TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Getting around St Barth

Taking a short trip to SXM in a couple of weeks and decided to spend a day in St. Barth arriving by ferry in the morning and leaving around 5:45 in the evening. We were going to rent scooters but a travel site comments section strongly recommended against that due to rough road conditions.

What would you suggest as another way to get to see the island in one short day. Renting a car seems like overkill for a small island and 7 hr stay.

Thanks for any feedback!
Dave

When we visit different islands for day trips we almost always hire a local taxi driver to take us around. Have done that several times on St. Bart's with great results.

I have done several day trips. On my first one I rented a car at the airport. Driving and parking is tight. Used CC for the CDW ( $500 deductible) Un beknown to me I came back with a cracked "rear bumper". I am sure it was not done by me. Probably someone parking next to me. Since it was a day trip I spent the next 2 weeks after arriving home working with the paperwork and phone calls.
Since then for a day trip I always negotiate a day price with a local taxi driver. Not much difference in price from a car rental.

Wendell

We've done the car rental thing there and really got hosed on the gasoline purchase. Ended up with a car on empty - asked the station attendant for five dollars. We kept saying, "five dollars, five dollars!" He get responding, "oui oui." Twenty dollars later he clicked off the nozzle.......next few trips we did the cab and driver thing and found it much more satisfactory and about the same cost factors.

I'm surprised that there was a station attendant. I've never seen one.

Take a cab but make sure you get a driver that speaks English---unless you speak French. We were with another couple and she had to go to the bathroom and we waited. By the time she got back the only drivers left (at the cab area from the boat) spoke only French. So now we know "ecole" is school, "arrette" is stop. Sur la Mer is ocean, all this as she pointed to objects.

This was back in the late 80s - early 90s and it was the station just up the road from the airport. Back in those days it was an attended station but I can't speak to any changes that came later.

We should have known better when we returned to the rental stall at the airport and told the rental agent the car was on empty and she directed us here. I think EVERY car there was rented empty ........ And if you didn't really speak the language well, every five dollar purchase ended up that way. All in a days island adventures and a memory forever. Personally, I think the rental agency and the gas station were in collusion with each other and they probably siphoned the extra fifteen out of each returned car and kept their own vehicles filled that way. This was back in the days of the minimokes and five dollars worth of gas was enough to tour the island for a couple of days, never mind a few hours. Those were the days, My Friends........ <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />.

We have gone for a couple of day trips and highly recommend ATVs

Went over on the ferry, took a taxi tour of the island, then had lunch on the main street and walked around, ending up at the beach at the end (can't remember the name, someone here will!). It was a perfect day! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Wink.gif" alt="" />

i think renting a car is the best way to see the island, especially for your first time...just have a loose itinerary of what you want to see/do <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />