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Thinking about going to St.Maarten/Sint Maarten in June for vacation with the wife.
We've never been so looking for some good tips and information on what to do and where to stay. I understand the island is really 2 different cultures?
We like the beach, good dining, night entertainment, day activities, etc..
Do we need a rental car or can we take a taxi to the hotel and use public transportation or maybe even scooters to get around?
Would like to hear all about it and your experiences, thanks.
I'm surprised you haven't gotten any responses, it's a popular destination. We've gone many times, it's our favorite island.
We stayed on the Dutch side once, and then stuck to the French side, which we far prefer.
The food on the French side is great. But, evening entertainment during the off season ( June included), is sparse, so if that's important to you, maybe stick with the younger crowd on the Dutch side.
Many people rent cars, it isn't terribly difficult to navigate around, but since we tend to only leave the hotel grounds for dinner, we stick to taxis. I wouldn't rely on either public transportation or scooters, the first isn't plentiful, and, especially in the city areas, drivers are neither patient nor considerate of anybody on the road, much less scooters.
But the beaches are wonderful, and that's all we need to be happy.
I only stopped over on a cruise, but we hit both sides of the island and went to a couple of beaches. I do remember taxi prices are fixed, and not cheap, so if I was staying for vacation I'd look into getting my own transport. Driving seemed fine there. Very cool island; I'd like to go back.
One thing a really enjoyed during my short visit to St. Maarten was the "Sea Trek" experience. You can look it up on the internet, but the deal was that they put in a diving helmet with air lines running to the surface and you walk on the bottom of the little bay.
I haven't been there in about 15 years, but this is what I thought about it. It was very expensive and if you're on the French side the people are very rude to Americans! The island and beaches were beautiful, but I'd never go back!
I've been to SM twice, and it's a nice place to visit. We rented a car from Hertz. It was a 2-year old Toyota Yaris with 13k miles on it. It was so weak, it would almost stop when going up steep hills. The trunk had been damaged, and wouldn't close properly. The roads are narrow and congested. There is a lot of poverty on the inner part of the island - it's quite a shock of you've never been to the Caribbean. I went to the post office on the French side, and after waiting in line for stamps for 15 minutes, was told that they did not take American dollars, only Euros. The French side is not as friendly as the Dutch side.
The beaches are very nice, especially on the Caribbean side of the island. The Atlantic side is nice, but it's a little rougher, more seaweed, and water cooler. We went in the winter, so probably more crowded than in the summer. The cruise ships cause a lot of crowds to appear.
It's nice, the people are friendly, the beaches are good. It's hilly. I like both French and Dutch side. Orient beach in very nice.
We haven't experienced rudeness to Americans at all. In fact, we've never had so many drinks purchased on our behalf as we have on the French side.
I have been there many times and agree, the people are very friendly. I had one negative experience though. I parked in an illegal spot. There was no signs, and other people were parked there too, but they must have been locals.
I apologized to the police officer and told him I would move it.
He said "I already called the tow truck."
So I said, "But you dont have to tow it because I am here."
He said, "Take that up with the tow truck driver when he gets here."
Long story short, the tow truck driver wanted $100 to NOT tow my rental car.
So, go there. Have fun. Just be careful where you park.
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