🧭 Saint Martin: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Saint Martin feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 24 written places.
The French half of one open island - cafe mornings, long lunches and Caribbean ease in the same day.
Cost level: High Costs run at western European levels - planning and a few local tricks keep it sane. Estimate a daily budget →
✓ Considered polite
- Say Bonjour when entering every shop and restaurant - French rules apply here
- Take lunch seriously - long, unhurried meals are the French-side rhythm
- Book ahead for dinner in Grand Case - the village is the island's gourmet strip
- Try a few words of French - it shifts the welcome noticeably
✗ Better avoided
- Skip the greeting - walking into a boutique without Bonjour reads as rude
- Expect the French side to hurry - service runs at mainland-France pace
- Wear beachwear in shops and restaurants away from the sand
- Tip American-style - service is included, rounding up says thanks
💡 Worth knowing
- The euro is official but US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, often at one-to-one
- There is no border control with Dutch Sint Maarten - you cross without noticing
- Topless sunbathing is normal on French-side beaches and the south end of Orient Bay is clothing-optional
- Many shops close for a long midday break and on Sunday, French-style
Plugs and voltage
Type C, E · 220 V travel adapter →
CurrencyEuro (EUR)
LanguagesFrench
Driving sideright
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links - if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only list the kind of gear we would pack ourselves.
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.