How Expensive are Taxis in St. Thomas?

Taxis in St. Thomas are moderately priced by Caribbean standards, but the pricing model catches New York travelers off guard. There are no meters, no Uber, and no Lyft on the island. Every licensed cab charges a fixed rate per person, set by the Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission, and the fare changes with your destination and the size of your party. A ride from Cyril E. King Airport to Magens Bay costs $18 per person if you travel alone and $15 per person when two or more of you ride together, before luggage fees. We put this guide together because so many of our New York airport car service clients fly from JFK or Newark to the U.S. Virgin Islands each winter and ask us how island taxis work. Here is the full breakdown for 2026, plus what the New York side of the trip costs.

What Does a St. Thomas Taxi Costs?

Most single rides on St. Thomas fall between $6 and $23 per person one way. Short hops within Charlotte Amalie run $6. Airport trips to the main resort areas run $8 to $23 per person. Add $3 per standard bag, $6 per oversized item, and $3 per person for any ride between midnight and 6 a.m. A family of four heading from the airport to Red Hook with four suitcases pays $17 per person plus $12 in luggage fees, or $80 total before tip. An exclusive private taxi on that same route is published at $135 for one to four passengers.

• Rates are per person and drop when two or more people travel together.
• Fares are fixed by destination, so the driver should quote the exact number before you board.
• Most drivers accept cash only, and small bills make every ride smoother.
• Look for a dome light and the letters TP on the license plate; that marks a licensed taxi.
• Tipping 15 to 20 percent is customary, especially when a driver handles luggage.

How St. Thomas Taxi Pricing Works?

New Yorkers are used to a meter that ticks by distance and time. St. Thomas replaces the meter with a published tariff. The official rate card, titled Island of St. Thomas Motor Vehicles For Hire Official Minimum/Maximum Rates, must be posted inside every licensed taxi, and drivers who overcharge or undercut the schedule can be cited by commission enforcement officers. Fares are quoted per passenger, per destination, and the per person rate is lower for groups of two or more.

Who Sets the Rates

The Virgin Islands Taxicab Commission regulates taxis, taxi companies, and taxi associations across the territory and sets the tariff that the Virgin Islands Legislature approves. Rules covering luggage, waiting time, after hours surcharges, and private hires all come from the commission. If your destination is not printed on the card, the driver charges the rate for the nearest listed destination. Disputes go to the commission's St. Thomas office at 8201 Subbase, and having the license plate number makes any complaint far easier to resolve.

Shared Safari Taxis vs. Private Taxis

The classic St. Thomas taxi is the open air safari, a pickup truck or flatbed fitted with bench seating and a canopy. Most carry 8 to 12 passengers, and only these multi destination vans are authorized to load at the airport. Sharing is the default arrangement. The driver may wait until the vehicle fills, then drop other passengers before reaching your stop. A taxi reserved exclusively for your party is priced separately and costs considerably more, which is why groups of five or six often find the exclusive rate worth the money.

St. Thomas Taxi Rates by Route

The figures below are the published per person rates in effect for 2026. The first column applies when one person travels alone; the second applies when two or more passengers ride together to the same destination. Always confirm the fare before you sit down.

From Cyril E. King Airport (STT)

Cyril E. King Airport sits on the south shore of the island, roughly three miles west of downtown Charlotte Amalie. Taxi rates to and from the airport were established by the commission and approved by the legislature, and the airport operator, the Virgin Islands Port Authority, advises every arriving passenger to confirm the rate before getting in. Off airport limousine and tour companies pay the authority an annual registration fee plus a per trip ramp fee to pick up at the terminal, which is one reason a prebooked private transfer carries a higher price than the shared safari.

 

From Charlotte Amalie and the Cruise Piers

Cruise ships dock at two locations. The West Indian Company dock at Havensight sits about a mile and a half east of the downtown shops, and the Austin Babe Monsanto Marine Terminal at Crown Bay sits about the same distance west. Both piers have marshaled taxi lines, and shared safaris to the popular beaches charge roughly $12 to $15 per person. Passengers who walk a few blocks into town often find shorter waits.

 

Point to Point Fares Between Landmarks

Once you leave the airport or the pier, fares are still fixed by pairing. Magens Bay to Mountain Top is $15 for one passenger or $12 each for two or more. Red Hook to Magens Bay is $18 or $14 each. Magens Bay to the Havensight dock is $15 or $12 each, which is the ride most cruise passengers take back to the ship. Frenchman's Reef to Mountain Top is $18 or $14 each, and Red Hook to Bolongo Bay is $12 or $11 each.

Surcharges That Change the Total

• Luggage: $3 per standard bag per passenger, $6 per bag over the standard dimension.
• After hours: $3 per person between midnight and 6 a.m.
• Waiting time: first five minutes free, then $2 per minute.
• Round trips: double the one way fare plus any waiting charges.
• Radio or phone dispatch: the fare plus one third of the basic single fare, or $2 per passenger for larger parties.
• Hourly charter: from about $60 per hour for a vehicle carrying one to four people, with larger safari vans running $83 to $120 per hour.

