St Martin/St Maarten / Island Essentials

All travellers to St Maarten & St Martin will need to know the essential island facts.  The information on St Maarten & St Martin shown below is current (2011).

Currency / Credit Cards

In St Martin the official currency is the euro while on St Maarten it is the Netherlands Antilles guilder. The latter is also used on Curaçao but – following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles in 2010 – this is due to be replaced in 2012 with a newly created currency known as the Caribbean guilder. In practice, the US dollar is accepted across the island. Visitors should familiarise themselves with the exchange rates to ensure they pay in the most advantageous currency at the time. Bars, restaurants and shops often offer a choice but the exchange rates vary from place to place – look for signs or ask the staff. Credit cards are accepted widely but not universally, and it is wise to carry some back-up cash to use in markets and on the beach.

Saint Martin 
The official currency is the euro, which exchanges at approximately US$1 = €0.75. With so many American visitors, the dollar is accepted everywhere, as are credit cards. Euros will be accepted in most businesses on the Dutch side. 

Sint Maarten 
On the Dutch side the official currency is the Netherlands Antilles florin/guilder, which is fixed to the US dollar at US$1 = NAFI 1.78. Practically speaking, the dollar is used just as widely as the Florin and credit cards are also accepted by all businesses. NA Florins are generally not accepted on the French side. 

You can change money at many of the hotel receptions but rates will not be as good as at the bank.

Check-In/Check-Out

Check-in/check-out times on St Martin/St Maarten vary according to the individual property, for example at Le Petit Hotel in Grand-Case, St Martin, it is in at 4pm and out by noon. At Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino in Maho, St Maarten, it is in at 3pm and out by 11am. Accommodation providers usually do their best to let you check in early or leave late, but there may be a charge and this option is not always possible. If a room is not available you should also be able to store luggage and relax by the pool, beach or garden if available. Always make any special requests as early as you can, along with any transfer requirements to and from the airport or port.

Departure Tax/Taxes

A departure tax is payable on leaving St Martin/St Maarten, the rate however depends on which side you leave from. 

A US$30 tax is payable on departure from the Princess Juliana Airport (SXM) on the Dutch side. 

A 3 euro departure tax is included in the price of airfare for those leaving from Esperance Airport (SFG) on the French side, so there should be nothing to pay on departure. 

Departure tax should not be levied if you are transitting in the island (ie you are on island for less than 24 hours).

Electricity

Electrical appliances run at 220 volts (50 Hz), following the European standard, in the French side St Martin, and at 110 volts (60 Hz), after the American standard, in the Dutch side St Maarten. Remember to bring the appropriate converters, depending on where you plan on staying.

Embassies/Consulates

There is no diplomatic representation in St Martin/St Maarten. The nearest embassies and High Commissions tend to be in Barbados. There are some consuls in St Maarten, however. 

Canada 
For Embassies and High Commissions see the Definitive Caribbean Guide to Barbados - Island Essentials

Canadians can obtain consular assistance and further information from the Consulate of Canada in Sint Maarten, 11A Green Star Shell Road, Dawn Beach, Sint Maarten, t 543 6261. 

United Kingdom 
For Embassies and High Commissions see the Definitive Caribbean Guide to Barbados - Island Essentials

British citizens can obtain consular advice from the British Consulate in Curacao, 6 Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles, t 5999 747 3322. 

United States 
For Embassies and High Commissions see the Definitive Caribbean Guide to Barbados - Island Essentials

Citizens of the Unites States can get consular advice from the United States Consulate General in Curacao, P.O. Box 158, t 5999 461 3066.

Emergencies

St Martin

Emergency -  17

Ambulance - 18

Police - 17

Fire - 18

St Maarten

Emergency - 911

Ambulance - 112

Police - 111

Fire - 919

Medical

Like the rest of the Caribbean, St Martin/St Maarten has a hot but fairly benign climate. If you are unlucky enough in your holiday to need them, there are medical facilities in the main towns on the island, however your first port of call should probably be your hotel front desk as most hotels have a doctor on call. Pharmacies are located island wide and visitors’ prescriptions can be fulfilled following consultation with a local physician. 

Be wary of the manchioneel tree that grows all over the island. The sap and fruit, which looks like a small green apple, are extremely poisonous and can burn the skin.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which gives holders the right to a limited level of emergency healthcare in European countries, is valid in St Martin but not St Maarten.

St Martin

The Louis Constant Fleming Hospital, t 590 590 52 25 25, in Concordia, is the main hospital in St Martin.

St Maarten

The St Maarten Medical Center, t 599 543 1111, in Cay Hill, is the main hospital in St Maarten.

No vaccinations are required for entry into either St Maarten or St Martin, however a yellow fever certificate is required for travellers arriving from infected areas.

Nudity

Nude and topless sunbathing takes place on the beaches of St Martin/St Maarten. It is  generally confined to certain spots, such as the southern end of Orient Bay (St Martin) and Cupecoy (St Maarten) where it has become accepted practice. However you may well encounter naked bodies elsewhere, for example at the quieter end of popular beaches. There are also some clothing-optional resorts on St Martin.

Places of Worship

St Martin/St Maarten is said to be home to over 90 different nationalities and many different faiths have a prescence on the island. Catholics and Methodists are most prominent but there are also Adventist, Anglican, Baptist, Jewish and Pentecostal congregations. Places of worship of note include the 1856 Ebenezer Methodist Church in Marigot (St Martin) and the 1952 St Martin of Tours Roman Catholic church on the Boardwalk in Philipsburg (St Maarten).

Service Charge / Tipping

Many but not all establishments on St Martin/St Maarten include a service charge in their bills - ask the staff if you are uncertain. The situation is fogged by the mixing of the American approach (where tips are very much expected) and that of the French and Dutch (where service is generally included in bills). It is customary to tip guides, hotel porters and villa staff, but in all cases such payments are at your discretion.

Time Zone

St Martin/St Maarten is in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone, which is four hours behind GMT (Britain in winter) and five behind Europe. During the winter it is an hour ahead of the eastern seaboard of the USA. 

St Martin/St Maarten has no daylight saving time, so when the clocks go forward in summer in the northern hemisphere the island is five hours behind Britain, six behind Europe and on the same time as Eastern Standard Time in the USA.

Water

Water is a precious resource on St Martin/St Maarten and in the past was collected in cisterns. Today there are desalination plants and importation. While it is safe to drink the tap water, most visitors prefer to drink bottled.