The wife and I are headed to St. Thomas next week and will be staying at the MorningStar resort at the Marriott's Frenchmen's Reef. For the last 16 years, we've been going to Cancun this time of year but with the troubles in Mexico, we decided on a change and settled on St. Thomas.

Since we have never been there, I'm looking for advice on the following items.

1. Car rental - Should we rent one or rely on taxi's. We'll be there for more than a week and we want to explore the entire island, but don't know if a car rental is a good idea or not.

2. Restaurants - We like to eat local food so we never go all inclusive. We love all kinds of food, especially Italian, seafood, and Chinese. Any recommendations you can offer that are close to the Marriott.

3. Day trips - I've heard that St. John's is lovely and we're just wondering if it would be worth our time to visit St. John's? Should we try to book a tour when we get there or should we just take a ferry and explore on our own?

Thanks for the advice and we are really looking forward to our trip.

Lucky you!!! Frenchmans Reef is beautiful. Coki Beach is our favorite for snorkeling. There is a ice cream shop, you should try in Magens Bay. Duffy's love shack is a fun place to eat in Red Hook on the East side of the island. Be sure to take the ferry to St John's island. We brought our car and hit all the beaches there. Have a great time

St Thomas is an awesome island. I have gone numerous times and also had my daughter baptized down there. The only way to go is rent a car. I use Hertz or Avis at the airport, I didn't like budget down there to long of lines and my bill was more than quoted. They drive on the left side of the road but sterring wheel is the same as USA. The maps are good and you won't have any trouble. If you want a good meal little pricy but it's call A Room With A View, nice small place. The Caribbean Saloon in red hook also good bar/lunch food and big portions. They have your usually subways, McDonald's and Wendys. Senor Pizza in red hook good as well for pizza. The Grocery stores look not a clean as USA but have gone to the one in red hook and also at TuTu Park Mall. Have never been sick off anything we have bought there. Prices higher than USA. The highlight of one of our trips was renting a boat out of red hook marina, you can choose a half or whole day, whole day goes into BVI's, awesome trip we hired a captain and you pay for fuel. But you see beautiful islands and it is by far the best thing we have ever done went snorkeling out at a place called Indians. You can also choose to take ferries out of red hook better there then going out of charlott amelia, the ferries run every hour on the hour to st john's, you can also do day trips to tortola or vigin gorda. Been to both as well all I can say is Beautiful. Now I haven't been back in 6 months but if Mountain top is rebuilt from there fire yet go and have a Banana Dacquari they are known for them if not rebuilt you must visit and try them at the Botonical Gardens. Beaches, we like coki beach more crowded and you will find some smoking pot on that beach up in the back area, megan's bay very nice they do charge to get in $4 a person and I forget how much for the car but maybe $2, they have picnic tables there also. Now we have traveled a good portion of the caribbean and keep coming back to st thomas and hope one day to buy a place, you will love it. I hope you have a wonderful vacation and I am wishing I was going but looking for my return this july hopefully, HAVE FUN!