TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Getting to Spanishtown at sunset...

And driving to a villa near Leverick from there. Never haven driven on VG, should I be concerned?

Is the road clearly marked?

10 days...

Driving on VG is easy, though would always recommend daylight for a first timer. Remember to drive on the left. The road is a pretty good quality one. Watch out for a few nasty dips in the roads (rain/water drainage channels that also serve as sleeping policemen in reverse). Couple of them near Ole Works Village. They are marked but you could miss that signage. Hard to get lost on VG, you need to turn left when reaching North Sound, but fairly easily marked. If in doubt, do ask any one you see for details.

I'll just add that you're going to be doing a climb and descent (say 1,000 ft +/-)...to some that's not a problem at all, particularly if you're used to it.

I just wasn't prepped for the climbs...though I should have been.

Also, the roads, while in good condition, are not entirely lit up, so some of the roads, or sections of the road, are very very dark.

Do take the time to make sure your windshield is clean too before you head up/down the hill...I didn't and the oncoming traffic I met completely whited-out the windshield on our first trip up/down, that didn't make me feel any better about the situation I was in...

I'll note too that our second VG morning drive to Baths from Leverick was a little easier than the first trip (someone else driving)...so I would imagine, like all things, you get more and more comfortable with the drive.

Love this board! Real life practical advice. Being a traveling salesman I always make sure my windshield is clean to cut road fatigue (it works).

I'm sure I'll be fine, although depending on the patience of the locals they may not be...

Go drive on Tortola first. VG will be a breeze after that <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Don't worry about the locals...they'll whiz by you as they did us without thinking twice day or night....and I felt like there were very few cars out at night anyway.

Couldn't agree more! The driving on VG is a piece of cake, roads are concrete, wider than usual, and decent signage. Your major focus will be on seeing the sign usually at a driveway for the particular villa.

Good advice above. The one curve that you REALLY need to worry about is in Leverick on the way down the hill to the hotel. After you enter Leverick at the crest of the hill after the school (on your right) - when the pavement turns to concrete from asphalt you will turn right. Several hundred yards down the road, you will begin a fairly steep decent at the end of which is a hairpin curve still on the decent. It is really the only curve you have to be particularly careful of, but you need to know it is coming, particularly on your first drive at night. Other than that, it is a very easy island to navigate with pretty good roads.

Here's a useful tip for you: google Guavaberry Spring Bay and click on their web page. One of the top of page selections is "island info." You can print a pdf file of an island map, or better still, a map of the north side of VG and one of the south side. It not only has the roads, but also the attractions, business's, grocery stores, restaurants, bakeries, etc. It takes the mystery out of transiting VG. Good luck, have fun, use sunscreen liberally. And, is it May yet?

Now that you mention it I do seem to recall coming very close to the hedges on that left turn after a night at dinner. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Yikes.gif" alt="" />

Or a night at your place!

One thing to be aware of is the poor lighting, no sidewalks and many pedestrians along the roadway in and near Spanishtown. They often dress in dark clothing and makes it somewhat difficult to see at night.

Be aware that the same local that blew by you on a curve or a hill may be stopped a couple miles down the road just around a curve chatting with a friend in a vehicle in the opposite lane. Though the latter is more of a daylight phenomenon. All in all VG is one of the easiest islands to drive on.

Belinda and I are going to decide this weekend what our trip dates are for this summer. Probably same timeframe of mid-June early July for 10 days. Hope you both are there around then. Would love to have you and the "elusive" Nick and Monzie up for drinks and some Christmas music. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/toast.gif" alt="" />

Will you be staying above us Rick?

The Christmas music was too funny!
We're going in May this year and when we are there again at the same time, we host.

Absolutely!

It is possible to get bewildered at night on the VG roads. Especially after a Painkiller with the bbq at Hog Heaven. We did. It's dark and the roads aren't well marked. The good news is: it's an island, not all that big, and I've never heard of any "no go" neighborhoods. A handheld gps with trackback feature would be very helpful. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />

Again thanks for the advice, this board is the best.

8 days...