Travel Guide · Virgin Islands
How to cross from St. Thomas or St. John to Tortola and the rest of the British Virgin Islands, and how to get back in time for your flight home.
Schedules and fees verified 2 October 2026
The Short Answer
St. Thomas and Tortola sit about half an hour apart by sea, but the crossing is an international border. The choice comes down to cost, timing and how much of the paperwork you want handled for you.
Lowest cost
Dock to deck
No boat at all
The Lay of the Land
Four routes link the two territories. St. Thomas has two ferry docks, and which one you use decides where you land on Tortola.
Schematic, not to scale and not for navigation.
Flow Chart
Three questions settle it. Follow the gold line down and take the first exit that matches you.
Prefer not to connect by sea at all? Cape Air sells seats from St. Thomas to Beef Island, Tortola.
Step by Step
What actually happens between the runway and the yacht, and again on the way home.
Check every passport. Complete the BVI online immigration and customs form at bviedcard.gov.vg, which opens 72 hours before arrival, and save the receipt to your phone. Book your ferry seat or water taxi.
Collect your bags and take a taxi to the dock: Charlotte Amalie for the ferry (about 10 minutes) or Red Hook (about 30 minutes). A private water taxi will leave from most marinas, though Red Hook is preferred. The taxi driver is paid in cash.
Plan to check in 45 minutes before a ferry departs. The USVI port fee, about $10 per person, and any baggage charge are paid at the counter. Water taxi guests simply board.
About 30 minutes from Red Hook to West End, or 50 to 60 minutes from Charlotte Amalie to Road Town.
Ferry passengers walk through immigration and customs in the terminal and pay the $10 environmental levy in cash. On a water taxi the captain takes your passports ashore while you stay aboard, usually 25 to 35 minutes.
From the ferry terminal it is a taxi ride to your marina. A water taxi takes you to the dock, or alongside the yacht at anchor.
Water taxi operators schedule pickup about five hours before your flight and suggest flights that leave St. Thomas at 1:30 pm or later. Ferry passengers should work back from the timetable and leave a similar margin.
Ferry passengers pay the $20 departure tax in cash at the terminal. On a water taxi the captain clears the boat and its guests out for you.
Ferries run from Road Town to Charlotte Amalie, and from West End to Red Hook by way of St. John.
Every passenger sees a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. Charlotte Amalie ferries clear at the terminal on arrival. Red Hook ferries and water taxis stop first at Cruz Bay, St. John, where everyone steps ashore to clear, then continue to St. Thomas.
About 10 minutes from Charlotte Amalie or 30 minutes from Red Hook. Keep cash back for the driver.
Worth Remembering
Public Ferries
Three companies share the main route and rotate by day, so the departure times stay the same whichever boat is running. Operators do adjust them, so confirm your sailing before you book flights.
Low-season timetable until 31 October 2026. The BVI Tourist Board's regular schedule resumes on 1 November 2026. Both are shown below.
| Route | Operators | Crossing | Leaving the USVI | Leaving the BVI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Amalie to Road TownSt. Thomas to Tortola | Road Town Fast Ferry, Native Son and Smith's Ferry, alternating by day | 50 to 60 minutes | From 1 Nov 20269:00 am, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 5:30 pm dailyUntil 31 Oct 20269:30 am and 5:00 pm daily, 2:30 pm on select days | From 1 Nov 20267:30 am, 10:00 am, 11:30 am, 3:30 pm dailyUntil 31 Oct 20268:00 am and 3:00 pm daily, 11:30 am on select days |
| Red Hook to West EndSt. Thomas to Tortola | Road Town Fast Ferry | About 30 minutes | 8:30 am, 1:45 pm and 5:30 pm daily. The last boat continues to Road Town. The tourist board lists it at 5:45 pm, so confirm the time when you book. | From West End at 7:15 am, 10:00 am and 4:00 pm daily, calling at Cruz Bay, St. John for U.S. customs. One boat leaves Road Town at 6:45 am. |
| Charlotte Amalie to Virgin GordaSt. Thomas to Spanish Town | Speedy's | About 90 minutes | Saturdays only, 4:00 pmSuspended1 September to 31 October 2026. Due to resume 7 November 2026. | Saturdays only, 8:30 am |
| Red Hook or Cruz Bay to Jost Van DykeSt. Thomas and St. John | Inter Island Boat Services | About 35 minutes from Red Hook | Select days only. Check the operator for dates. | Select days only. Check the operator for dates. |
Fares
On Road Town Fast Ferry's booking page, checked 2 October 2026, an adult round trip is $100 between Charlotte Amalie and Road Town and $80 between Red Hook and West End, before a small online service fee. Government taxes and checked bags are extra.
Older guides
Many still list Aquatic Rentals (Sea Express) sailings from Red Hook. That company suspended all ferry service on 31 August 2026. Road Town Fast Ferry now runs the route.
The entry form on a ferry
The BVI online form asks for a vessel registration number. The tourist board's guide says to enter the ferry company's initials followed by the departure time on the 24 hour clock, for example SFS1600 for Smith's Ferry at 4:00 pm.
