After you arrive on St. John, I recommend taking another taxi to your villa. Perhaps you could ask the driver to drop two members of your party off at the car rental agency to drive to the villa, or else you could go to the villa, get settled, and then deal with the rentals. If you call in advance, the rental agency might even agree to pick you up at your villa in the rentals.

And just as a note: it is possible to rent a car on St. Thomas and transport it to St. John via one of the car ferries. This is a fairly major undertaking, however, and not advisable since in the event of car trouble, your rental agency is on another island.

Have a great time! March is a wonderful time to visit the islands.

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Washington, DC: I'm a US licensed private pilot. Are there any aircraft rental businesses in the BVI that will rent a light aircraft to me? If not, is there any way to fly around with a BVI pilot in a small plane? I'd like to check out some of the smaller islands that are off the beaten track. I'm also a huge fan of roti. What's the best roti in the BVI? Also, what can you recommend for day care in the BVI? I'd love to leave my 1-3 year-old with somebody for a few hours so that my wife and I can go SCUBA diving.

Susanna Henighan: Dear Washington:

Wow, these are some great questions.

First of all, I have not been able to find a business in the BVI that rents aircraft. There are a number of air charter companies, and it is possible that you could negotiate with one of them to provide this service. It is certainly not the usual request, however. You could start with Fly BVI (284/495-1747).

I should add that flying around the islands is a lot of fun, whether you're a pilot or not. I love the short flights between Tortola and Anegada, Tortola and Virgin Gorda, and St. Thomas and St. Croix. The scenery from up above is just spectacular.

On the topic of Rotis, this is an easy one: the best roti in the BVI can be found at the Roti Palace on Main Street, next to the Post Office. Call ahead so Mrs. Leonard knows you are coming (284/494-4196).

Finally, childcare: Some of the resorts offer this service; Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda has an entire programme for children. There are also a number of day care centres on the island, most in the Road Town area. As far as I know, however, none of them cater to visitors. I would recommend speaking with the proprietor of the inn or villa that you are staying with early -- preferably before you arrive. I am sure that they could arrange something for you.

Have a great trip!