Well let me try to answer all your questions and shed some additional light
The island is St John – there is no “s” on the end. There is a town in Antigua that is called St Johns.
Travel Ban:
I can happily say up to this point the Judicial Branch of our Government seems to be doing due diligence to their job and their Constitutional responsibilities (IMHO – not looking for a political discussion) Hence, I would not penalize the U. S. Virgin Islands, but instead rejoice our system of Government is working.
Airfare:
Whether you are flying to the USVI or the BVI the cheapest entry point for both is usually St Thomas. (STT). It is a 20 Minute ferry ride form Red Hook in St Thomas to St John (No airport on St John) or a 45-minute ferry ride to Tortola in the BVI. Provide more details on that if you decide to hit either place.
As for flight a recommendation: I would look to fly into Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Philadelphia, New York, or DC (in that order) and then on to STT. The other option if you can get a direct flight to San Juan (SJU) then over to STT which is about a 20-minute flight or into Tortola (EIS) a 30-minute flight. If you take the San Juan option you may want to throw a couple days in for Old San Juan and the Rain Forest.
Transportation:
Yes, they do drive on the left in US style cars. Max speed limit on the island I think is 25. Renting a car is a must. Public transportation is minimal. You do not need a jeep unless you want to go to the extremely remote locations or depending on where you choose to stay. (Some villas can have challenging driveways.) The roads after it rains, because of the hills, can be tricky. Don’t worry about scratches on the car, but always take a close look at the tires.
Traveling back and forth from USVI to BVI is done by ferry, and day trips are possible. There are also many private excursions that will let you have a great day in the BVI either by Sail or Motor. A week in STJ and week in the BVI is not a bad plan either. I can honestly say our favorite vacations in this part of the world has been chartering a sailboat. Then you have your cake and eat too! Let me know if that would be an option.
Lodging:
The good news is there are ZERO high rise hotels on the island of St John!
In fact, there are only two real hotels. Caneel Bay, which is a high-end resort that was originally part of the Laurence Rockefeller Rock Resorts. It is on a beautiful piece of property and wonderful beaches. Eco Friendly and very expensive. The other is the Westin. Another pricey choice, nice facility on the water, albeit it is a manmade beach and the bay it is on is where a lot locals moor their sailboats. Not a great swimming hole.
There are some nice small inns and condos scattered about and that may be an option to consider. If that options interest you we have stayed at a few and I can give you a few recommendations. But in reality, the best place to stay in STJ in a villa. There are modest one bedrooms to luxury beyond the imagination. Since the island is 67% National Park, there are two major areas where visitors say. Cruz Bay, where the ferry comes in, and Coral Bay, which is much more isolated and a has a different vibe.
We have been traveling to STJ since the 70s and have stayed on both sides, but we tend to prefer the Cruz Bay side of the island. There is also the East End which is very remote and where a lot of locals and ex-pats live. Then on top the mountain between Cruz and Coral bay there are other places that provide amazing views and access to both.
One important fact to note is that since the island is mostly a national park there are very few places “on” the water. The higher you go up the better the views and the breezes.
Timing:
The time you are shooting for is excellent time. The week after Thanksgiving there are usually great airfares, and villa availability is good. Christmas time is crazy (cost and availability) so if you are out there by 15th or so you are good. Also, the island is in the lull before the storm of “season” which is Christmas to Easter roughly. My personal favorite month is May or October-November. September is the sleepiest month and there are a lot of things closed as many locals take holiday stateside. Also September is the most likely month for hurricanes. However, in September the beaches are empty, but the humidity is high.
Beaches:
The beaches are amazing and most you can just walk off and swim or snorkel. My wife has swum the Beach to Beach Swim in May a couple times. The race starts in Maho and ends 3.5 miles later. The best swimming beaches are on the North Shore. Very little to any wave action on the North Shore, except a couple times of year. The window of opportunity for the waves is the November to March timeframe, but if memory serves me well February and March are the most likely months. Here again they will only last a day or two as a front goes by.
Hikes & Strolls
The hiking trails are at all skill levels – some are just nice strolls from one beach to another, and some can be challenging. The roads on island are not highways by any stretch of the imagination and many folks walk the roads. Some of our favorite beaches you have to walk to get there, and the paths/trails are wide and enjoyable, so I think there are many options for leg stretching.
We have stayed in the VIs (USVI or BVI) on St Thomas, St John, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda. As I said we have also sailed the islands multiple times seeing most of them. I can say that each island is unique and all have their good and bad, but I think St John meets what you described the best.
So, after that brief highlight of STJ… other islands you may want to throw into the consideration process:
Anguilla in the BWI and Guadeloupe in the FWI.
Stayed on both and each offers some unique opportunities to find paradise. Anguilla, you would probably be best looking to fly from Paris to St Maarten and then ferry to Anguilla.
I am pretty sure there are direct flights from Paris to Guadeloupe.
Just saw
Sojourner post and the BVI - Tortola or Virgin Gorda best two choices for sure. Now if you are a party animal I would say Joost Van Dyke!