TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Recommendation regarding currency

For our upcoming trip to SXM, we will be staying on the French side primarily. Is it worth bringing Euros for the French side or will I be able to use US currency? Thanks

No need to use euros. US dollar and credit card is all you'll need.

We've been coming to the French side for over 20 years and always used dollars without a problem.

Make sure your credit card doesn't charge international fees.

Check your credit card Euro exchange rate just before you come.

Whether you use cash or credit card is a personal choice. But remember to ask restaurants and stores what their exchange rate is for dollars before you pay in dollars. (We usually pay cash, but will use our credit cards if we aren't being offered a good exchange rate for cash.)

Have a great trip.

If you already have the Euros, I'd go ahead and bring them. I always find a few places that try to get around 1.15:1 or so. But, so many places now take credit cards that I use my 2% cash rebate, no foreign fee cards instead.

No real biggie if you don't bring the Euros, because everyone takes Dollars, many at customer favorable exchange rates, and only a few charging a premium.

I remember when the Euro was .80 to the dollar.
Right after it was implemented.
I just checked and it was .95 to dollar. Pretty even.
Cheers
irina

Thanks that is great. Don't like having multiple currencies.

You can even bring your coins. So many people arrive here with $100.- notes that many shops lack change.

Our local Pharmacy loves our coins, they count them while we shop.

As to the Dutch side where they use the Netherlands Antilles Guilder, we have been going to the island for 25 years, stay on the Dutch side, and I have never seen a Guilder. US dollars everywhere.

Bob

Yes, Dutch side no problem with $US. it's a losing game to keep changing currencies for us so we would rather just use $US cash everywhere if possible.