Hi, I am new to this forum but so glad that I found it!. We are thinking of St. Martin for our next vacation which won't be til Feb. 2011 but since I know nothing about this island, I have to start doing my homework now! We are from Wisconsin so a winter vacation is a must. We have been traveling to Mexico for the past 10 years and now it is just time to go somewhere else! I will probably be annoying asking questions that tons of other people have already asked so I'll try to go through this forum to see if my questions have already been answered but that is so time consuming! Our main dilemma of course would be where to stay. We have been checking out some of the condos/apartments/studios for travelers on a budget and actually some of them look decent for the price. Any suggestions on a place to stay for budget travelers? We prefer condo style or something with a a kitchen. We also would love to be as close as possible for a nice beach and we are not sure of the beaches either...help.

There are plenty of timeshare condos on the island to rent, with kitchens.
This will save a lot.
Royal Palm, La Vista, Pelican, Flamingo are all in the heart of nightlife activities on the Dutch Side.
You would need to rent a car to explore all the beautiful beaches.
Dutch side has more activity and nightlife.
French side is more laid back and quiet and with the Euro, a bit more expensive.
Ask away! You'll get plenty of information.
Welcome!

We have done timeshare rentals before in mexico but found them to be pricey. We've since realized we can go on vacation at a much cheaper rate then we used to just by searching and searching. We like a more quiet atmosphere but don't want to be out in nowhereland either and be too far from things, restaurants, bars, beach bars shopping etc. We also realize we will need to rent a car. Thanks for the info on the different sides of St. Martin. I am really not sure which side would be best for us. I found a few little budget condos so first I will ask if anyone knows anything about this one: BLUE BEACH STUDIOS, Oyster Pond. We only need a 1 bedroom and this one looked so cute. This is about what we are looking for, although I have to wonder why it is so cheap! When they say close to the beach I wonder what close means. I like to walk to the beach, not drive to the beach. Thanks again for any information you can give me.How are the grocery stores? What are the prices of things vs. US prices? What about restaurants and prices? Alcohol prices? I like wine and almost anything and hubby drinks BEER.

Here are 2 good sites for Timeshare Rentals.
SINT MAARTEN RENTAL WEEKS -
[www.sintmaartenrentalweeks.com]
and
Endless Vacation Rentals (RCI) -
[www.wyndham-vacations.com]

Hope this helps!

RIGHT ON THIS SITE!

Click on CONDOS at the bottom of this page!!!!!

Just Another Ho Hum Day On D Planet

Hi Jan & Chas,

I don't think you can walk to the beach from these units. It said Water Taxi on the chart.
Price is great. I like Coralita Blue because it has a BBQ.
You might want to check out Azure Sint Maarten.
That is on the dutch side, right on beautiful Simpson Bay Beach.
Or Turquoise Inn across the street from Simpson Bay Beach.
Good Luck
Cheers
irina

Grocery store prices are a bit higher than US, but not much.
Booze is cheap! And sold in the grocery stores.
You can find great cheap French wines.
Carib Beer...our favorite! Great price!
Restaurants run the gammut from lolo cheap to high end fancy and just about everything in between.
MOst of our eating involves anything we can put on a fresh baguette!
French butter, fine cheese, pate, jams, you name it!

Thanks everyone! This is all very helpful information. I'll make sure I check out all the condos you all mentioned.

Ita, I like the Coralita Blue too! I'll check out the Azure also.

I'm glad to hear the prices of things aren't sky high! We plan on eating in a few times and stocking a frig. with beer and wine! I like the aspect of having a BBQ too...cooking out is the greatest.

Hi all,

A fellow airplane/airline geek and myself have booked 3 nights at Mary's Boon in April. We read negative reviews regarding the airport noise and proximity to the runway - needless to say, we booked right away!

What are your top few recommendations regarding food & sights, including the French side? Also, what is the electrical situation - converters needed for US appliances?

Of course, we plan to spend most of our time under the jets on Maho Beach.

Thanks for any help!

oh yea..I never thought about electrical converters....I couldn't live without my hair dryer or flat iron....is that an issue? Lots of things to learn/

On the Dutch side you will have no issues. Electricity and outlets same as US.

On the French side, it's 220V. So converters and adapters are in order.

Ita Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Jan & Chas,
>
> I don't think you can walk to the beach from these
> units. It said Water Taxi on the chart.
> Price is great. I like Coralita Blue because it
> has a BBQ.
> You might want to check out Azure Sint Maarten.
> That is on the dutch side, right on beautiful
> Simpson Bay Beach.
> Or Turquoise Inn across the street from Simpson
> Bay Beach.
> Good Luck
> Cheers
> irina

I checked out both Turquoise Inn and Azure. I like both of them. Turquoise Inn has unbelievable reviews on TA! I didn't check out Azure yet. They both look like they are in a good location? What do you think of the location of the Coralita Blue?
Jan

I think it's fine but not on the beach as far as I could see.
They did mention water taxi.
There are alot of timeshares on island but the rates at Coralita are very good.
With the $$ you save you can just cab it or rent a car.
Cheers
irina

irina, I didn't see anything on the website I was looking at about a water taxi. The map I was looking at looks like it is close to the beach. I have checked out the timeshare rentals but they are too expensive. It's just the 2 of us so we don't need something real fancy or big. We would like to save on our lodging as airfare can sometimes be very pricey from where we live, although if I were to book airfare right now, I could get it at a REALLY good price. We have also been looking at some places on Nettle Bay, Nettle Bay Beach Club? These are condos right on the beach. The prices are good also.

Nettle Bay beach Club is a good value.
Units are privately owned, they have security, and nice views of Anguilla.
You would need a car to travel the island from there.
The beach is just so-so, but there are so many other gorgeous beaches to explore. Bay Rouge Beach is right near by.
I would stay there.