St. Maarten tour advice

[bdabob]

The one day we have in St. Maarten this December off the Eclipse will also see 5 other ships in port. My estimate is there could be 15,000 people ashore!

We thought of renting a car (there are 4 of us) and touring on our own rather than hiring a taxi for the day. Any thoughts from those that have experienced St. Maarten? Are we daft to consider this given the numbers of tourists spending the day there as well?

How long should we allow for driving around the island with various stops, including lunch?

Does anyone have recommendations for car rentals from the port?

For the last 5 years we have learned so much from these boards and we thank you in advance for any comments and ideas.

[lynncarol]

Last January 6 of us (4 adults and 2 kids) rented a minivan in St. Martin and had a wonderful time. Our intinerary: First stop: Loterie Farm, a gorgeous nature preserve with hiking trails to the highest point on the island as well as a zipline (and few visitors) Lunch was at Grande Case (French side). Locals recommended Le T Provencial which was not cheap, but fab. food and right on the water. Next, we headed down to Children's Beach and spent several hours there (no crowds at all). We were back at the dock by 4:00. Hope this helps.