Chauffeur service in Sint Maarten

BlaakLane.com provides chauffeur, black car and limousine service in 1 Sint Maarten city: Sint Maarten. Every city page lists the airports served, the pickup rules, the business districts and hotels we drive to most and the intercity runs booked from there. Trips are booked on one account at a fixed fare shown before you confirm, with flight tracking on every airport pickup.

Chauffeur service in Sint Maarten: how arrivals and pickups work

Princess Juliana International Airport, on the Dutch side of the island at Simpson Bay, is the main gateway, famous for aircraft crossing low over Maho Beach on final approach. After immigration and customs, passengers exit to the kerbside ground-transport area, where a BlaakLane.com chauffeur waits at the designated pickup point, with the timing set by flight tracking. An in-terminal greeting with a name board can be added at Princess Juliana, as add-ons are available in selected locations.

The island is shared between Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the French Collectivity of Saint-Martin. There is no border control between the two halves, so a hotel in Grand Case or Orient Bay on the French side is simply a longer drive. Entry rules at Princess Juliana are set by Sint Maarten, and visitors from the US, Canada and the EU generally need no visa for a short stay. The Government of Sint Maarten publishes current requirements.

Cruise passengers arrive at Port St. Maarten in Philipsburg, where Front Street shops sit a short water-taxi ride or a few minutes' drive away. Small aircraft to neighbouring islands such as St. Barths also use L'Espérance Airport at Grand Case on the French side.

Driving times around the island

The island measures only about 87 square kilometres, but the road network is limited and traffic around Cole Bay and Simpson Bay can be heavy at peak times.

The causeway bridge across Simpson Bay Lagoon, opened in 2016, gives an alternative to the congested Cole Bay route. The Simpson Bay drawbridge opens several times a day for yachts, and cars wait while it is raised.

Superyacht season brings a wave of crew arrivals to Simpson Bay and Port de Plaisance in November and December and again in April, when yachts reposition between the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. Crew runs are timed to the tracked landing like any other pickup.

Driving realities, hurricanes and the island calendar

Traffic drives on the right on both sides of the island. Roads are narrow and winding over the hills, with few alternative routes, so a single accident or a cruise-day rush can back traffic up quickly. Parking at Philipsburg and the airport, and gratuity, are added to the fare at the actual amount.

Hurricane season runs from June to November. Hurricane Irma caused severe damage in 2017, and the island has rebuilt much of its infrastructure since. Peak season is December to April.

• Early March: the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, usually.
• April or May: Sint Maarten Carnival, usually after Easter, with the main parades in Philipsburg.
• Summer: the quieter months, with lower hotel occupancy and fewer cruise calls.
• December to April: peak season for yachts, villas and cruise calls.

Choosing the right vehicle class

A Luxury Executive Sedan suits two guests going from the airport to a Simpson Bay resort. Families heading to a villa on the French side fit in a Standard Black SUV, and yacht crews joining a vessel at a Simpson Bay marina often ride together in a Sprinter Van. For a beach wedding at Orient Bay, some parties book a Luxury Stretch Limo for the couple and a Sprinter Van for guests. See the fleet and rates.

Leisure and business hubs

Sint Maarten's economy rests on tourism, cruise calls and superyachts, which is why cruise line and port transfers and shipping crew change runs make up much of the work. Our Sint Maarten city page lists hotels and landmarks, and the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau publishes event dates.