How to Get to St Barts: Flights and Ferries

There is no long-haul airport on St Barts. No flight from New York, London or Paris lands here. You always come through Sint Maarten, and the connection there is the part to get right. Every season we meet visitors who lost a day on it. Here is how the trip works, and how to keep your margin.

How most people get to St Barts

Almost everyone comes the same way. You fly into Sint Maarten, the bigger island next door, on a long-haul or regional flight. From there you cross to St Barts, on a small plane or on a ferry. The crossing is short. The gap between the two legs is what catches people out.

First, get to St Maarten

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

From the United States, SXM has direct flights from New York, Miami, Charlotte and Atlanta, among others. From Europe the route usually goes through Paris. A few people come through San Juan or Antigua, but Sint Maarten is the normal way in, and the one with the most onward options. Book the long-haul flight to SXM first. Then book the hop to St Barts as a separate step.

Leave plenty of time for the connection

On the ground, the connection means this: you clear immigration, collect your luggage, and move to the small-plane terminal or to the ferry dock. None of it is instant. The St Barts airport closes at dusk, with no flights after dark, so a long-haul flight that lands in the evening almost always means crossing the next morning.

The short flight to St Barts

The flight is the quick way across, about fifteen minutes in a small plane, and the landing is an event in itself. A few airlines fly the route. The ones people here use most are St Barth Commuter and SXM Airways. Tradewind Aviation runs a more premium, semi-private service.

The planes are small, usually a Cessna Caravan or a Twin Otter, with a handful of seats. Book ahead in high season, and read the baggage rules: the small planes are strict on weight and on the number of bags. Travel light, or be ready for a bag to follow on a later flight.

The ferry from St Maarten

The ferry is the other way across. It takes about forty-five minutes from the Dutch side, at Great Bay by Philipsburg, and closer to seventy from Marigot on the French side. It costs less than the flight and takes more luggage without fuss. The trade-off is time and comfort. When the sea is up the crossing can be rough, so if you get seasick, the plane is kinder. We take the Dutch side when we can: shorter and steadier.

Ferries leave from both sides of Sint Maarten and arrive in Gustavia harbour. There are only a few crossings a day, so check the timetable against your flight before you choose the ferry.

Flight or ferry: which to choose

The plane is faster, and for most visitors that settles it. It turns the connection into a quick, scenic hop and adds the famous landing for free. Choose the ferry if you would rather not fly in a small plane, if you travel with a lot of luggage, or to save the money. Both get you there. For boat, ferry and helicopter side by side, there is a fuller comparison of the routes from St Maarten.

A private transfer

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

Booking it in the right order

Book the long-haul flight to Sint Maarten first. It is the leg with the least flexibility and the highest cost. Once those dates are fixed, book the flight or the ferry to St Barts, with the two-hour margin. Then the car on the island, then the house around all of it. In that order, each step fits the one before it.

A few practical notes

No arrivals after dark, so plan a daytime crossing. Pack for the small planes: soft bags are easier than hard cases. Once on the island you will want a car, because there is no public transport a visitor can use. Our car rental guide covers it.

For the small plane and the famous runway, see our guide to the St Barts airport and its landing.