Book direct: Road Town Fast Ferry Native Son Smith's Ferry Speedy's Inter Island Boat Services
Private Water Taxi
A private water taxi will leave from most marinas on St. Thomas and St. John, though Red Hook is preferred. It loads the luggage and leaves when you are ready. At the first BVI port the captain goes ashore with your passports and clears the whole party in, usually within 25 to 35 minutes, while you stay aboard. From there the boat runs directly to your yacht. For an afternoon arrival we recommend meeting the yacht at its first anchorage, not at the marina.
Coming back, the boat clears out of the BVI and stops at Cruz Bay, St. John, where everyone steps ashore to see U.S. Customs before the last leg to St. Thomas.
On the way in, we recommend a flight that lands at St. Thomas by 3:00 pm. If yours lands later, fly in the night before and cross in the morning. On the way home, operators suggest a flight that leaves at 1:30 pm or later, with pickup about five hours before departure.
Ask what the quote includes. Private boats pay more to enter the BVI than ferry passengers do. Published figures run to about $75 per person inbound and about $45 outbound. Some operators fold these into the price. Others collect them in cash on the day, and the taxi from the airport to the dock is always paid to the driver in cash.
Video by Island Time BVI, one of our trusted partners. Watch on YouTube.
Recommended by us
Based at Nanny Cay, Tortola. Collects from Red Hook, Cruz Bay and Beef Island airport, and delivers to marinas, villas and yachts at anchor. Priced by quote.
islandtimebvi.comTortola based
Based at Nanny Cay. Pickups at Red Hook, Crown Bay or Cruz Bay. Quotes include fuel, international processing fees and drinks.
chilloutchartersbvi.comSt. Thomas based
Leaves from Crown Bay or the Red Hook area. Published one-way rates for up to 8 guests: Tortola from $950, Jost Van Dyke from $1,050, Virgin Gorda from $1,350.
sttwatertaxis.comSt. Thomas based
Leaves from American Yacht Harbor, Red Hook. Priced per person: its published example from the airport to Tortola is $180 for the boat ride plus $25 for the airport transfer.
dolphinshuttle.comFees and Documents
| Charge | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| USVI port fee | About $10 per person | At the ferry counter, leaving St. Thomas |
| BVI environmental and tourism levy Cash | $10 per visitor | On arrival in the BVI |
| BVI departure tax Cash | $20 per person for non-residents | Leaving the BVI by sea |
| Ferry baggage | About $10 per bag on some operators | At check-in |
| Water taxi entry fees Cash | About $75 in and $45 out per person, as published | On the day, unless they are included in your quote |
| Taxi on St. Thomas Cash | Set fares, paid to the driver | Airport to the dock, and back again |
Ferry tickets, the port fee and baggage can usually go on a card at the counter. For the rows marked Cash, do not rely on a card.
Good Questions
Yes. The British Virgin Islands are a separate country, so every guest needs a valid passport, children included. You also complete the BVI online immigration and customs form at bviedcard.gov.vg, which opens 72 hours before you arrive.
About 30 minutes from Red Hook to West End, and 50 to 60 minutes from Charlotte Amalie to Road Town. Allow extra time on arrival for immigration and customs, which can add up to 50 minutes at busy times.
By ferry, an adult round trip on Road Town Fast Ferry is $100 from Charlotte Amalie or $80 from Red Hook, plus about $10 in USVI port fees, a $10 BVI environmental levy on arrival and a $20 BVI departure tax on the way home. A private water taxi is priced by the boat or by the seat: published rates start near $950 one way for up to 8 guests, or $180 per person, plus government fees. Bring cash: the BVI levy and departure tax, and the taxi to the dock, are paid in cash.
Charlotte Amalie. The Edward Wilmoth Blyden terminal is about 10 minutes from Cyril E. King Airport, and its ferries land in Road Town. Red Hook is about 30 minutes away at the east end of the island, with the shorter crossing to West End.
On the regular schedule the last boats leave Charlotte Amalie at 5:30 pm and Red Hook at about 5:30 pm. Until 31 October 2026 the last Charlotte Amalie boat is at 5:00 pm. Plan on checking in 45 minutes ahead. If your flight lands after 3:00 pm, we recommend flying in the night before and crossing in the morning.
In person, on arrival in the USVI. Ferries into Charlotte Amalie clear at the terminal. Ferries bound for Red Hook, and private water taxis, stop first at Cruz Bay on St. John, where everyone steps ashore to clear before continuing to St. Thomas.
Check before you book. A valid ESTA or visa works on ferries and airlines. The BVI Tourist Board notes that travelers who are not U.S. or Canadian citizens need a visitor visa to enter USVI waters on anything other than a commercial carrier, so ask your water taxi operator how that applies to you.
No. Aquatic Rentals, which ran the Sea Express boats, suspended all ferry service on 31 August 2026. Road Town Fast Ferry now sails between Red Hook and West End every day.
Schedules, fares and fees change without notice. Treat this page as a planning guide and confirm with the operator before you travel.
Plan Your Arrival
Tell us your dates and your group, and we will help you match flights, crossing and embarkation point to the right yacht.
Still choosing where to sail? Read our guides to the British Virgin Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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