St. Maarten on our own....help!

[ucapike03]

So my wife and I are traveling with another couple...I have been to the island once before and they have never been, but I just dont want to take a ship tour, just because of the price and I want freedom. So I am looking for suggestions...I have been to Orient Bay, very nice, but not sure what else there is...

 

Can you help me with ideas on what to do and how to get around??????

 

 

:confused:

[KirkNC]

We always just rent a car. There are several car rental agencies right out side where the ship docks. It is easy to drive around the island. First we head to Cole Bay (great views) and Fort Amsterdam. Than we always go for lunch and shopping in Marigot. While in Marigot visit Ft St Louis and the St Martin Museum. After that we head to one of the many beaches, red beach is our favorite. We usually end the day in Philipsburg, hitting a few shops before returning the car. While in Philipsburg, stop at the Guavaberry shop and the Museum of St Maarten. Philipsburg also has a number of shopping stops along the water front. If you do all that it will be a full day!

 

Kirk

[ucapike03]

Thanks for the advice...is it hard to get parking???

[ucapike03]

also which car rental do you reccomend???

 

I am looking at Budget, but its only giving me an option for pick up at the airport....

[KirkNC]

I need to check on who we use at home tonight. There are two or three right at the end of the pier. You exit the pier area and bear to the left.

 

Traffic and parking is somewhat problematic. The only place it is a real problem is in Philipsburg itself. We save Philipsburg for the end of the day and return the car and than shop. That way if traffic delays us getting back we have a ton of time. In Marigot we have always found it with out too much hassle. There is some right on the water front. At the beaches you just have to look around. People park all over the grass, under the trees. Be sure not to leave valuables in the car as they might grow legs. We have never had a problem (but we have never left anything in the car).

 

Kirk

[KirkNC]

We are booked on Hertz on St Martin. The cost was/is $100 including a second driver plus insurance.

 

Kirk

[stefo]

we usually get off ship take water taxi and shop up and down streets then return to ship eat lunch then return to go to beach. we go to beach to the left down the boardwalk until you find a guy in a hut that sells beer for $1. lay out, swim, and drink beer:D

[smith6]

We visited St Martins last year on a cruise and spit with another couple on a cab to the French side which was beautiful, the beach is gorgeous a little expensive for chairs and food but well worth the money. We would defintely visit the french side again. Loved it. We had been to St martins twice before but only stayed on the dutch side. Now we know what we were missing.

[Scoodles]

We visited St Martins last year on a cruise and spit with another couple on a cab to the French side which was beautiful, the beach is gorgeous a little expensive for chairs and food but well worth the money. We would defintely visit the french side again. Loved it. We had been to St martins twice before but only stayed on the dutch side. Now we know what we were missing.

 

Was there any particular beach that you went to on the French side? Thanks.

[V and S]

We feel as you do. We like to do things independently. We booked a car on St. Martin for about $60, but cancelled it after having two bad experiences renting cars on Barbados and Martinique (we got hopelessly lost on the former, and the winding roads on the latter took up most of our day!). We got a cab to the butterfly farm, sharing with a couple who were going to Orient Beach (the butterfly farm is about a 15-minute walk from Orient Beach). We LOVED the butterflies and the informative talk given about them. (The farm was started by a family from England; they've also started butterfly farms on other islands.)

 

Then we walked down the road for about 5 minutes to Galion beach. It was really lovely. Sadly, it started pouring rain when we got there, and we spent about an hour inside a little local beach bar/cafe, had a nice lunch, and then decided to walk over to Orient Beach and grab a taxi to Marigot. The walk is through a marshy area where there are some lovely birds.

 

When we got to Orient Beach, it was sunny again, so we rented chairs and umbrellas for $14 with a drink included each at Sun Beach (which just opened). It was very nice. The rain came again after about half an hour, though, so they called us a cab. Our cab driver was great! He told us all about the history and culture of the island, and showed us the house where he grew up as we drove by, and introduced us to his niece at a stop sign where she happened to be walking beside the road. It was really lovely.

