Planning a Trip to St. Maarten + St. Martin

Are you dreaming of a Caribbean island vacation any time soon?

St. Maarten and St. Martin (spoiler – it’s the same island) is waiting for you! Think white-sand beaches, turquoise ocean waters and lovely boutique hotels offering the ultimate in R&R.

But that’s not all that this dual-nation island offers.

St. Maarten is a Dutch colony, while St. Martin is French, so the two sides of the island have their own distinctive vibe and flavor.

Sip rosé while soaking up the sun at glam French beach clubs in St. Martin. Then head over to St. Maarten to hit up the casinos and snag duty-free bling!

Planning a trip to St. Maarten and St. Martin can be a bit of a headscratcher, thanks to its unique status as an island of two countries.

Planning a trip to St. Maarten and St. Martin

Where is St. Maarten and St. Martin?

Now the first question you might have is – where exactly is it?

The island of St. Maarten and St. Martin lies in the northeastern Caribbean Sea, at the corner of the chain of islands leading from Florida to the coast of Colombia.

It’s around 1,219 miles from Miami as the crow flies.

Dutch St. Maarten is also called Sint Maarten and Saint Maarten. French St. Martin is also called Saint Martin.

Best time to visit St. Maarten and St. Martin

When planning a trip to Saint Martin, keep in mind that the rainy hurricane season runs from June through November. July and August are the rainiest, and September is the worst for hurricanes.

So basically, travel to this Caribbean island anytime from November to June, and you should have great weather.

If you’re visiting in high season (December to March), locals say January is calm (no wind), February is a tad rainy and March is breezy.

The skies alternated between sunny and cloudy. Only a couple of brief rain squalls caused us to seek shelter for a few minutes until the sun shone again.

Is St. Maarten safe for tourists?

And what about the island’s French side? Is St. Martin safe to visit?

Yes, both St. Maarten and St. Martin are quite safe for tourists – it’s even called the Friendly Island!

As can be expected in most places around the world, there’s a bit of street crime and petty theft.

But take appropriate precautions (such as avoiding walking around at night in sketchy areas and not flashing valuables outside of the tourist areas), and you shouldn’t be affected by any trouble on your trip to St. Martin.

We felt perfectly safe on both of our stays.

How to get to St. Maarten

International travel to St. Maarten is easy.

Direct flights on Delta, American Airlines, West Jet, Air France and other major airlines bring in plane loads of happy vacationers from the United States, Canada and Europe.

Winair, based in St. Maarten, also flies within the Caribbean. So if you’re island-hopping, you can fly to St. Maarten from 15 Caribbean destinations like St. Barts, Barbados, Antigua and San Juan (Puerto Rico).

The international airport – the Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) – is on the Dutch side of St. Maarten in Simpson Bay, near the St. Maarten capital of Philipsburg.

Work is still ongoing (it’s a large airport), but you don’t have to worry about melting in the heat when flying to and from the island.

Getting around St. Maarten and St. Martin – no border!

One of the most interesting aspects about this island is that even though it’s basically two countries in one, there’s no actual border between the two.

Unlike most borders between different countries, no one is checking your passport. You don’t have to go through immigration every time you cross from one side to the next.

That means you could stand with one leg on each side, and the authorities wouldn’t care.

Renting a car in St. Martin

If you just want to lie on the beach (no judgment here) and stay in places like Grand Case or Orient Bay on the island’s French side, you won’t need a car.

However, if you want to explore the entire island, there are a lot of unique experiences to be had (see below: “Things to do in St. Maarten/St. Martin”).

Depending on when you go, you can rent a car in St. Maarten (and in St. Martin) for as little as $30 USD a day.

After researching reviews online, we booked a small automatic from Discount Car Rental in advance of our trip and were really impressed with the service we received.

We were met right at the airport’s arrivals hall and escorted to our parked rental vehicle, where we were given the keys.

The cost was very reasonable and included full insurance (CDW, LDW and theft) and unlimited mileage. There were no hidden extras. All we had to do was top up the fuel before returning the car.

What’s the driving in St. Martin/St. Maarten like?

Well… It’s a bit of a learning curve if you’re a visitor renting a car.

The streets are narrow, with no shoulders, winding and up and down hills outside the towns and villages.

There’s surprisingly quite a bit of traffic congestion.

Sometimes vehicles barely inch along, equating to long driving times for short distances if you hit a bad stretch or travel during rush hour. (It may be a Caribbean island, but there’s still a rush hour.)

On the road, the French method of driving prevails. Cars butt into traffic in front of you willy-nilly and the roundabouts are a complete free-for-all.

