Since the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) is a U.S. territory, it was a popular holiday destination during the pandemic, as travel regulations were less restricted than Trips abroad. In some places, mainland visitors still had to wear one authorized quarantine hotel or villa, or required regular examination. But with vaccinations and constant change CDC recommendations, It’s pretty complicated planning a getaway, so here are a few tips for planning a USVI vacation from the mainland.
Plan your island vacation two months in advance
Restaurants and excursions are booked out days (sometimes weeks) in advance, so last-minute adventures are often not possible. The popular Oceana Restaurant & Bistro could get rave reviews, but visitors and staff urge you to reserve well in advance. On my own trip, the well-known restaurant was booked for the weekend from Thursday.
The islands also have sunset cocktail cruises and underwater sea treks, but they all fill up quickly. No need to over plan your days, but try to book hot-ticket activities a few weeks before your trip to the island.
Things like car rentals are also booked quickly, and while rental vehicle availability may still be open, prices are rising. I bought my plane tickets in advance but dragged my feet with the car rental company which left me a cost of $ 100 a day. Instead, plan to book your flight and rental car at the same time when planning a rental.
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On flights, you can expect a round-trip ticket to cost between $ 245 and $ 489 non-stop, with cheaper tickets of just under $ 200 if you’re okay with a layover. Qtrips flight price study 2021 The best time to buy is around 64 days before your travel date for the best deals. So plan to buy your tickets about two months in advance.
Schedule your COVID-19 test as it is still needed
USVI requires every traveler, whether fully vaccinated or not, to have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result no more than five days prior to arrival. The tests have declined in the US significantly and turnaround times tend to be faster, but it can still take 24 to 48 hours to get your results back to you. So plan accordingly – you need to base your results on that. upload upload USVI travel portal. And although it wasn’t required, I brought a photocopy of my vaccination card with me.
How to use the USVI travel portal
You should have your test results confirmed before you travel. Once you get your PCR COVID-19 negative test results go to the USVI travel portal and click through the instructions. You will be asked to provide your travel dates, flight and seat numbers, and information about your stay. They will ask the regular COVID-19 safety questions and then instruct you to upload your negative COVID-19 results. Most of the results are sent digitally, but if you get a hard copy, take a photo or scan it.
After submitting the form, you will receive a confirmation email. You will receive a notification within one to two days that you are cleared for arrival. (If the travel portal does not clear you, you will be asked to provide proof of a negative result upon arrival and may have additional testing for a fee of $ 150.) The portal will send you a green QR code that you will have at your fingertips when you get off the plane.