Sample Budget for a Family of Four

Picture a family of four flying into STT with four checked bags and staying near Sapphire Beach on the east end. The shared safari costs $15 per person, or $60, plus $12 in luggage fees, for $72 one way. A full week with two beach trips, one Magens Bay excursion, one ferry run to Red Hook for St. John, and the return airport ride adds up to roughly $300 to $350 in taxi fares before tips. An exclusive taxi or a rental car starts to make financial sense at that volume, though left side driving on steep roads is a real adjustment for most New Yorkers.

Famous areas and Landmarks and What a Taxi Costs to Reach Them

Every major attraction on St. Thomas sits within a 20 to 40 minute drive of the airport, so taxi fares stay in the same narrow band no matter where you stay. These are the places our clients visit most and the fare to expect from town.

Magens Bay Beach

The horseshoe bay on the north shore is the reason many people book the flight. Magens Bay Beach is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., admission for nonresidents is $7 per person with children under 12 free, and parking is $2 per vehicle. A taxi from Charlotte Amalie is $15 for one person or $12 each for two or more, and the drive takes about 15 minutes over the ridge past Drake's Seat, where drivers usually pause for photos.

Charlotte Amalie and the Historic Waterfront

The capital is the only part of the island you can comfortably explore on foot. Main Street shopping, the 99 Steps, Fort Christian, and the Blackbeard's Castle watchtower all sit within a few blocks of each other. Rides inside the town limits are a flat $6 per person, and the walk from the Havensight dock takes about 25 minutes if you prefer to skip the fare.

Red Hook and the St. John Ferry

Red Hook on the east end is the departure point for the ferry to Cruz Bay on St. John and the gateway to Virgin Islands National Park. The airport run is the longest common taxi trip on the island at $23 for one person or $17 each for groups, and it takes 35 to 45 minutes in normal traffic. From town the fare is $20 or $15 each.

Coki Point and Coral World

Coki Beach and the Coral World Ocean Park share a cove on the northeast shore and make a popular half day for families. From the airport the fare is $21 or $15 each, and from town it is $18 or $14 each. Sapphire Beach and Smith Bay sit a few minutes farther east at similar prices.

Mountain Top and Drake’s Seat

Mountain Top is the highest accessible point on the island at about 1,500 feet, with a view across Magens Bay toward the British Virgin Islands. Taxi drivers combine it with Drake's Seat on most island tours. From town the fare is $17 or $12 each; from the airport it is $18 or $14 each.

St. Thomas Taxis vs. New York City Rides

The comparison surprises people in both directions. A single short ride in St. Thomas is far cheaper than a Manhattan cab. A family of four making repeated trips pays more in St. Thomas than they would for the same distances at home, because every seat is billed.

 

We cover the New York side of this equation every day. If you are weighing the cost of a yellow cab against a prebooked black car for your ride to the airport, our guide on whether car service is cheaper than a taxi in NYC walks through the real numbers.

Getting from New York to St. Thomas Cost

Island taxi fares are a small slice of the total budget. The flight, the ride to the New York airport, and the cruise or resort booking make up the rest, and the New York leg is the part we can control for you.

Flying From JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia

Nonstop flights from New York to Cyril E. King Airport take about four hours. American Airlines and Delta both fly the route daily from JFK, and United offers nonstop service from Newark on select days, with connections through San Juan filling in the rest of the schedule. Round trip fares swing from roughly $350 in the shoulder season to well over $1,000 in the February school break.

JFK: Terminal 8 and Terminal 4

American departs from Terminal 8 and Delta from Terminal 4, and both morning departures leave between 7 and 9:35 a.m. That means a Manhattan pickup between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m., which is exactly when a reserved JFK airport car service beats standing on a corner hoping a cab appears. Our sedans run $85 to $160 from most Manhattan addresses to JFK depending on the pickup zone and vehicle.

Newark Liberty (EWR)

United's nonstop leaves from Terminal C. For clients in Manhattan, Staten Island, or western Brooklyn, Newark airport car service often saves 20 minutes over JFK on a weekday morning, and we track the Lincoln Tunnel and Goethals Bridge traffic in real time.

LaGuardia (LGA)

There is no nonstop from LaGuardia, but American connects through Charlotte and Miami with one stop. Travelers in Queens, the Bronx, and Nassau County frequently choose our LaGuardia car service for the shorter drive, then accept the layover.

Cruising to St. Thomas From New York

Eastern Caribbean sailings from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at Red Hook, and Cape Liberty in Bayonne regularly call at Charlotte Amalie. Ships tie up at Havensight or Crown Bay, and the taxi line outside the pier is where most passengers meet the per person tariff for the first time. We run Manhattan Cruise Terminal car service and Brooklyn Cruise Terminal car service on sailing day mornings with luggage capacity to match a week at sea.

Airport Transfers Across the New York Service Area

Our car service in New York covers every county in the metro, and rates are flat, quoted in advance, and inclusive of the chauffeur's time at the curb. The list below shows the counties we serve and the airport most of our St. Thomas bound clients use from each.

