
a round-trip ticket. We recommend against this because the departure times of BVI ferries are
not completely reliable. You may end up having to buy a return ticket from a different ferry
company and waste the other half of your return ticket.
There are restrooms and a restaurant in the BVI ferry building. The best that
can be said for the restaurant is that the beer is usually cold.
When you deplane into the
San Juan airport, you'll usually
be at the far end of the airport from the gates where the smaller, propeller-driven commuter planes
that fly to the
Beef Island, Tortolaairport depart. However,
you'll be near the American Airlines Admiral's Club, as well as the only decent restaurant in the airport.
There are also loads of "duty free" stores, but remember that booze is cheap in the BVI.
You'll walk to the far end of the airport to the low-numbered gates. When your
flight is called, you'll walk outside and board shuttle buses that drive you to the commuter plane you'll
take to Beef Island.
For those coming from a cold climate, the transition from the interior of a jetliner to the tarmac
in San Juan may be difficult. San Juan is often hot and humid. If at all possible,
dress in layers so that you can change your wardrobe to be sleeveless (or short-sleeved) and in short
pants. (I see more and more people using zip-off leggings.)
When you return from Tortola by ferry to St. Thomas, you'll go through the first of two levels
of immigration and customs. As the ferry docks, you'll line up to be checked by immigration
officers, then you'll collect your baggage and pass through customs.
This process will repeat when you check in at the airport. The reason appears to
be that the Caribbean Islands are just too porous to prevent people from entering surreptitiously, so
they check everyone again upon departure. Just be patient.
When you arrive back in San Juan from Beef Island, you'll be taken by bus back to the terminal,
but you'll be required to walk (and walk and walk) to the immigration center. In this huge
room, line up in front of a booth that says "U.S. Citizens" and wait your turn to be checked.
After immigration, go to the escalator and go down one floor to the baggage claim area.
There, you'll collect your bags and go through customs inspection.
Immediately outside the customs area, you'll see the baggage re-check belts; find the one for
your airline (usually American) and drop your bags onto them.
As you walk the concourse back to the main terminal building in San Juan, you will have to pass
back through a limited form of screening.
We recommend two things. First, immediately get a baggage cart when you arrive at the baggage
area. Second, pack a few items of warm clothing at the top of some piece of luggage. You'll
have an opportunity to use the restroom in baggage claim, where you can extricate the items and dress
appropriately for the return flight (and, in the case of us Northwesterners, for the cold, clammy conditions
of our native region).