Staying Connected

In the Virgin Islands, hotel surcharges on long-distance and local calls are usually astronomical, so you're better off using your cellphone or a public pay telephone. Many convenience stores, groceries, and packaging services sell prepaid calling cards in denominations up to $50; for international visitors these can be the least expensive way to call home. Many public pay phones at airports now accept American Express, MasterCard, and Visa credit cards. Local calls made from pay phones in most locales cost either 25¢ or 35¢ (no pennies, please). Many of the most rural or expressly private resorts and hotels in the Virgin Islands do not provide phones in the rooms, but have phones in their lobbies or common areas.

Most long-distance and international calls can be dialed directly from any phone. For calls within the United States, including the U.S. Virgins, and to Canada, dial 1 followed by the area code and the seven-digit number. For other international calls, dial 011 followed by the country code, the city code, and the number you are calling.

You can call the British Virgins from the United States by just dialing 1, the area code 284, and the number; from the U.K. dial 011-44, then the number. To call the U.S. from the B.V.I., just dial 1 + area code and the number; to call the U.K. from the B.V.I., dial 011-44-, then the number.

For calls from within the British Virgin Islands, the same calling procedure as in the U.S.V.I. applies.

Calls to area codes 800, 888, 877, and 866 are toll-free. However, calls to area codes 700 and 900 (chat lines, bulletin boards, "dating" services, and so on) can be very expensive -- usually a charge of 95¢ to $3 or more per minute, and they sometimes have minimum charges that can run as high as $15 or more.

For reversed-charge or collect calls, and for person-to-person calls, dial the number 0, then the area code and number; an operator will come on the line, and you should specify whether you are calling collect, person-to-person, or both. If your operator-assisted call is international, ask for the overseas operator.

For local directory assistance ("information"), dial 411; for long-distance information, dial 1, then the appropriate area code and 555-1212.

Cellphones

While traveling through the less-developed regions of the Virgin Islands, you might find your cellphone to be completely useless. To some vacationers this is a major perk, while to others this is a frightening prospect.

It's acknowledged by cellphone users that the best reception in the U.S.V.I. or B.V.I. is provided by Sprint and AT&T. If you're using an American cellphone in the Virgin Islands, the same rates and price plans that you would have in the U.S. should apply. However, cellphone reception is spotty and sometimes calls are dropped in mountainous regions, deep valleys, or rural areas in both the U.S.V.I. and the B.V.I. The use of cellphones in both the U.S.V.I. and the B.V.I. has become a way of life for most residents, just like it is on the mainland.

Internet & E-Mail

Your hotel remains the best bet for Internet access. The day of the grand Internet cafe has not arrived in the Virgin Islands. The best chances for Internet access are found in St. Thomas, less so in St. Croix, and even less so in St. John, except for two deluxe hotels.

In Charlotte Amalie, you will find a few small cafes that will let you use an Internet-ready computer for the price of a coffee.

Throughout the British Virgin Islands, it is difficult to find places where you can use the Internet. Increasingly, Tortola and Virgin Gorda have Internet access, but it is very rare in the out islands of the B.V.I., although modern technology is slowly creeping in.

Online Traveler's Toolbox

Veteran travelers usually carry some essential items to make their trips easier. Following is a selection of handy online tools to bookmark and use.

• Virgin Islands Now (www.vinow.com)
• Virgin Islands Daily News (www.virginislandsdailynews.com)
• B.V.I. Online Travel Guide (www.b-v-i.com)
• St. John Beach Guide (www.stjohnbeachguide.com)
• GoToStJohn.com (www.gotostjohn.com).
• GoToStCroix.com (www.gotostcroix.com)
• Airplane Food (www.airlinemeals.net)
• Airplane Seating (www.seatguru.com and www.airlinequality.com)
• Maps (www.mapquest.com)
• Time and Date (www.timeanddate.com)
• Travel Warnings (http://travel.state.gov, www.fco.gov.uk/travel, www.voyage.gc.ca, and www.dfat.gov.au)
• Visa ATM Locator (www.visa.com), MasterCard ATM Locator (www.mastercard.com)
• Weather (www.intellicast.com and www.weather.com)