St. Maarten Airport Transfers

Your driver is waiting before you clear immigration — and knows the long way home.

What happens when you land

SXM is a small airport and immigration is the slow part. Bags come out onto a single belt, and the walk from there to the exit takes under a minute.

Your driver is already inside, standing past the customs doors with a board showing your name. Not in a car park, not at a rank, not on the phone telling you where to go. If you are travelling with small children or a lot of luggage, say so when you book and they will meet you closer in.

The wait is included. If immigration takes an hour, that is our problem, and it is not something that appears on a bill afterwards.

The long way home

Every transfer can take the scenic route at no extra cost, and you choose when you book.

There are two worth taking. Past Maho, where the approach path crosses the beach and you will see a plane come in low over the sand if the timing is right. Or along the Simpson Bay lagoon in the late afternoon, which is the better one if you land after four.

Neither adds more than about ten minutes. Both are worth it on the first day and not especially worth it on the last.

The bridge

The Simpson Bay bridge opens on a published schedule to let boats through, and while it is open the road simply stops.

We plan around it. It is the most common reason a transfer here takes longer than a map says it should, and a driver who does not account for it is a driver who makes you late.

What it costs

Prices are per vehicle, not per person, and everything is included: the meet inside the terminal, help with bags, the wait, child seats, cold water in the car.

The official island tariff works differently, and it is worth understanding before you compare. It charges per trip for one or two passengers, then per person for three or more. A couple pays $20 to Philipsburg. A family of five pays $45 for the same journey in the same car.

The full official rate table is here, and we keep it accurate whether or not it flatters us.

Child seats

A checkbox when you book, not a phone call, and no extra charge. They are fitted properly before we collect you, rather than produced from a boot and wrestled into place while you stand in the sun with tired children.

Questions people actually ask

How much is a taxi from SXM airport?

The official government tariff is $8 to Maho, $15 to Simpson Bay, $20 to Philipsburg and $25 to the cruise port — but only for one or two passengers. Above two it switches to a per-person rate, so a family of five to Philipsburg pays $45 rather than $20. Our price is per vehicle whatever the party size.

Is there Uber in St. Maarten?

No. Uber and Lyft do not operate here and there is no sign of them coming. Your options are the airport taxi queue, a rental car, or a driver booked in advance.

How long does it take to get from the airport to Philipsburg?

About 25 minutes, and longer if the Simpson Bay bridge is open. Maho is 10 minutes, Simpson Bay 10, the cruise port 30.

What happens if my flight is delayed?

We watch the flight. If you land late your driver already knows, and will be there when you actually arrive. There is nothing for you to do and nothing extra to pay.

Do drivers take cards?

Cash only, in US dollars, paid to your driver. We don't accept cards or euros at the moment. The price you were quoted is the price you pay, with nothing added at the end.

Everything under this

Ferry Transfers to Anguilla and St. Barths Transfers to the Anguilla and St. Barths ferry terminals from SXM airport. Neither leaves from the airport, and the timing is tighter than people expect.

Marina and Yacht Transfers Transfers between SXM airport and the marinas at Simpson Bay, Isle de Sol, Porto Cupecoy and Oyster Pond. Crew changes, guest arrivals and provisioning runs.