How to Get to St Barts: Flights and Ferries

St Barts has no long-haul airport. No flight from New York, London or Paris lands here directly. Getting to the island always means a connection, and the connection is the part worth understanding before you book. This guide explains how to get to St Barts: the route through St Maarten, the short flight, the ferry, and how to give yourself an easy arrival rather than a stressful one.

How most people get to St Barts

Almost everyone reaches St Barts the same way. You fly into Sint Maarten, the larger island next door, on a long-haul or regional flight. From there you cross to St Barts, either on a short flight in a small plane or on a ferry. The crossing itself is brief. The thing that catches people out is the gap in between.

First, get to St Maarten

Princess Juliana International Airport on Sint Maarten, airport code SXM, is the hub for St Barts. It takes direct flights from North America and Europe, plus connections from across the Caribbean.

From the United States, SXM has direct service from hubs such as New York, Miami, Charlotte and Atlanta. From Europe, the route usually runs through Paris. A few travellers reach St Barts through other Caribbean airports, San Juan or Antigua among them, but Sint Maarten is the standard way in and the one with the most onward options. Book your long-haul travel to SXM first, then arrange the final hop to St Barts as a separate step.

Leave plenty of time for the connection

This is the single most important piece of advice on the page. Give yourself a wide margin between landing at SXM and your onward flight or ferry to St Barts. The two journeys are not sold as one ticket, your bags are not checked through, and you will need to clear immigration, collect your luggage and move to the small-plane terminal or the ferry dock. A tight connection that looks fine on paper can unravel quickly.

Plan for several hours, not one. If your long-haul flight lands late in the day, it is often calmer to spend the night on Sint Maarten and cross to St Barts fresh the next morning. The St Barts airport also closes at dusk, with no flights after dark, which is another reason not to cut it fine.

The short flight to St Barts

The short flight is the quick way across, about ten to fifteen minutes in a small aircraft, and it is an experience in itself. A few airlines run the route. Between them, St Barth Commuter is the one we would point you to ahead of Winair. Tradewind Aviation runs a more premium, semi-private service for travellers who want it.

The aircraft are small, typically a Cessna Caravan or a Twin Otter, carrying only a handful of passengers. Book ahead in the busy season, and check the baggage rules, since the small planes are strict on weight and on the number of bags. Travel light, or be ready to have a bag follow on a later flight.

The ferry from St Maarten

The ferry is the alternative, a crossing of roughly thirty to forty-five minutes between Sint Maarten and Gustavia. It costs less than the flight and takes more luggage without fuss, which makes it the sensible choice for some travellers. The trade-off is time and comfort. The crossing can be choppy when the sea is up, so if you are prone to seasickness, the flight is the kinder option.

Ferries run from both sides of Sint Maarten, from the Dutch side near the airport and from Marigot on the French side, and they arrive into Gustavia harbour. Crossings are limited to a few a day, so check the timetable against your flight before you commit to the ferry.

Flight or ferry: which to choose

The plane is faster, and for most visitors that settles it. The flight turns the connection into a quick, scenic hop and adds the island’s famous landing for free. Choose the ferry if you would rather not fly in a small aircraft, if you are travelling with a lot of luggage, or if you simply prefer to save the money. Both get you there. The flight just gets you there sooner.

A private transfer

There is a third way. A private boat transfer from Sint Maarten lets you cross on your own schedule rather than a fixed timetable. It is worth considering if your long-haul flight lands at an awkward hour, or if you are travelling as a family or a group and want the arrival handled.

Booking it in the right order

A simple sequence keeps the trip clean. Book the long-haul flight to Sint Maarten first, since that is the leg with the least flexibility and the highest cost. Once those dates are fixed, book the onward flight or ferry to St Barts, leaving the wide connection margin described above. Arrange your car or transfer on the island next, and your accommodation around all of it. Booking in that order means each step fits the one before it, rather than forcing an awkward connection to make a flight work.

A few practical notes

A couple more things to keep in mind. There are no arrivals after dark, so build your plans around a daytime crossing. Pack with the small planes in mind, since soft bags are easier to handle than hard cases. And once you are on the island, you will want a car, as there is no real public transport. Our car rental guide covers how that works.

For a closer look at the small plane and the island’s dramatic runway, see our guide to the St Barts airport and its famous landing.