• Manhattan car service: JFK for American and Delta nonstops, Newark for United.
• Brooklyn car service: JFK via the Belt Parkway, usually 35 to 50 minutes.
• Queens car service: JFK and LaGuardia are both local rides.
• Bronx car service: LaGuardia for connecting itineraries, JFK via the Van Wyck.
• Staten Island car service: Newark over the Goethals Bridge is the shortest airport run.
• Nassau County car service: JFK is 30 to 45 minutes from most of the county.
• Suffolk County car service: early JFK departures need a 3:30 a.m. pickup from the Hamptons.
• Long Island car service: we cover both counties with fixed rates by town.

Sample Itinerary: Upper West Side to Sapphire Beach

A 4:45 a.m. sedan pickup on West 86th Street reaches Terminal 8 by 5:40 a.m. The 7 a.m. American flight lands at STT at 11 a.m. local time. The shared safari from the airport to Sapphire Beach costs $15 per person for a couple plus $6 for two bags, so the island transfer totals $36 plus tip. On the way home, we monitor the return flight and adjust the JFK pickup if the arrival slips.

Pro Tip From Our Dispatch Team

Pull $100 in fives and tens from an ATM before you leave New York. St. Thomas taxi drivers rarely carry change for large bills, and the airport ATM lines after a 757 unloads can run 20 minutes.

Our Fleet for the New York Leg of Your Trip

St. Thomas taxis come in one basic form. The Union Limousine New York fleet covers everyone from a solo business traveler to a 56 person family reunion headed for a Caribbean cruise, and every vehicle is commercially insured and driven by a licensed chauffeur.

Sedans and SUVs

Our Mercedes S Class sedan seats two passengers with two large suitcases and is the standard choice for airport transfers. The Cadillac Escalade SUV seats up to six with luggage, ideal for families flying to STT together. Both vehicles are quoted at flat rates for airport runs and hourly for as directed service.

Stretch Limousines

The Cadillac Escalade stretch limousine carries up to 14 passengers and suits wedding parties, milestone birthdays, and send offs to the cruise terminal. Our limo service in New York is booked by the hour with a minimum that varies by day of the week.

Sprinter Vans

The executive Sprinter van seats up to 14 with a rear luggage bay large enough for a week of Caribbean packing. Extended families and corporate retreats use our Sprinter van service in New York to keep the whole group together on the way to JFK or Cape Liberty.

Party Buses

The 44-passenger party bus turns the drive to the cruise terminal into part of the celebration, with perimeter seating, sound, and lighting. Smaller 24 and 30 passenger versions are available for tighter groups.

Mini Charter Buses

Our 31-passenger mini coach has forward facing seats and undercarriage luggage space, which makes it the right tool for a church group or a school trip flying out of JFK together. We also run 24 and 36 passenger versions.

Full Size Charter Buses

The 56-passenger coach bus handles large reunions, corporate incentive trips, and tour groups boarding a ship in Manhattan or Bayonne. Our charter bus service in New York includes a professional driver, restroom equipped coaches on request, and staging coordination with the terminal.

Money Saving Tips for St. Thomas Taxis

• Travel in pairs or groups so every seat gets the lower per person rate.
• Pack in fewer, larger bags; the $3 fee applies per piece regardless of weight.
• Ask for the exact fare before boarding and compare it with the posted card.
• Book an hourly charter for island tours; three stops by tariff can exceed the hourly rate.
• Avoid the midnight to 6 a.m. window when possible to skip the $3 per person surcharge.
• Confirm whether the taxi is shared or exclusive so you are not surprised by extra stops.
• Bring a portable car seat for toddlers; taxis do not carry them.
• Save the number of a driver you like for the return airport run.

For the New York end, the same logic applies. Reading our guide on how to catch a taxi to the airport in NYC shows why a reserved car at 5 a.m. is usually cheaper in practice than a metered ride with tolls and surcharges, and our post on how much a cab from JFK to Long Island costs covers the eastbound return.

Book Your New York Airport Transfer With Union Limousine

Ready to lock in the New York side of your St. Thomas trip? Union Limousine has provided chauffeured car service across New York City and Long Island since 1997. Reserve online, call us at (718) 514-9881, or email info@unionlimousine.com with your flight number and pickup address. We confirm every booking in writing, track your flight in both directions, and dispatch a licensed chauffeur who will be waiting at the curb on the morning you leave for Cyril E. King Airport and on the evening you come home from a week on Magens Bay. Our chauffeur service in New York runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Conclusion

Taxis in St. Thomas are not expensive per ride, but they are expensive per family. A couple pays $15 to $23 per person for most airport transfers and $6 to $20 per person around the island, always in cash, always at a fixed rate, and always with a $3 charge for each bag. Groups of four or more should price an exclusive taxi or an hourly charter for anything beyond a single transfer. The New York leg is where you have real control over cost and comfort. Union Limousine handles the early morning JFK, Newark, and LaGuardia departures and the cruise terminal departures that start every Caribbean trip from the five boroughs, Nassau County, and Suffolk County, with flat rates you know before the car arrives.