Which side of St. Maarten is better?

Question

We are thinking of taking a vacation in St. Maarten and are wondering if we should go to the French side or the Dutch side? Also, if you have a specific area on either side that you could recommend that would be great.

Thanks so much for your help.

Answer 1

I just visited there a few weeks ago and stayed on the dutch side and visited the french. Simpson bay is a great area, and walking distance to restaurants and nightlife. I stayed at royal palm beach, great suite style beachfront rooms and close to everything. Also the dutch side seemed a lot cheaper than the french, maybe because they were on the dollar while the french used the euro.

Answer 2

Dutch side.  The people are way friendlier and you can do more things on things on the Dutch side.  The beaches are also calmer on the dutch side.  Shopping is great and the night life is wonderful.

The french side don't have such a big night life and it don't have much to do over there.  

When you go to St. Maarten make sure go to Maho it is on the Dutchside near the airport.  Also go to Sunset Beach Bar.

HAVE FUN!!!!!

Answer 3

It depends on many things :

- Where are you from? (If you're Dutch and don't want to be too disoriented, maybe the dutch side is better?)

- What do you expect? (discovering a foreign culture / only beach / shopping)

- Do you speak French / Dutch?

The island is quite small and you can really easily go from one side to the other one...if you rent a car.

In my memory, the Dutch side was a little bit more "europeanised" and the French one a little bit more "pittoresque". If I remember well, Philipsburg was a bigger city than Marigot...

I personnaly was on the French side and really enjoyed my trip...but whatever side you choose, the island is really small and with a car, it doesn't take long to move.

Answer 4

Both sides are good. I went to st.maarten in july of 08 and stayed at the sonesta maho resort. Its fun to watch the planes land and take off. The dutch side is the best choice of shopping at Philipsburg. Its huge. I bought alcohol, shoes, cologne, clothes for really cheap, with no TAX!!!. Marigot isn't that great of shopping to me. The french side has orient beach, which is the best beach on the island.

Where ever you stay i recommend to rent a car. Travel all day throughout the island and to many of their beachs. I recommend Orient beach, philipsburg beach, and maho beach.

Answer 5

Depends on the experience you want.

Dutch side - big resorts, best duty-free shopping, casinos, lots of night life, so-so beaches, large US-style supermarkets, currency pegged to the dollar, US-style 110V power. Cruise ships dock in Phillipsburg, the Dutch capital with a daily influx of "black sock visitors". IMO, overbuilt and getting worse because of pro-development policies set by the government. Lots of things in the Simpson Bay area if you want to be close to the center of the action.

French side - smaller hotels and villas,  slower pace with less night life, gourmet dining in Grand Case, excellent beaches including a few where you can leave your swimsuit in the suitcase, European-style 220V 50Hz power. It's technically part of France and has that feel but English is understood/spoken and dollars are accepted everywhere. The exchange rate pegged to to the Euro which makes things somehat more expensive. IMO, Orient Village area is very nice...

Regardless of where you stay, rent a car and explore the entire island.

Answer 6

We like the lodging on the Dutch side much better.(ST Maarten) The locals are much more friendly. They accept dollars and we don't have to worry about exchange rates.

FYI: If you are traveling with children, the beaches on the french side are clothing optional.

The island (both sides) are known for their food. This island is considered the gourmet capital of the Caribbean. The food in Grand Case (french side) has some wonderful restaurants. Great restaurants also in the Simpson Bay area.

The shopping on the french side is more expensive. Upscale stores.

The duty free shopping for jewelry, perfume and liquor are the best in Philipsburg.

Have a great trip)

Answer 7

If it's your first time there I would recommend staying somewhere where you can walk to everything you need.  The Simpson Bay area for example; Restaurants, casinos, beaches, can walk to all.

There are less busy areas on the French side, but you are very "removed" from everything and will have to drive almost everywhere.  (Now, if you are looking for that, stay somewhere near Dawn Beach, as an example.)

I spend several months a year in sxm and stay in Simpson Bay; Royal Palm Beach Resort is very nice with "decent" beach on site, Pelican Resort is a little older but very nice with a beach and casino on property, Flamingo Resort next to Pelican, on same beach as Pelican (but doesn't have a pool)

Towers at Mullet Bay is nice but a little bit of a scary walk to go anywhere at night (which is to bad cuz it's very close to Atlantis Casino and the Maho area)

There is a Divi Resort near Phillipsburg that is nice but, outside of Phillipsburg, you have to drive everywhere.

Preferences for everyone will be different, but if I was a going for my first trip, I would stay in Simpson Bay area, rent a car to go to see the other areas, and "base" yourself in the middle of the action...you can watch the megayachts come and go, short drive to watch the planes land at the airport, a few minutes drive into Phillipsburg for shopping, a few minutes in the opposite direcction to Marigot, Mullet Bay Bach is short drive, Maho area is a short drive..

P.S.  Besides the advantages of the Dutch side that I just mentioned, the Dutch side of the island seems to be just a little more friendly to the American travelers.  Not that the French side is rude, but they seem to just not welcome you as warmly as they do on the Dutch side. (Plus, on the Dutch side of the island you don't have to get ticked off paying for things with the Euro...French side can be a bit more $$$ with some items)

Answer 8

Personally, I like the Dutch side.  The island is very small so if you have a car (which I definitely recommend) you can enjoy both sides.  We went to both sides almost every day.  The Dutch side seemed more laid back to me and the restaurants were a little more normal American type.  The French side had lots of gourmet restaurants, which isn't my thing.  I also thought the Dutch side was less expensive.  My favorite beaches were Orient Beach on the French side and Mullet Beach on the Dutch side.