Toastmasters Area of SintMaarten. Division A of the Caribbean Toastmasters. Failure is not an option!


 

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Entry Requirements

U.S. citizens and Canadian citizens need to have proof of citizenship and a return or continuing ticket. Proof of citizenship would include birth certificate, naturalization papers, affidavit or an Alien registration card and of course a passport. For Canadians, a valid passport or birth certificate is necessary. There is a U.S.$35 departure tax.

Sint Maarten is the only completely duty free port in the Caribbean and attracts shoppers in swarms to it's duty free shops. Travelers can save anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent on luxury and designer items.

While the border between the two small islands of Sint Maarten and St. Martin may not have any official customs and immigration checkpoints, vacationers traveling to the country from foreign destinations will still need to be aware of customs regulations for the small island. Travelers should keep the exemption and customs limits for their own country in mind while shopping duty free in Sint Maarten. Exceeding the exemption can mean being charged with a sizable import tax.

 Post offices and Mail

There are several different options when sending mail from St. Maarten or St. Martin The main post office on the dutch side of the island is located in Philipsburg on Cannegieter Street and can be reached by telephone at 599-542-2298 in St. Maarten.

There are also postal branches located on the French side of the island in Marigot and Nettle Bay.

 

 



 		 Internet Access

There are Internet Cafes everywhere on the island which enable you to go online. The island has an amazing number of competing Internet Service Providers, with broadband connections available as well. For a nominal fee, you can have a connection to the Internet established in your unit during your stay.Some of the Internet Cafes like Cyber Café also offer International Phone calls usually for $ 1.00 per minute.

Currency

The US dollar is accepted on both sides of the island. The Dutch side currency is the Antillean Guilder and the French side's is the Euro. Major credit cards are accepted almost everywhere and several International Banks are established on the Island.
 

Telephone and Fax

Communications on St. Martin can be mildly difficult due to the dual autonomy of the small island. St. Martin and St. Maarten have different area codes and use different phone systems. St. Maarten uses the area code plus seven-digit system used in the United States. St. Martin uses a European area code plus six-digit format. Calling from one side to the other, as a result, is considered a long distance call. You can get Phone cards for $5.00, $10.00 and $20.00 on both sides of the islands at gas stations, Chinese restaurants, phone stores and news paper stores.

 






 
Getting Around

There are two airports serving St. Martin though one, the Aeroport de l'Espérance on the French side, is small and only accepts island-hopper planes. The main St. Martin airport, Princess Juliana International Airport, is on the Dutch side of the island near the southwestern coast. International carriers fly in and out of this St. Martin airport, as do several Caribbean airlines which often use the St. Martin airport as a connection point to the rest of the West Indies. From the United States, most travelers touch down at the St. Martin airport aboard American Airlines, though Continental Airlines and US Airways offer some less frequent flights from a limited number of cities.

Getting to the St. Martin airport from Europe is fairly easy, as Air France has daily non-stop flights there from Paris. To reach the St. Martin airport from other Caribbean islands, local carriers such as ALM, Caribbean Airline, and LIAT are safe bets and usually have daily connections between the Antilles' major hubs. Windward Islands Airways is based at the main St. Martin airport on the Dutch side and provides daily service from the St. Martin airport to Anguilla, Saba, St. Barths, St. Eustatius, and St. Kitts-Nevis.
 
Despite being relatively small, a St. Martin car rental is still the most convenient way of getting around the island, allowing visitors a certain degree of freedom to explore at their will. Roads on St. Martin are generally in good condition and well marked, but public transportation can be infrequent and unpredictable outside of urban areas - to get the most out of touring the island's sites, a St. Martin car rental is your best bet. All St. Martin car rental outfits honor international drivers licenses and major credit cards are accepted as payment.
Rental cars are the primary mode of transportation for visitors staying on island.