 

We LOVED Marigot and wished we had more time there. It is the town where they filmed the original Dr. Doolittle. But our driver told us traffic is VERY bad when ships are in port, and we had to allow a LOT of time to get back to the ship!! If you rent a car, please be aware of this!! We had half an hour in Marigot, and found Seraphina's, a bakery fronting the harbor. Whoa. My husband is from Montreal, and he said the pastry cases reminded him of there. Gorgeous! So tempting! I had something wonderful and some great tea, and then we drove back to Philipsburg.

 

In Philipsburg, we went to the That Yoda Guy gallery and shop. It was GREAT! The man who made Yoda of Star Wars is the owner, and he is also an excellent artist. I bought one of his St. Martin paintings and a bunch of bookmarks.

 

We loved St. Martin, and would return there for a land vacation. Just keep track of the time, and leave yourself a lot of extra time for traffic.

 

PS our taxi fares totaled about $55 for the two of us.

[smith6]

We were about in the middle of the beach. There are alot of different little restaurants along this stretch you can rent chairs etc.. We just asked the cab driver to drop us off at the beach and we walked along. I know there is one stretch of beach called LeString or something which my friend visited she said the drinks and chairs were pretty cheap. We paid about $25 for our chairs. She paid less.

[kal]

...We LOVED Marigot and wished we had more time there. It is the town where they filmed the original Dr. Doolittle...

 

Marigot is the right town, but St. Martin is the wrong island, Dr. Doolittle was filmed in Marigot, St. Lucia.

[Aplmac]

we usually get off ship, take the water taxi and shop up and down streets

then return to ship eat lunch then return to go to beach.

 

We go to beach to the left down the boardwalk until you find a guy in a hut that sells beer for $1.

lay out, swim, and drink beer:D

Dude...that's my dream Busy Day Ashore! :D

 

 

 

 

.

[VoicePro]

We are booked on Hertz on St Martin. The cost was/is $100 including a second driver plus insurance.

 

Kirk

 

Hey Kirk,

 

We're also on the Solstice sailing January 24th and considering joining Royston's tour. I have emailed him asking about the itinerary and cost but haven't heard back yet. Do you know the details of the tour and what the cost is?

 

Thanks,

Joel

[gar1096]

Have been here 6 times and always rent a car. Went with cheapest first time (not a well known name like Hertz, etc..can't remember which one). No one was at the booth for them although Hertz and Budget were there checking out cars. Had to wait 30 minutes before someone showed up. 2nd time used Budget and when we went to return car no one was there until an hour before ship sailed..waited almost 2 hours...From then on I have used Hertz and not had these problems. As far as route we go to Marigot first (beat the crowds from ship excursions). Nice French-style shops and fashions. Pay for everything with our US charge card (exchange rate is calculated by the CC company). Nice harbor with vendors selling handmade neat jewelry and other things they make (not the made in china crap that they write your locations' name on you see elsewhere...). Cigarettes are like 8 bucks a carton so if u smoke good place to stock up (check your customs regulations for what you can bring back...). Also they have like a "main" street where they sell the locally produced island Rum in a variety of flavors and offer free samples. This stuff could power the space shuttle! I bring back a bottle or 2 of the Coconut flavor each time and really feel bad because I "forget" to tell the security people about it as I reboard the ship (wrap it with a few towels and stand it upright in our beach tote..although we ain't been to the beach...). Hide it behind safe in room behind a few pairs of my dirty underwear so NO ONE will disturb it...). (We also went to Pic Paradis ONCE and it is VERY uphill and kinda hairy in places. A secluded area as well where you have to walk a long rocky path and could get hassled by some local crook. Not recommended. We avoid the beaches here cause of the people who are walking around naked AND SHOULDN'T BE cause they look more like a "Biggest loser" before picture than a Chippendale dancer or Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model (there should be a law...especially once you hit like age 50...). After a few hours in Marigot we work our way back the West coast and hit a few casinos where the fancy hotels are on the Dutch Side. Always stop by the airport beach and watch some arrivals/departures (check Expedia on the day you are going for Flights in and out going to like Paris..arrivals start around 1PM local usually...). We have been to the North thru East side of Island before and not much for us there..kinda slummy and dirty in spots...You do drive on the right and is a pleasant stop...

[ucapike03]

Ok...I have rented a Jeep from Avis...

 

Any clue where to go to meet AVIS to get my Jeep???