Virgin Islands Car Rentals: Every Company Still Open, by Island (2026)

Pick an island

Where you are staying decides it

Renting is a different question on each island: St. Croix is big and flat and you will want a car; St. John is two-thirds national park, steep, and sells out of Jeeps; on Virgin Gorda the car waits at the ferry dock. Pick the island you are staying on.

Magens Bay from the hills above: the long white beach at the head of a sheltered bay on the north shore of St. Thomas

U.S. Virgin IslandsCar rentals on St. Thomas

Taxis do a resort or cruise stay; rent for a villa, beach-hopping or the barge to St. John.

It depends13 companies$60–$165/day posted13 hand over at the airport

Trunk Bay, St. John, seen from the North Shore Road overlook — white sand, turquoise water and Trunk Cay

U.S. Virgin IslandsCar rentals on St. John

Safari taxis do the North Shore; for Coral Bay, the south shore or a few beaches a day, rent a Jeep, months ahead in winter.

Rent, and book early12 companies$70–$175/day posted

Water Island's hills and bays seen from Fort Segarra, with St. Thomas across the water behind

U.S. Virgin IslandsCar rentals on Water Island

No cars: Honeymoon Beach is a walk from the dock, a golf cart does the rest.

A cart, or your feet1 company

St. Croix's East End from the air: green hills and reef-ringed headlands at Point Udall, the north shore running west into the distance

U.S. Virgin IslandsCar rentals on St. Croix

The island is 28 miles long and the buses are few. A car pays for itself.

Rent a car6 companies6 hand over at the airport

Cane Garden Bay from the hillside above it: the curve of sand, yachts at anchor and the green north-shore hills

British Virgin IslandsCar rentals on Tortola

Rent for a villa week or North Shore beach-hopping; taxis do a Road Town stay or a cruise day.

It depends9 companies$45–$125/day posted7 hand over at the airport

The Baths, Virgin Gorda: granite boulders around a clear tidal pool under a blue sky

British Virgin IslandsCar rentals on Virgin Gorda

A day trip to The Baths is a $5–10 taxi; staying a few nights, rent a car.

Rent for a stay2 companies$58–$100/day posted

White Bay, Jost Van Dyke, from the hillside: yachts on their moorings over turquoise water and a long strip of white sand

British Virgin IslandsCar rentals on Jost Van Dyke

Great Harbour and White Bay are a walk or a short taxi apart; rent for the East End or a hillside villa.

Usually not2 companies

Loblolly Bay, Anegada: white sand curving away along the north shore, turquoise water over the reef and palm fronds overhead

British Virgin IslandsCar rentals on Anegada

The beaches are miles from the dock. A Jeep, moke, scooter or e-bike is the way round.

Rent something2 companies$150–$175/day posted

Map

Rental companies by island

Rental companies we confirmed trading on each island. Tap an island for its companies; the insets: Anegada lies about 15 miles north of Virgin Gorda, St. Croix about 40 miles south of St. Thomas.

Side by side

Renting on each island, compared

Island	Need a car?	Companies	Posted day rates	What you rent	Licence
St. Thomas	It depends	13 (5 national)	$60–$165	Cars, SUVs, Jeeps and vans; locals meet you at baggage claim	Your U.S. licence; foreign licences accepted (one local firm sells a $35 permit)
St. John	Rent, and book early	12	$70–$175	4WD Jeeps, Broncos and AWD SUVs only	Your U.S. licence; foreign licences buy a $25–30 permit at the counter
Water Island	A cart, or your feet	1	On request	Golf carts only (2-, 4- and 6-seat)	Your driving licence; 21 or older
St. Croix	Rent a car	6 (3 national)	On request	Cars, SUVs, Jeeps, vans and pickups; no scooters or carts confirmed	Your U.S. licence; foreign licences generally accepted (ask your company)
Tortola	It depends	9 (3 national)	$45–$125	SUVs and Jeeps, from Suzuki Jimnys to 7-seaters	Home licence plus a BVI temporary licence, US$10 cash, from the rental counter
Virgin Gorda	Rent for a stay	2	$58–$100	Small SUVs, Jeep Wranglers, 7-seaters and open mini safaris	Home licence plus a BVI temporary licence, US$10 cash, from the rental counter
Jost Van Dyke	Usually not	2	On request	Jeeps, trucks and scooters	Home licence plus a BVI temporary licence, US$10 cash, from the rental counter
Anegada	Rent something	2	$150–$175	Jeeps, mokes, safari trucks, scooters and e-bikes	BVI temporary licence for a car or scooter (ask the desk); none for an e-bike

Everywhere in the islands

What holds on every island

Side of the road: Every island drives on the LEFT, in American left-hand-drive cars: the steering wheel is on the side nearest the kerb. Keep left on the blind bends and when you pull out.
Licence in the USVI: St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix are U.S. territory: a U.S. licence is all you need.
Licence in the BVI: Bring your home licence and US$10 in cash. Sources disagree on who needs the BVI temporary licence: the U.S. State Department's May 2026 advisory says every visitor renting a car does, and Hertz sells it at its counter for $10; Canada's June 2026 travel advice and the Enterprise/National/Alamo counters say a stay under 30 days can drive on the home licence alone. Rental counters issue it on the spot, valid about three months.
Between islands: A rental stays on its island, with one exception: some St. Thomas companies allow their cars on the car barge to St. John. Nothing crosses between the USVI and the BVI.
Age: 25 is the usual minimum. A few franchises rent from 21 or 22 with a daily young-driver fee.
Insurance: Read your credit card's rental cover before you decline the counter's waiver: some cards and most home auto policies do not reach the territories, and BVI counters say so.
Water Island, Norman, Peter, Cooper: No rental cars. Water Island is walked or toured by golf cart; the out islands are reached by boat.

Virgin Islands car rental FAQ

Do you drive on the left in the Virgin Islands?

Yes. Both the U.S. and British Virgin Islands drive on the left, but the rental cars are American, with the steering wheel on the left. Keep left, especially on blind bends and when pulling out of a car park.

Can I use my U.S. driver's licence in the Virgin Islands?

In the U.S. Virgin Islands, yes: it is U.S. territory. In the British Virgin Islands, bring it with US$10 cash for the temporary BVI licence, which the rental counter issues.

Can I take a rental car from St. Thomas to Tortola?

No. No rental crosses between the USVI and the BVI. Some St. Thomas companies allow their cars on the car barge to St. John; for the BVI, take the ferry and rent there.

Do I need a car in the Virgin Islands?

It depends on the island. On St. Croix, yes for most visitors. On St. John, for anything beyond the north-shore beaches. On St. Thomas and Tortola, for a villa stay or beach-hopping; taxis do a hotel stay. On Virgin Gorda, for a stay of a few nights. On Jost Van Dyke, usually not: it is a walk or a short taxi between the bays.

How much does a rental car cost in the Virgin Islands?

Published 2026 rates run from about $45 a day for a small car on Tortola to $100 for a Jeep Wrangler, and $150–175 on Anegada; St. Thomas and St. John Jeeps run higher in winter. The island pages list each company's posted rates.

Sources & credits

U.S. State Department — British Virgin Islands advisory
Government of Canada — British Virgin Islands travel advice
Virgin Islands Port Authority — airport ground transport
Each island page lists its own sources
Cane Garden Bay from the hillside above it: the curve of sand, yachts at anchor and the green north-shore hills — Balou46, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized).