The SXM Gateway Guide

Welcome to the Saint Martin Gateway Guide, from the airport door to Anguilla, Saint Barth, Saba, Statia, Saint Kitts, and back again. Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Martin is much more than the main international airport for the island.

For many travellers, Saint Martin is the international front door to a much wider part of the northeastern Caribbean. You may be continuing to Anguilla. You may be taking a short flight or ferry to Saint Barth. You may be travelling onward to Saba, or to Saint Eustatius, usually called Statia.

You may be continuing through the same regional network to Saint Kitts. Or Saint Martin itself may be your final destination. The islands are remarkably close to one another. The challenge is usually not the distance. It is understanding which airport, ferry terminal, shuttle, regional flight, or road transfer works best for the journey you are actually making.

Anguilla Ferry Times and the GO Network help connect the whole journey by bringing the available air, sea, and ground options together. The easiest way to start is with four questions. Where are you now? Where are you going?

Which services are operating? And which connection gives you enough time to travel comfortably?

First, it helps to understand Saint Martin itself. One island has two jurisdictions. The southern Dutch side is Sint Maarten. Princess Juliana International Airport, Maho, Simpson Bay, Cupecoy, Cole Bay, and Philipsburg are on the Dutch side. The northern French side is Saint Martin.

Marigot, Grand Case, and Orient Bay are on the French side. Travellers normally move by road between the Dutch and French sides without stopping at a routine land-border immigration checkpoint. But once you travel onward by air or sea to Anguilla, Saint Barth, Saba, Statia, or Saint Kitts, you are making an international journey.

Normal passport and immigration requirements apply. Knowing which side of Saint Martin you are on can make a major difference to the best route.

If you have just landed at Princess Juliana International Airport and you are travelling to Anguilla, you have three main choices. You can fly. You can take a Dutch-side airport sea shuttle. Or you can travel by road to Marigot and use the public ferry.

If you are travelling to Saint Barth, you can fly directly from Princess Juliana International Airport, travel to Philipsburg for Great Bay Express, travel to Marigot for Voyager, or use Saint Martin Grand Case Airport if that works better for where you are staying.

If you are going to Saba or Statia, compare the next Winair flight with the next Makana ferry from Philipsburg. If you are continuing to Saint Kitts, regional flights operate from Saint Martin and Makana also provides selected sea connections through the island chain.

And if you are staying on Saint Martin itself, your next journey may simply be a road transfer to your hotel. When connecting after an international flight, do not plan your next journey from the aircraft's scheduled landing time alone.

If your onward journey has been booked separately, expect to clear Sint Maarten immigration and collect your checked luggage before continuing, unless your airline has specifically confirmed another transfer arrangement. For a separately booked airport shuttle or regional connection, allow at least one hour after your scheduled arrival before the next departure.

More time is better during busy arrival periods, or if you are travelling with checked luggage, children, elderly passengers, or a large group.

Anguilla is one of the easiest neighbouring islands to reach from Saint Martin because you have both air and sea options. Anguilla Air Services operates scheduled flights between Princess Juliana International Airport and Anguilla. The flight itself takes only about ten minutes.

The Dutch-side airport sea shuttle is another convenient choice. Funtime Charters, Calypso Charters, and GB Ferries operate shared airport shuttle services between the Sint Maarten airport area and Blowing Point Ferry Terminal in Anguilla. These are reservation-based services, so booking ahead is strongly recommended.

If you have booked an airport shuttle, the process after landing is straightforward. First, clear Sint Maarten immigration. Collect your luggage. Then find the representative for your booked shuttle operator in the arrivals area. The representative will help with your luggage and the short road transfer to the boat terminal.

At the terminal, complete the required departure and immigration formalities. Then board your boat for Anguilla. For planning, allow about thirty minutes for the sea journey. The open-water portion can be faster, but vessels must slow down in parts of the lagoon, including no-wake areas near Sandy Ground Bridge.

When you arrive at Blowing Point in Anguilla, clear Anguilla immigration and customs. Taxis are available outside the terminal for the final journey to your hotel, villa, rental-car company, restaurant, or other destination. The GO Network can then help connect your arrival with the rest of your Anguilla journey.

Your other major sea option is the public ferry between Marigot and Blowing Point. Although everyone calls them the public ferries, the boats are individually privately owned vessels operating within the regulated ferry schedule. The crossing between Marigot and Anguilla takes about twenty-five minutes.

If you are starting at Princess Juliana International Airport, remember that you first need to travel by road across Saint Martin to Marigot. The drive can be fairly quick when traffic is light, but afternoon traffic can make a major difference.

That is why the best route to Anguilla depends on more than just the ticket price. If a booked airport shuttle fits your arrival time, it may be the simplest option because you remain close to the airport.

