Air Caraibes jet landing over Maho Beach at St. Maarten; credit Timo Breidenstein
St. Maarten/St. Martin Transportation
St. Maarten / St. Martin function as a major hub in the Caribbean. Most people fly to St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), which accommodates direct flights from North America, South America, and Europe. It’s the airport famous for close landings by large jets over Maho Beach. Some guests headed to St. Martin from nearby islands. Take smaller planes to Grand Case L’Esperance Airport. If you’re nervous about the small plane landing at Grand Case L’Esperance Airport, then Taxi/Uber over to St. Martin.
There are frequent flights from NY (JFK & Newark), Toronto, Montreal, Fort Lauderdale, Washington (Dulles), Chicago, Newark Atlanta, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Paris, Jamaica, Panama City, Curacao, Santo Domingo, and Amsterdam to SXM Airport. United, American, Delta, Air France, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Caribbean, Copa, JetBlue, Air France, KLM, WestJet, and Spirit airlines fly to SXM Airport for connecting flights on small planes to Anguilla, St. Barths, St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Tortola, and Guadeloupe.
Guests then take taxis to their hotels. A valid driver’s license is sufficient to rent a car from SXM Airport: Hertz, Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Europcar, Maurice Car Rental, Sixt and Turbe Car Rental. Driving on the roads of St. Maarten/St. Martin is a worthy adventure, particularly by jeep. Residents often take mini-bus rides around the island. Check their route before riding.
People often travel by ferry from St. Martin to St. Barths and Antigua.
St. Maarten Cruiseport
Port St. Maarten is a port of call for major cruise lines operating in the Lesser Antilles. It can dock up to 6 cruise ships at one time from operators such as:
Holland American
Carnival
Viking Cruises
Royal Caribbean
Norwegian
Princess Cruises
Celebrity Cruises
Disney
Azamara
Two cruise ships docked at St. Maarten; (c) Soul Of America
Arriving cruise travelers are a mere 15 minutes from the Dutch side’s capital city of Philipsburg. Ground taxis, water taxis, and tour buses stand ready to whisk the less adventurous or less mobile away. The Captain Hodge Wharf, Walter Williams Jetty, and Bobby’s Marina are three convenient water taxi stops on the Philipsburg waterfront and $6 one-day tickets for unlimited rides can be purchased from the companies. Additionally, 100 taxis await cruise arrivals at the terminal for fares to Philipsburg or elsewhere on the island. Or you can walk to a nearby shop.
If smaller cruises around the island and inter-island are your desire, consider Port de Galisbay in Saint Martin for these cruise operators:
Seadream Yacht
La Compagnie du Ponant
Crystal Cruises
