Lifestyle
Getting around St. Martin: ferries, driving, the airport and the cruise port
SXM Daily's hub for getting to, around and away from St. Martin: ferries from Marigot, car rental and driving rules, Princess Juliana International Airport and the cruise port in Philipsburg, with guides to buses, crossing between the sides and tours to follow.
By SXM Daily ·
Last checked: 14 October 2026
Next check: 14 November 2026
St. Martin is one island with two sides: Sint Maarten, the Dutch side, and Saint-Martin, the French side. Getting here, getting around and hopping to a neighbouring island can involve both of them, and some rules differ from one side to the other. This page brings SXM Daily's transport guides together in one place, so you can find the right one quickly.
Photo: Richie Diesterheft / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Flights land at Princess Juliana International Airport in Simpson Bay, on the Dutch side, which also handles inter-island and regional flights. Cruise passengers come ashore at the cruise port in Great Bay, Philipsburg, also on the Dutch side. Both have their own guide below.
Once you are here, there is no physical border between the two sides, and people and vehicles can travel freely between them. Traffic keeps to the right on both. What does change from one side to the other is the paperwork: each side sets its own rules on driving licences. Our car rental and driving guide explains what official sources say for each side.
For trips off the island, the ferry terminal in Marigot, on the French side, runs crossings to Blowing Point on Anguilla and to St. Barth. Our ferry guide lists the Marigot departure times for Anguilla, how long each crossing takes and the documents you need.
Every guide linked here is checked against official or named sources. Times, rules and figures change, so check how recently a guide was reviewed before you rely on a detail. Where SXM Daily has not yet verified a subject, we say so rather than fill the gap. That is why buses, crossing between the sides and tours have only a short note for now. Each will get a full guide, linked from this page, once its facts have been checked.
Ferries
Ferries leave the Marigot ferry terminal, run by the Établissement Portuaire de Saint-Martin, for Blowing Point, Anguilla (about 20 minutes, ten crossings a day each way) and for St. Barth (about 50 minutes, two to three a day). You need a passport for Anguilla, and a passport or ID card for St. Barth.
Read the full guide: Ferries from Marigot to Anguilla and St. Barth
Car rental and driving
Both sides drive on the right and there is no physical border, but licence rules differ. On the Dutch side, turning right on a red light is prohibited. On the French side, EU licences are valid.
Read the full guide: Car rental and driving in St. Martin: road rules and licences on both sides
Buses
SXM Daily's guide to public buses on both sides is not ready yet and will be linked here once it has been checked.
Crossing between the Dutch and French sides
A full guide to crossing between the two sides is still being checked and will be linked here when it is ready.
The airport (PJIA)
Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), in Simpson Bay, is run by PJIAE N.V. The airport reported 1.8 million total passengers in 2025, and its new Arrival Hall opened in November 2024.
Read the full guide: Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM): what the passenger numbers mean
The cruise port
The Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities in Great Bay, Philipsburg, are run by the Port St. Maarten Group. Sint Maarten received 1,597,940 cruise passengers in 2025, according to the Department of Statistics, and the season peaks from November to April.
Read the full guide: The cruise port in Philipsburg
Tours
SXM Daily's explainer on the types of tours available on the island is not ready yet and will be linked here once it has been checked.
Sources
- https://www.portdemarigot.com/en/gare
- https://www.gov.ai/service/transportations-blowing-point-ferry-terminal
- https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/sint-maarten
- https://www.com-saint-martin.fr/thematiques/mobilite-et-transport/demarches-permis-de-conduire/demande-dechange-de-permis-de-conduire-etranger
- https://www.sxmairport.com/press-awards/strong-passenger-growth-in-2025
- https://www.sintmaartengov.org/news/pages/10-8-Increase-in-Q1-2025-Arrivals,-Highlighting-Automation-Milestone.aspx
- https://www.sintmaartengov.org/news/pages/Passenger-Arrivals-and-Cruise-Arrivals-Show-Growth-in-2025.aspx
- http://stats.sintmaartengov.org/tables.php?division=economy&table=mnthCruisePassengers&topic=tes
- https://portstmaarten.com/cruise