Getting to St. Maarten/St. Martin: There are nonstop flights to St. Maarten from the U.S., as well as connecting service through San Juan. St. Maarten is a hub for smaller, regional airlines, so it's often easier to make the hop to Anguilla, St. Barths, Saba, or St. Eustatius by making a connection here. The island's main airport is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM), on the Dutch side. Aeroport de L'Espérance (SFG), on the French side, is small and handles only small planes.
Hassle Factor: Low to medium.
Nonstops: There are nonstop flights from Atlanta (Delta), Charlotte (US Airways), Chicago (United), Fort Lauderdale (Spirit), Miami (American), New York-JFK (American), New York-Newark (Continental), Philadelphia (US Airways), and Boston (JetBlue). There are also some nonstop charter flights (including GWV/Apple Vacations from Boston). Many smaller Caribbean-based carriers offer service to St. Maarten.