If the next regional flight works well, the air journey is extremely short. If you are already staying on the French side of Saint Martin, Marigot may be the natural choice. For one or two travellers, the Marigot route may also be economical.

For a family or larger group, compare the complete cost of the road transfer and public ferry with the direct airport shuttle. The important rule is simple. A departure you cannot comfortably reach is not really an option.

The airport shuttles and scheduled flights should normally be booked in advance. The Marigot public ferry is generally used as a walk-up scheduled service. Even so, check that the ferry is operating before travelling to the terminal, and arrive early enough for ticketing, immigration, and departure formalities.

Funtime Charters, Calypso Charters, and GB Ferries also offer private charter services. A private charter can be useful for a family, a group, or a traveller who wants the boat to themselves and greater flexibility over the departure time.

Private charters are still subject to vessel availability, immigration requirements, customs clearance, and port operating requirements. There is no Anguilla passenger departure tax when you are travelling from Saint Martin to Anguilla. Anguilla's passenger departure charges apply when you leave Anguilla.

Current fares, passenger taxes, port charges, and other route-specific fees are shown on the live Anguilla Ferry Times and GO Network pages so that you can check the amount applying to your particular journey.

Late arrivals at Saint Martin require extra care. The final scheduled connections to Anguilla operate in the late afternoon and early evening. If your international flight lands late, do not assume that the final departure shown on a timetable is still realistically reachable after immigration and baggage collection.

Check the live departures first. If you miss your scheduled airport shuttle when leaving Anguilla, check whether another scheduled shuttle is still available. If not, and the public ferry is still operating, you may be able to travel from Blowing Point to Marigot and continue your journey from the French side of Saint Martin.

The public ferry from Anguilla to Marigot finishes earlier than some travellers expect, so always check the live schedule before heading to the terminal. If the public ferry has finished for the day, contact Funtime Charters, Calypso Charters, or GB Ferries and ask whether a private charter can be arranged.

A private charter may offer more flexibility, but later movements depend on the operator being able to arrange the necessary port, customs, and immigration clearance. If no practical service remains, an overnight stay may be necessary.

The return journey from Anguilla to Princess Juliana International Airport deserves even more planning than the arrival. If you are catching an international flight, allow time for the sea crossing or regional flight, immigration, the ground transfer where necessary, airline check-in, baggage handling, and security.

For an airport shuttle, a useful planning rule is to choose a boat leaving Anguilla at least three hours before your international flight departure. A comfortable connection is far better than relying on the final possible service.

Saint Barth offers an even wider choice of regional air and sea connections. From Saint Martin, you can fly with regional carriers including Winair and St Barth Commuter. The flight is very short. Travellers already staying on the French side can also use Saint Martin Grand Case Airport.

By sea, Great Bay Express operates from Bobby's Marina in Philipsburg to Gustavia. If using Great Bay Express, arrive for check-in well before the vessel sails. Voyager operates between Marigot and Gustavia. Because Saint Barth schedules can change according to the day and season, check the live departures for the date you actually intend to travel.

There is also a useful direct air connection between Anguilla and Saint Barth. Anguilla Air Services operates scheduled flights between the two islands. Another option is to travel from Anguilla to Marigot on the public ferry, then continue from Marigot to Saint Barth with Voyager.

Because both ferry services use the Marigot port area, you avoid a road transfer across Saint Martin. Just allow enough time for docking, immigration, and check-in between the two services.

Saba can also be reached from Saint Martin by air or by sea. Winair provides the short regional flight. Makana provides the sea connection from Bobby's Marina in Philipsburg. The ferry journey to Saba takes about one hour and forty minutes.

The important thing to understand about the Makana pattern is that the sailings from Saint Martin are generally later in the day, while the return sailings from Saba are generally in the morning. That means a visitor starting in Saint Martin will normally need to spend at least one night in Saba if travelling both ways by Makana.

For a same-day visit, check Winair or see whether combining air in one direction with sea in the other works for your travel date.

Statia has a similar choice. Its formal name is Saint Eustatius, but throughout the region it is usually called Statia. Winair provides the short flight from Saint Martin. Makana provides selected ferry services from Philipsburg. A more direct ferry journey can take roughly one hour and forty-five minutes.

A sailing routed through Saba can take around three hours. As with Saba, the Makana pattern generally means that a sea-only trip from Saint Martin to Statia requires an overnight stay. For a same-day trip, check Winair or consider combining air and sea.

Makana is especially useful because its regional route does not necessarily end at Saba or Statia. On selected days, the same service continues from Saint Martin through Saba and Statia to Saint Kitts. The return journey then operates back through the island chain toward Saint Martin.

That makes Makana useful not only for a simple ferry trip but also for travellers planning a multi-island journey. Saint Kitts is also connected directly to Saint Martin by scheduled regional flights. Anguilla Air Services connects Anguilla with Saint Kitts as well.

