Sint Maarten: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Sint Maarten feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 20 written places.
Easygoing Caribbean Dutch - English-speaking, tip-conscious and thoroughly used to visitors.
✓ Considered polite
- Say good morning or good afternoon before asking anything - it matters across the Caribbean
- Tip US-style, around 15%, where no service charge appears on the bill
- Cross to the French side freely - there is no border post, just a welcome sign
- Dress up a notch for casinos and nicer restaurants in the evening
✗ Better avoided
- Wear swimwear away from the beach - cover up in Philipsburg's shops and restaurants
- Expect quiet streets when cruise ships are in - save Front Street for late afternoon
- Confuse the two halves - Sint Maarten is Dutch, Saint-Martin is French, and locals notice
- Haggle in shops - prices are fixed outside the odd souvenir stall
Worth knowing
- US dollars are accepted everywhere and most prices are quoted in them
- Service charges of around 15% often appear on bills - check before tipping twice
- Shops in Philipsburg follow the cruise schedule, opening when ships are in and quietening fast when they leave
- Buses are shared minivans flagged down anywhere along the main roads - cheap and constant
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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.
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.