St. Martin is located in the Caribbean region of the Lesser Antilles and is a popular holiday destination.
How to get to Sint Maarten by plane and where do the regular flights leave from? Are there regular passenger ferries to the island of St. Maarten? What are the prices and frequency of ferries?
By air
Sint Maarten has two international airports: one in the Dutch part and one in the French part.
Sint Maarten Airport (SXM)
The vast majority of air connections to St. Maarten go via SXM Airport in the Netherlands. The local airport is famous for Maho Beach, where you can enjoy planes landing just overhead.
How do I get from the airport and what services can I find in the terminal? Read our guide to Saint Martin SXM Airport.
From the USA and Canada
All the major airlines from the US and Canada fly here on a variety of routes from Miami to New York to Toronto. Delta, United, American Airlines, Air Canada, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, Westjet and Air Transat, to name a few, fly to Sint Maarten.
Some flights are seasonal and fly from December to April.
The average price of a round-trip ticket from the USA to Sint Maarten in high season is between 200 usd and 500 usd. We recommend buying tickets at least 3 months in advance.
From Europe
Direct flights from Europe to Sint Maarten are currently only operated by Air France from Paris and KLM from Amsterdam.
Return fares are around 980 eur all year round, from most European airports.
Slightly cheaper tickets from Europe can be purchased with a change of planes in the USA, where you can get the price down to 650 eur. Remember, however, that even with just a change of planes in the USA, you will always need to process an ESTA entry permit.
Buy tickets through KLM/Air France
From nearby Caribbean islands
Sint Maarten is an important hub for many small Caribbean airlines.
The most frequent service is provided by the local airline Winair with routes to St. Barthélemy, Sint Eustatius, St. Kitts, Saba, Antigua or the Dutch islands of Aruba or Curacao.
To the neighbouring island of Anguilla, use the services of Anguilla Air Services.
Many small local airlines also fly to the Dominican Republic, Anguilla and Barbados.
Flights around the Caribbean are very expensive and the average round trip price is between 200 usd and 500 usd.
Compare prices for flights to Sint Maarten
Grand Case-Espérance Airport (SFG)
The French part uses the small airport near the town of Grand Case only for regional flights to the surrounding islands.
Neither the terminal nor the runway has the capacity to handle larger aircraft than about 100 seats.
How do I get from the airport and what services can I find in the terminal? Read our guide to St. Martin SFG Airport.
Tickets to Grand Case are currently available with only two airlines.
- Air Caraïbes - frequent service to the French island of Guadeloupe with connecting flights to Paris and other Caribbean islands
- St. Barth Commuter - frequent service to the island of Saint-Barthelémy
Ferries to St. Martin
Ports for scheduled ferries can be found in Philipsburg, the Netherlands, Marigot, France, and just outside the SXM Airport terminal.
Ferries for passengers sail from St. Martin to the nearest surrounding islands of Anguilla, St. Barthelemy, St. Kitts, St. Eustatius and Saba. No other islands have regular boat connections with St. Martin.
All ferries carry foot passengers only.
Routes and ticket prices
Find out which ferries run from which locations and how much tickets cost. Departure taxes are paid separately at a special window in many places. Usually you can only pay in cash.
Then compare prices and frequencies of ferries with flights to the nearest islands.
Saint-Barthelemy
- Marigot - Gustavia
- Prices vary according to times and availability and range from 50 eur to 80 eur one way
- Marigot departure tax - 5 usd or 3 eur
- Departure tax St. Barth - 15 usd
- Cruise time - 60 minutes
- Frequency - 3 times a day
- Online booking and timetable: voy12.com
- Philipsburg - Gustavia
- Price from 84 usd one way / 115 usd return
- Departure tax Philipsburg - 10 usd
- Departure tax St. Barth - 15 usd
- Cruise time - 45 minutes
- Frequency - 3 times a day
- Online booking and timetable: greatbayexpress.com
Anguilla
- Marigot - Blowing Point
- Price - 30 usd / 30 eur one way
- Marigot Departure Tax - 5 usd or 3 eur
- Departure Taxi Anguilla - 11 usd
- Cruise time - 20 minutes
- Frequency - 8 times a day
- Online booking is not possible
- Timetable: portdemarigot.com
- SXM Airport - Blowing Point
- Price - 75 usd one way
- SXM departure tax - included in ticket price
- Departure Tax St. Barth - 15 usd
- Cruise time - 25 minutes
- Frequency - 1-2 times per hour
- Online booking and timetable: stmartinbookings.com
Saba
- Philipsburg - Fort Bay
- Price - 79 usd one way / 113 usd round trip
- Departure Tax Philipsburg - 10 usd
- Departure tax Saba - 10 usd
- Cruise time - 100 minutes
- Frequency - 7 times per week (some days 2x, other days no cruise)
- Online booking and timetable: makanaferryservice.com
Sint Eustatius
- Philipsburg - Gallows Bay
- Price - 80 usd one way / 110 usd return
- Departure Tax Philipsburg - 10 usd
- Departure tax St. Eustatius - 5 usd
- Cruise time - 105 minutes (some cruises 180 minutes with a stop on Saba Island)
- Frequency - 1x daily
- Online booking and timetable: makanaferryservice.com
Saint Kitts
- Philipsburg - Port Zante Marina
- Price - 137,50 usd one way / 205 usd return
- Departure Tax Philipsburg - 10 usd
- Departure tax St. Kitts - 10 usd
- Sailing time - 195 minutes (stop at Sint Eustatius)
- Frequency - 2x per week
- Online booking and timetable: makanaferryservice.com
See a map of all cruise lines and detailed dock locations on all islands.
Surrounding islands - boat or plane
If you're travelling from St. Martin to the islands of Anguilla, Saba, St. Barthelemy, St. Kitts or St. Eustatius, you always have the choice of plane or ferry.
Which mode of transport is best for you?
For ease of reference, here are the prices for return airfares or ferry tickets.
| Price | Travel time | Frequency | Departure/departure | Online booking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | 180 usd | 7 minutes | 4-5 times a day | SXM Airport | anguillaairservices.com |
| Boat | From 60 usd From 150 usd |
20 minutes | 8x daily up to 12 times a day |
Marigot Airport SXM |
from Marigot purchase on site only stmartinbookings.com |
| Price | Travel time | Frequency | Departure/Departure | Online booking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | 200 usd | 13 minutes |
up to 20 times a day |
SXM Airport SFG Airport |
winair.sx stbarthcommuter.com |
| Ship | From 115 usd From 120 eur |
45 minutes 60 minutes |
3 times a day |
Philipsburg Marigot |
greatbayexpress.com voy12.com |
| Price | Travel time | Frequency | Departure/departure | Online booking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | 220 usd | 15 minutes | 2-3 times a day | Airport SXM | winair.sx |
| Ship | 113 usd | 100 minutes | 7x weekly | Philipsburg | makanaferryservice.com |
| Price | Travel time | Frequency | Departure/departure | Online booking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | 200 usd | 20 minutes | 3-4 times a day | Airport SXM | winair.sx |
| Ship | 110 usd | 105 minutes | 1x daily | Philipsburg | makanaferryservice.com |
| Price | Travel time | Frequency | Departure/Departure | Online booking | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft | 360 usd | 30 minutes | 2x daily | SXM Airport | winair.sx |
| Ship | 205 usd | 195 minutes | 2x weekly | Philipsburg | makanaferryservice.com |
Passport control
Please note that you must always go through passport control when travelling by boat or plane.
This also applies if you are travelling between two French or two Dutch islands.