Trans Anguilla Airways serves a wider regional network that can include islands such as Tortola, Saint Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Statia, Saint Barth, and Montserrat. Regional airline timetables are not all presented in the same way. Some routes have exact published departure times.

Others are best checked through the airline's booking system for the specific day you plan to travel.

You do not have to be arriving at Princess Juliana International Airport to use any of these connections. If you are already staying in Maho, Simpson Bay, or Cupecoy and decide to visit Anguilla, the Dutch-side airport shuttles may be convenient.

If you are staying in Marigot, the public ferry may be the natural choice. If you are in Philipsburg and want to visit Saba or Statia, Makana may be more convenient than returning to the airport. If you are staying on the French side and travelling to Saint Barth, compare Voyager from Marigot with air service from Grand Case.

The closest terminal is not always the connection that gets you there first. Always compare the departure time with the time required to reach the terminal.

Once you arrive, there is another important difference between the islands. For the main islands in this guide, Anguilla and Saint Kitts drive on the left. Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Saint Barth, Saba, and Statia drive on the right.

If you are travelling from Saint Martin to Anguilla or Saint Kitts and renting a vehicle, you will be changing driving sides. Take extra care when first leaving an airport, ferry terminal, or rental-car office, especially at roundabouts and intersections.

Visitors who intend to drive in Anguilla also need a temporary Anguilla driving permit in addition to a valid foreign driver's licence. Most visitors can arrange the temporary permit directly through their rental-car company when collecting the vehicle.

It is also available through the Inland Revenue Department. Current permit fees are shown on the live page so that this recording does not become outdated.

Day trips require one more piece of planning. Always decide how you are getting back before taking the outbound service. Know your intended return departure. Know the check-in requirement. Know the final realistic service of the day.

Know which terminal it leaves from. And know your alternative if weather or another operational issue changes the schedule. Some islands work easily as same-day trips by air, but not necessarily by ferry. Always check both directions before deciding.

If you are returning to Princess Juliana International Airport for an international flight, work backwards from your airline's required check-in time. Allow for disembarkation, immigration, luggage, ground transportation, airline check-in, and security. From Anguilla, compare the airport shuttles, Anguilla Air Services, and the Marigot public ferry.

From Saint Barth, compare direct flights with Great Bay Express and Voyager. From Saba and Statia, Winair normally provides the fastest scheduled connection, while Makana provides a sea alternative on selected days.

If you miss a connection, start with where you already are. Check the next departure from that airport or terminal. Then compare realistic alternatives. Do not chase an attractive departure time across Saint Martin without allowing for the road journey required to reach the other terminal.

Sometimes the sensible solution is an overnight stay and the first practical service the following morning.

Travellers with children should allow extra connection time. If you are carrying oversized luggage, diving equipment, sports equipment, or other unusual items, check the carrier's baggage rules before travelling. Passengers requiring mobility or boarding assistance should contact the carrier in advance because aircraft, vessels, docks, and boarding arrangements vary.

And remember that these are international journeys. Carry a valid passport and check the entry requirements that apply to your nationality and destination. Requirements are not necessarily identical for Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, Anguilla, Saint Barth, Saba, Statia, and Saint Kitts.

The transport operator can tell you what it requires for boarding, but each traveller remains responsible for satisfying the immigration requirements of the destination.

• Before you leave, check your passport.
• Check the correct airport or ferry terminal.
• Check the current departure time.
• Check that the service is operating.
• Check your reservation where required.
• Check the required check-in time.
• Check your baggage allowance.
• Check weather or marine advisories.
• And if you are making a day trip, check the return journey before you leave.

AnguillaFerryTimes.ai provides ferry schedules, terminal information, and practical crossing guidance. The GO Network connects the full journey, helping travellers compare the available air, sea, and ground options. Sint Maarten Network and Saint Martin information help with the Saint Martin side of the journey.

The Saint Barth Network helps with the Saint Barth side. Saba, Statia, and Saint Kitts form part of the same wider island-hopping picture. The principle is simple. Know where you are. Choose where you want to go.

Compare air and sea where both are available. Check the current departure. Know how long the journey normally takes. Know which terminal you need. Confirm or book your service. Then travel.

The islands around Saint Martin are remarkably close. The challenge has never really been distance. It has been understanding how the pieces connect. Princess Juliana International Airport can lead to Anguilla by air or sea. To Saint Barth by aircraft or ferry.

To Saba and Statia by regional flight or Makana. And through the same island chain, onward to Saint Kitts. You may be connecting immediately after an international flight. You may already be staying somewhere on Saint Martin.

You may be planning an overnight island visit or a day trip. Or you may simply be trying to get back to the airport comfortably before your flight home. Start with where you are. Choose where you want to go.

Check the next realistic connection. Allow enough time. Confirm the service. Then go.