Curious, just spent a week on St. Maarten/St. Martin and one day on St. Barth's a couple of weeks ago. We encountered many more vendors selling stuff on the beaches and at the cruise ship port. Is their a lot of vendors on St. John's and Jost? We plan to make our next Caribbean vacation there and just curious. It won't deter us from traveling there as everyone has the right to try and earn a living, but we spent the day on St. Barth's and it was just a refreshing change not to have a lot of vendors around.
PS what side of the road do they drive on in Jost and St. John's?
Thanks and Cheers!
Matt

Generally the further south you get in the Antilles the more “boat venders“ you’ll meet. As far as the Virgins go not so much. “Boat Venders” as a rule are a great bunch but some can be a bit aggressive. It’s all how the deal starts.

Question 2 = Wrong way

In jost they travel on the "proper" side of the road. I'm not sure about St John. I have not noticed many vendors on Bvi beaches.

Both USVI and BVI drive on the left side. You can judge for yourself if this is the "proper" side. But it's not the "right" side that's for sure.

I don't think I've every seen a vendor on the beach in BVI or USVI.

Cool about the vendors, not so cool about driving on the wrong side of the road. I don't mind that much, but it freaks my wife out. Went to Antigua 3 years ago and she did not want to get in the cars someday's and that's my favorite part of vacation!! How do you get to the best parts of the island, without driving there!! Cheer and thanks!

Coki Beach in St.Thomas sometimes has vendors

They also drive on the wrong side of the car.

Generally on Jost the half they drive on is the middle half.

Please note that it's St.John and not St. Johns and you drive on the proper side of the road for that island not what you consider the "wrong" side from where you are
from. If you can't stomach the drive take a cab. Just sayin <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

More than half the world's population drive on the left...Australia, New Zealand, India ,Japan, UK, most of Africa..it aint so hard!

RE: Driving on the left...heh, heh...or, the first car we rented in the BVI was on Tortola and it had a sticker on the dashboard that said "keep left...blow horn frequently" and we thought it was to remind us to keep left and blow the horn to let other driver's know that we were there. Hmmm...it turned out in fact to be blowing the horn often was a warning to the wild fowl on the road's so that we would not run over them. For you all that don't know, this is not just for chicken's, but also goat's and cattle. I had such a laugh over this that I asked the rental agency for a sticker that I put on my dashboard here in Virginia...lol or, run with it. Driving on the left is easy if you remember where you are...more lol!

St.Croix is driving on the left but the car is set up with the driver on the left. When you rent on other islands that aren't US territories but driving is on the left, is the steering wheel on the right as it is in Europe? IMO that is easier.

Had to get in on this one. When speaking of "vendors" are you talking of people selling their wares in a waterfront type area like Tortola or like small vendors on the sides of the road selling anything from local made island art or?

This is the same thing to me that was the charm of St. John as well as other islands, bars, IE: kite on St. John which was a favorite small local spot selling some locally grown herbs, Excellent atmosphere with a hell of a view.

Unlike the Mexico overkill sell, sell, hounding feeling which is why I still rarely travel there although there are areas there still fun without that.

As far as driving "When in Rome" etc.....

"How do you get to the best parts of the island, without driving there!!"

Do what the majority of the people on this board do and sail to them...But if you really want to get to know the people (IMHO) do more land based trips and get out and explore. I hear many incredible trip stories on this board both land and sea.

Well as you know most people in Nashville just drive down the middle and let the chips fall.

TravelHat - Then you'll be at home driving in the BVI. Locals (as a whole), drive a bit fast and on their own terms regarding lane usage. I stick to the L curb and let conditions direct my driving habits. Stateside I'm more of an aggressive driver (Knoxville, TN.). But all good...

That's true everywhere! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />