St. Martin

[CruellaDuVille]

I'd like to go to the French side on my own (no excursions). What are my alternatives? Taxis available? Rental cars, available or do I need reservations? Local buses?

I'm not interested in scooters or anything like that.

Any info would be helpful. Thanks in advance. Cruella.

 

[Viking]

We took a taxi from the marketplace to Oriental Bay. It was $15 for two persons, $20 for four persons one way. The car was a Dodge van with 8 or nine seats, extremely clean, with A/C and a very nice driver. We made an appointment for pick-up in the afternoon and he was absolutely punctual. At the beach we rented 2 lounges and a shade for $10, drinks were about $3 for a Coke and $5 for a Bud. The beach was a D R E A M. The trip took about 20 to 30 minutes per ride and the driver drove very safely and was very nice. His name was Frances, the Dodge was white with small flame stickers on the front fenders - So you can look out for him.
You can pay in Dollars or in Euros - Our new currency also found its way into the Caribbean, so we Europeans can pay with our own money

 

[CruellaDuVille]

Thank you. That's just what I was looking for.

Were there a lot of taxi's on the French side for the return? Can we be more spontaneous about when we return or should we be sure to make arrangements?

 

[nigellong]

We returned yesterday from the Magic. In St Martin we had prebooked a rental car from Hertz - with tax (no insurance - we relied on our credit card coverage) it cost us $65. The rental car offices are right in the dock area - I remember seeing Budget and Thrifty plus a couple of others. We drove to the French side and stopped in Maigot then went on to Orient Beach, which was as great as everyone says. Then a stop in Phillipsburg on the Dutch side before returning to the Magic.
The great thing about the car was the freedom to move on when we were ready, rather than relying on a driver coming for us.
Let me know if you want more info/advice on this.

 

[Viking]

Cruella,
I think the guy we rented the lounges from could call you a taxi. All the lounges belong to beach clubs, bars and restaurants and if you rent from them or buy from them they will surely call you a taxi. But don't stay too long, it's pretty hard to catch up with the Magic swimming