And forget about parking. Side streets are often fully taken over by parked vehicles.

So driving on the island is a bit stressful until you get the hang of it. We survived. Other visitors do too.

The good news if you’re coming from North America is that at least you drive on the right-hand side of the road on the island.

Other practical things to know before you travel to St. Martin

Currency

Languages

As you’d expect, French and Dutch are the official languages of the island. But due to the island’s location (i.e., in the Caribbean) and huge tourism industry, English is widely spoken.

As you explore, you may also hear snippets of Spanish, Creole and Papiamento, a native tongue.

St. Martin and St. Maarten entry requirements

Do you need a passport for St. Maarten and St. Martin?

Yes. You need a valid passport and a return ticket to visit.

Vaccinations

There are no special vaccinations required to visit St. Maarten.

St. Martin/St. Maarten after Hurricane Irma

Many of the buildings on the French side of the island still haven’t been repaired after the devastating hurricane of 2017.

Then again, many buildings have been totally rebuilt.

You quickly get accustomed to the sight of “damaged” and “repaired” standing side by side. It doesn’t take long before your eyes interpret the ramshackle mix of graffiti-splattered ruins and brand-new hotels and restaurants as a charming melee.

The Dutch side of the island is more advanced. Little evidence of Hurricane Irma remains in today’s St. Maarten.

There are lots of fun things to do in St. Maarten (and St. Martin.)

As a Caribbean Island, part of the Leeward Islands, it’ll come as no surprise that it’s blessed with 37 great beaches and brilliantly blue sea water, warm enough for swimming all year long.

But it’s St. Maarten’s unique culture that makes it stand out from other tropical paradises.

You can literally have two different vacations by enjoying the fabulous French food and luxury boutique hotels on the French side, before crossing the non-existent border for duty-free shopping and partying until dawn on the Dutch side.

And in case you missed it, be sure to hop on over to our post on the best things to do in Saint Martin and St. Maarten for all the details!

Where to stay on St. Maarten/St. Martin

As it’s an island of many contrasts, you’re probably wondering about the best places to stay in St. Maarten and St. Martin. Here’s our take on the top resort areas and their atmosphere.

(Also be sure to read our posts on the 17 best hotels in St. Martin/St. Maarten and the best area to stay in French St. Martin.)

Dutch St. Maarten vs. French St. Martin

The Dutch side of St. Maarten generally sees more tourists, thanks to being home to the airport and the place where cruise ships dock. It also has more of a Caribbean culture.

The French side is arguably more European.

It also has more smaller boutique hotels (as opposed to larger resorts and hotels found on the Dutch half). So for a European atmosphere (but with Caribbean weather!), opt to stay in St. Martin.

Of course, wherever you choose to stay, you can easily hop from one side of the island to the other – remember, there isn’t a border.

Simpson Bay

Boasting one of the best beaches in St. Maarten, Simpson Bay is the ideal place to stay to get a full taste of the Dutch side of the island.

Step outside your resort and feel the sand beneath your toes, paddle a kayak in deliciously warm water and enjoy a buzzing tourist-focused center with all the amenities you could desire.

Grand Case

Grand Case is the most populous settlement on the French side of the island (although it’s still pretty small).

It’s a fairly popular tourist spot. But it’s much quieter than the Dutch resorts on the south of the island.

Grand Case Beach is awesome, with golden sand stretching almost as far as the eye can see.

The town is famous for its incredible restaurants offering French gastronomy; it’s often thought to be the culinary capital of the Caribbean.

We’ve written reviews on two of the best hotels in Grand Case: Hotel L’Esplanade and Grand Case Beach Club.

Orient Bay

With the largest beach on the island, Orient Bay is the most popular place to stay on the French side. (We stayed at Esmeralda Resort.)

You’ll delight in an unmistakably French vibe when vacationing here, with classy beach clubs and bountiful gastronomic options.

If it wasn’t for the tropical weather, you could almost believe you’re in St. Tropez!

As it’s on the windward side of the island, Orient Bay is also the best place to stay in St. Martin for windsurfing and kitesurfing.

That wraps up our St. Maarten and Saint Martin travel guide!

If you’re looking for a sun-soaked Caribbean island with a European flavor, you’ll be enamored with St. Martin and St. Maarten.

It has everything you could want from a Caribbean holiday – culture, nature, adventure, haute cuisine, nightlife and beautiful hotels and resorts.

Hopefully you’ve found this St. Maarten travel guide useful in planning your Caribbean vacation.

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