Gainesville to Sint Maarten (GVL–SXM) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

US passport holders enter Sint Maarten visa-free for up to 90 days. No advance application is needed. Sint Maarten is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, occupying the southern 34 square kilometers of the island. The northern part is Saint-Martin, a French overseas collectivity. Passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of entry. At Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), immigration stamps your passport. SXM is famous for its short runway adjacent to Maho Beach, where planes pass low overhead on approach.

Movement between the Dutch south (Sint Maarten) and French north (Saint-Martin) is open with no border controls. The border is unmarked along most of its length. The two sides share the island but operate different legal and currency systems. Philipsburg is the Dutch capital with duty-free shopping on Front Street. Marigot is the French capital with bistros and a waterfront market. Great Bay, Orient Bay, and Mullet Bay are popular beaches.

Direct flights from Miami (MIA) to SXM run about 3 hours 30 minutes on American Airlines. New York JFK to SXM runs about 4 hours on JetBlue and Delta. Atlanta, Charlotte, and Fort Lauderdale also have nonstop service. The Dutch side uses the Netherlands Antillean guilder (ANG), pegged at 1.79 ANG per $1, but US dollars are accepted everywhere and are the practical currency for tourists. The French side uses the euro. Card payments work on both sides. Taxis operate at fixed rates posted at the airport: SXM to Philipsburg costs $20, to Marigot $25, to Orient Bay $35. There is no public bus service, but dollar vans (shared minibuses) run between Philipsburg and Marigot for $2.