St. Maarten has the international airport.

Getting There: St. Maarten's Queen Juliana airport is one of the Caribbean's most accessible, with major airlines flying in from North America and Europe. American Airlines' Puerto Rico hub is nearby, so passengers traveling through San Juan frequently arrive from New York, Miami, Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, Los Angeles and Dallas/Ft. Worth. KLM and Lufthansa and Air France fly from Europe.

Getting here from other Caribbean islands is also not difficult because of the many inter-island airlines that stop here. As mentioned, cruise ships make St. Maarten a regular stop because of its convenient location in the northern Caribbean near Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands .

Getting Around: Taxis are plentiful. Rental cars are reasonable and in good supply except the peak season; arrange one if you're traveling then when booking your hotel. International and foreign drivers' licenses are accepted. All driving is on the right side.

Where to Stay: Every type of resort imaginable, including gambling casinos, thrive on the Dutch side. Small hotels and guesthouses are also available (get a list from the tourist board) although some will not accept young children or credit cards. The French side has far fewer rooms for visitors though the number is increasing. Nudists should prefer the French connection. St. Maarten has a new Sonesta Resort.

Camping: Not available.

Hiking/Walking Services: Tri-Sport is the Eco adventure outfitter on the St. Maarten side. They are located on Airport Road , Simpson Bay . Call 011 (599)545-4384; fax 011 (599)545-4385. Web site: www.stmaartenstmartin.com/Tri-Sport . Many of the access points to the trails are marked and the trails blazed, each in different colors. You're advised not to leave the trails because the vegetation is thick and it's easy to get lost. Also, following several days of heavy rain the trail and its markers may be nearly obscured by vegetation. Hike early. It can get very hot on these open trails.

Safety/Health Warnings: Beaches are not the most secure places. Leave nothing valuable in your car, and leave nothing valuable on your beach blanket when you go for a swim. It might not be there when you get back. This is a very hot island; drink plenty of water, juice and other non-alcoholic liquids.

Snakes & Other Venomous Creatures: None.   

   For More Information: Both St. Maarten and St. Martin share a Web site: www.stmaartenstmartin.com .

It gives general information about both sides and leads to their respective Web sites:

St. Maarten: www.st-maarten.com

St. Martin: www.interknowledge.com/st-martin/index.html

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