We have just returned from our 4th visit to the island. Background on other islands visited: St. Martin, French side (6x), St. Kitts and Nevis (3x), Aruba (1x), Guadeloupe (1x), Bahamas (1x)
A lot of people seem to shy away from St. Barts due to the expense. There are several ways to get there with the ferry from SXM being the least expensive one. We have used Winair but tried St. Barts Commuter this time, which saved some money and worked well. We also tried it since we normally stay in SXM for a few days before heading to St. Barts for a week and this airline flies into Grand Case. While there are many wonderful hotels on SBH, we really enjoy a villa there. Again, there are a wide variety of price ranges. Most have their own pool and you can save $$ by buying groceries. The island has a definite European feel and the people are wonderful. The beaches are beautiful and many require a short walk with no restaurants right on the beach. A car is a must and driving is quite fun. Due to my job, summer travel is all that we can do, although we did squeeze in an anniversary trip in April to SXM. Summer is definitely a more economical time to visit. While French is the language, English is widely spoken. I hope that this might help someone looking at this island,.