Everything about smx

Key info about St. Maarten / St. Martin / SXM (Also use the links to the lift for much more island info):

• About St. Maarten / St. Martin:  This link, also both above and to the left, tells you in detail about many topics of interest . . . from currency to phone systems to lagoon drawbridge schedules and much more. 
• Sightseeing: This link takes you to information on everything from the Toppers Rhum Distillery / Gelateria (being updated now) to sunset cruises, trips to neighboring islands, lagoon Pub Crawls, the extraordinary Tijon parfumerie on the French Side where you can create your own perfume, our beaches, and lots more. 
• Getting Here: Served by all major airlines from the USA and Canada, St. Maarten’s large and ultramodern Princess Juliana International Airport — “SXM” — also welcomes flights from Paris, Amsterdam, Panama, and locations in South America, as well as air charters. In season, many private jets are parked on airport property, including occasional private 737 and widebody 767 & 777 jets. SXM Airport is the second largest Caribbean hub behind San Juan. The airport’s rebuilding process is expected to be fully completed early in 2023. 
• Cruises: All major cruise lines serve St. Maarten through the Dr. A. C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facilities on the Dutch Side, whose deep-water port accommodates the largest cruise ships in the world. The Port of St. Maarten is one of the busiest in the Caribbean. 
• Electricity: The Dutch Side uses a 110 volt system, the North American standard.  The French Side uses 220 volts. Using plug adapters on the French system, you will quickly fry any American appliance – hair dryer, shaver, computer, cell phone, etc. Use converters made specifically to enable 110v appliances to be used on 220v systems. 
• Currency: Search “Currency” in the search window (above RIGHT) for details. In  short, U. S. dollars are accepted everywhere. Antillean Guilders are still the official Dutch Side currency, despite the fact that the Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist in October, 2010. In markets, you’ll see “fls” (Guilder pricing); one dollar is worth about 1.8 guilders. The value of guilders versus dollars does not vary.  The Euro is the official French Side currency. Its value varies widely; watch for businesses that accept Euros at par or close to par with dollars; they’ll usually have signage that says $1=€1. That happens quite widely now since the currencies for the moment are reasonably close to parity. See the current Euro / Dollar relationship

• St. Maarten / St. Martin Phone System: The Dutch and French Sides have two entirely different systems; there is no such thing as simple phone calls across the island (Dutch to French or vice-versa). The Dutch Side has a US/Canada-style area code, 721. To dial the French Side from the Dutch, you must dial 011 first — the access code for international calls. You may also need to input a + sign on your phone before the 011 — that tells your phone you’re calling internationally. To call US numbers, dial + plus the number as you would dial it in the US. You cannot dial 800 numbers from local cell phones in SXM; do that using Skype from your cell phone, laptop, or tablet.