How can I get there from St. Thomas?
 

Any advice as to how I arrange a day trip from St. Thomas to St. Barths? Most of the flights I've researched require a stop in St. Martin (which I'm trying to avoid. What about a sailing excursion? Help!

I think everything goes through St. Martin. The airport on St. Barth is VERY small so only very small planes land there.

There is a ferry service from St. Martin to St. Barth. I did the catamaran trip and loved it.

Hope this helps.

As the old saying goes "You can't get there from here". As wantsomesun says you'd have to first make your way to St. Martin than connect with another "small" plane for the flight to SBH. The trouble is schedules are such that you won't be able to get from STT to SBH and back in one day. At best you'd probably have to overnight in SXM both coming and going. Liat has a single fight each day from STT to SXM but it leaves late in the day (around 5:30PM). The last flights (on Winair and Air Caribes) from SXM to SBH leave around 5:00PM so you'll miss the connections and have to leave the following morning. On your way back to STT the LIAT flight departs SXM in the morning (around 7:00AM).

As for sailing between those two islands, the distance is quite far (about 175 miles) and you have to cross the Anegada Passage. This trip, assuming you get a proper weather window, will take you the better part of 2 days and the passage is very rough - seasoned sailors refer to it as the "Oh My God-A" Passage (that should give you some idea of what you'd be in for).

Save St. Barths for a time when you have more time - it's just not practicle to do a day trip from STT.

I have not flown into St.Barths, but have watched enough planes land there to scare the "begeebers" out of this very experienced flyer. To all, take the ferry...and agree not do-able in one day fro St. Thomas. St.Barths is waaay cool, however and hope to sail there again this March!

Oh come now polaris, don't needlessly scare people, flying into St. Barths is a hoot, like ridding a roller coaster. My 90 year old mother sat in the co-pilot's seat of the plane we flew in and loved every moment. She wanted to do it again and keeps asking when are we planning our next trip.

You could take the seaplane from St. Thomas to San Juan. Tradewinds, a charter airline, offers charters and shared charters from San Juan to St. Barths.

In regard to the ferry from St. Martin, the 15 minute ride to Anguilla was bad enough, I can't imagine spending 90+ minutes in rougher seas to get to St. Barths. The catamaran has not been operating and no one is sure if it will again in the near future.