Traveling to St. Martin

Their variety of culture, food and beautiful white sand beaches make St. Maarten and St. Martin h popular destinations in the Caribbean. Whether you choose to arrive by plane, cruise ship, or even by helicopter, vacationers have several different choices in how to arrive on this beautiful island.

Because it is a major vacationing hub, travelers should be able to book a flight from most countries including the United States, Europe, and other Caribbean islands. Most of the larger airlines, like American and Continental, will fly into St. Maarten's Princess Juliana International Airport, which is the second busiest airport in the Caribbean. These airlines have services from major cities like Miami, New York , and Paris. If you are flying in on a smaller airline from one of the other Caribbean islands, you will probably fly into Esperance Airport on the French St. Martin side.

Those travelers who visit while cruising the Caribbean will find St. Maarten and St. Martin to be busy with cruise ship patrons, who flock to the to the Dutch side of the island to enjoy the duty -free shopping and great cultural experiences. The port of entry, which is in downtown Philipsburg located on the Dutch St. Maarten, is popular among cruise ship passengers not only because of the extensive shopping, but also for the small shops and cafes that line the downtown streets. Sailors are also free to navigate the island's waters and enter the port at Philipsburg relatively hassle-free. While docked in St. Maarten, cruise ship passengers who have enough time may want to visit the French side of the island, which is close to St. Maarten and is accessible by bus or rental car.

No matter what method of travel you choose to get to the island, vacationers should be prepared to have to experience of a lifetime. The calm waters that surround the island make arriving by boat an easy way to visit the island, and the convenience of air travel is also appealing to many travelers. St. Maarten's and St. Martin's easy accessibility make it an ideal place for travelers to spend their tropical island vacation.