<p>Anyone vacationed in the British Virgin Islands? How did you get there? Where did you stay? Would you go back? Would love to hear the pros and cons. TIA</p>
<p>I could be wrong, but I think you pretty much have to fly to St. Thomas (USVI) and then take a ferry. I haven’t stayed on a BVI, but I’ve gone to some of the islands on day trips from St. John (USVI). I do know people who have stayed on Tortolla and some of the lesser islands, and they loved it. Depends on what you like to do. The BVIs tend to be more isolated than the USVI with less in the way of dining, shopping etc. We love St. John- it is very laid back, mostly national park, but still lots of options for things to do and day excursions to other islands.</p>
<p>We went to Virgin Gorda last spring. Flew into St. Thomas and took the ferry to VG. </p>
<p>We rented a house at Nail Bay Resort. The house was fine but the resort itself was disappointing. Tennis court in poor condition; restaurant not great. We love to snorkel but the seas were too rough the whole week. We also love to eat 
and we found a few good restaurants - our favorite was Chez Bamboo. All in all, it was not our favorite vacation. This winter we returned to St. Croix - many great restaurants and fabulous snorkeling.</p>
<p>For about the same price as staying at a nice resort you can charter a small yacht (really a big sailboat with four or five bedrooms) that comes with a cook and captain. They will take you everywhere - remote coves, Foxy’s, scuba if you wish, etc. Awesome trip.</p>
<p>FYI recently I saw a lot of garbage lying around here and there. Not too awful, but it isn’t as pristine as it used to be down there.</p>
<p>BTW…St. Thomas is not very nice IMHO.</p>
<p>I have been to BVI 3 times. All 3 of our trips were sailing charters as Spideygirl has suggested. The only difference with our trips is that my H is the captain and I am the Cook! Sailing trips are my kids favorite vacations. The nice thing is that in 1 week you can see the entire BVI. Coves that you can only get to by boat. The distances are all close and there is no open water sailing. Cats roll less but are more expensive. Last time we were there I noticed an increase in the number of power cats.
All three times we flew directly into Tortola via San Juan PR on American Eagle.</p>
<p>We will probably be flying into St Thomas either nonstop from one of the NYC airports or 1 stop in San Juan. Will we need to go through customs in St Thomas or just in the BVI (Virgin Gorda)?</p>
<p>St. Thomas is a U.S. Virgin Island, so you only have to go through customs when you get to the B.V.I. If you take the ferry over, try to get a seat outside. I got stuck sitting inside, towards the front, and the fumes were awful. A few tips when you visit the Baths…Coin-operated lockers are located at the bottom of the hill. Take water shoes, as you have to climb a ladder and some rocks. Be sure and follow the path to the left, as it ends at a beautiful beach.</p>
<p>If you had your own sailboat you could sail to the Baths. Anchor your boat or pick up a mooring. Get in your dingy and head over to that beautiful beach. Back to your boat later and sit eating your lunch from your deck. You can also get there early in the morning before all the people arrive.
I know sailing is not for everyone. But there is nothing like anchoring in a beautiful cove and being one of only a few boats. Coves that can’t easily be reached by land. Having the whole beautiful sandy beach to yourself.</p>
<p>We took a flight from Puerto Rico to BVI and avoided the more crowded US Virgin Islands. There are several things to consider. Firstly, they often cancel flights at the last minute from PR to BVI for no apparent reason…which is really irritating. Natives say this happens whenever the flights have few passengers. Secondly, we rented a car and had a lot of fun, but the roads are steep with sharp curves and not for the faint of heart. Thirdly, read up on the best snorkeling beaches and stay at hotels near there. We avoided beaches that were described as busy, noisy or had lots of surf. We read restaurant reviews before we left the US and took our list with us. There are some great out of the way restaurants with great views and great food. And were some of the best moments of the trip. But the drive to get to some of them was a little hairy, or the parking was a little hairy.</p>
<p>Compared to the US Virgin Islands, BVI is safer, less crowded, and more reserved. We also booked a sailing trip around the area to go snorkeling. We opted not to stay on a boat because the kids needed the ability to roam around and expend energy…sort of a problem on a small boat. It was a terrific vacation. We saw most of the island and surrounding waters. But I do like Hawaii better I have to admit.</p>
<p>I swear by St. John (USVI). Not crowded, not commercial. We stay at the Maho Bay eco-village. It is our favorite vacation. We take day trips to BVI and Jost Van Dyke.</p>
<p>We flew via Miami - San Juan - Virgin Gorda. We counted when we left our home that morning and it took 13 different segments to get from our house to the rental home.</p>
<p>We found the BVI to be unbelievably beautiful but the unreliable electricity was hard to deal with.</p>
<p>How often do the ferries run? If our return flight leaves St Thomas at 8am what time would we need to catch the ferry in Virgin Gorda?</p>
<p>It looks like there is a return flight we can take that leaves St Thomas later in the morning. How difficult is it to maneuver around the San Juan PR airport? We can get an outbound non-stop flight but the return has a stop in PR. Is one hour enough change plane time?</p>
<p>One hour should be fine in San Juan. The airport has improved a lot in recent years.</p>