Travel Tips

Make your vacation to St. Maarten worry-free with these expert island travel tips. You’ll be roaming the Island as if you were a local yourself! The Friendly Island has got you covered with practical information on currencies, banking information, phone service, and all you need to know for a vacation that is both fun and easy. 

Currency

The official currency of St. Maarten is the Netherlands Antillean Florin, also known as the guilder. This was the official currency of the former Netherlands Antillies, and is still used today. The euro is used in the North (in St. Martin). Despite having two different official currencies, the US Dollar is accepted on both sides, with St. Maarten using the US Dollar the most. It is not unusual to receive change in US Dollar even when payment is made with the guilder.  Credit cards are accepted in certain establishments, and it is always recommended to walk with some extra cash for the mom and pops that usually accept only cash. 

Banking Hours

The banking hours in St. Maarten are Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. ATMs can be found at any local bank, or other high traffic locations. 

Banks and ATM Locations 

• Windward Island Bank - Philipsburg Branch
• Windward Island Bank -  Bush Road Branch
• Windward Island Bank - Simpson Bay Branch
• Windward Island Bank - Cole Bay ATM 
• Windward Island Bank - Point Blanche ATM 
• Windward Island Bank - Philipsburg Front Street ATM
• Republic Bank - Simpson Bay Branch
• Republic Bank - Philipsburg Branch
• Banco di Caribe - Philipsburg Branch
• Banco di Caribe - Simpson Bay Branch 
• First Caribbean Bank - Philipsburg Branch

Phone Service 

Most major phone service providers will  continue to work in St. Maarten. Before flying to St. Maarten, talk to your phone service provider about their international plans. If you are staying for an extended period of time, or looking to save on costly international plans, you can get phone card SIMS and service packages for your time here on island. St. Maarten’s dialing code is +1721, when dialing from away, or on the Northern Side, St. Martin, you’ll dial the dialing code first and then the St. Maarten phone number. St. Martin’s dialing code is +590, when dialing from the Dutch Side, St. Maarten you would dial 011-590-590 for landlines, and 011-590-690 for cellular. 

Electricity

In St. Maarten, we follow US electricity standards. Appliances run on 110/120 volts. If you’re staying on both Sides, don’t forget to pack an adapter as St. Martin follows the European Standard and therefore appliances run on 220 volts.

Time Zone

Standard Time in St. Maarten is Atlantic Standard Time or UTC-4. St. Maarten does not observe Daylight Savings.

• Same time zone as New York
• One hour ahead of Chicago
• Three hours ahead of Los Angeles
• Six hours behind Paris
• Six hours behind Amsterdam 

Public Holidays

St. Maarten observes the following public holidays for the year of 2021. Banks and Offices tend to close on these days. However, restaurants and most shops are still open on public holidays. 

Parking in Philipsburg & Simpson Bay 

While paid parking lots and garages are very uncommon in St. Maarten, there are certain designated parking spaces within Philipsburg and Simpson Bay. Visitors looking to visit Philipsburg to shop or dine along the Boardwalk, can park at the parking lots that line the road on Walter Nisbeth Road, or in the parking lot in the heart of Philipsburg across from the Windward Island Bank Branch in Philipsburg. In Simpson Bay, restaurants & bars have their own parking spaces, at times when visitors can’t find parking space in front of the restaurant or bar they are visiting, an open parking lot next to the Simpson Bay Food Court can be used. 

Emergency Numbers

Police Station: 911 0r 108 for the Police Hotline
Hospital: 910
Ambulance: 912
Fire Department: 919

St. Maarten Tourism Office 

Visit any of our visitor centers or our tourism head office for tips and recommendations for your stay on the Friendly Island. Our staff is eager to assist you with any questions you may have, and you’ll get first-hand knowledge straight from a local! You can also download our digital guide, or send us an email or message through any of our social media channels. Or just drop by to say “Hi”, we’re always happy to give you a proper Friendly Island welcome. Visit us at any of our locations

• St. Maarten Visitor Information Booth at Princess Juliana International Airport Arrival Hall
• St. Maarten Visitor Information Booth at Captain Hodge’s Wharf, Philipsburg by the exit of the Cruise Port Water Taxi
• St. Maarten Tourism Office at 6 Juancho Yrausquin Boulevard, Philipsburg