Trip readiness checklist for US Virgin Islands

What to pack

The US Virgin Islands are three islands with three moods: St. Thomas shops, St. John hikes, St. Croix lingers. Pack reef-safe, pack light, and bring something to cover up with between the beach and the bar.

• Reef-safe sunscreen, by law

  The territory banned sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate in 2020. Mineral formulas only; the shops here sell nothing else.

• Water shoes and a rash guard

  Trunk Bay's underwater trail, rocky entries on St. John's north shore and the Buck Island reef all reward covered feet and shoulders.

• A cover-up for town

  Swimwear off the beach is frowned on and, in Charlotte Amalie, against local ordinance. A shirt and shorts solves it.

• Small bills

  Taxis are shared trucks with per-person fares and drivers who cannot always break a fifty. Beach bars on the smaller islands lean cash.

When to go

December to April is peak, and Charlotte Amalie turns into a shopping mall on days when three cruise ships dock; check the port schedule and go to St. John those days. St. Thomas Carnival in late April and St. John's July 4 festival are loud and wonderful. August to October is hurricane season and quiet; May, June and November are the calm, cheaper middle.

Money & getting around

US dollars and US cards, US tipping (15 to 20 percent), and no sales tax on most goods, which is half the point of the shopping. There is no Uber or Lyft: taxis are open-sided 'safari' trucks with government-set per-person rates, so ask the fare before you climb in. The St. Thomas to St. John ferry from Red Hook takes 20 minutes and runs hourly. Rental cars drive on the left.

Local quirks worth knowing

The USVI is America on island time, driving on the wrong side of the road. Slow down, say good morning, and it all makes sense.

• Drive on the left

  In a left-hand-drive American car, which is as odd as it sounds. Go slowly on the first day; the roads are steep, narrow and full of goats.

• Good morning comes before business

  Walking up to a counter and ordering without a greeting is the fastest way to slow service. 'Good morning' or 'good afternoon' first, every time.

• Beachwear stays at the beach

  Shirts on in town and in shops. Charlotte Amalie enforces it with a fine, and everyone else enforces it with a look.

• Liming is the plan

  To lime is to hang out with no agenda. If someone invites you to lime, there is no schedule, and that is the compliment.

• Sunday is slow

  Many shops close, ferries thin out and the beach fills with local families and barbecue. Plan Sunday around a beach, not errands.

A week in US Virgin Islands, the list starts here

Quantities scale with your dates, the weather groups arrive once we have your travel days, and your own plans add their gear on Trip Pass.

• Passport & travel documents1
• Phone charger & adapter1
• Wallet, cards & some local cash1
• Toiletries bag1
• Any daily medicationsenough for the trip
• Underwear7
• Socks7
• T-shirts / tops5

• Everything in my carry-on, and why each thing earns its spot
• The packing trick that got me through 3 countries with one carry-on