How to get from San Juan to Anguilla?
 

We are traveling for the first time to Anguilla in December. I thought about booking our flight through St Maarten, but I think San Juan will be easier since we are familiar with it & will have to spend the night in either San Juan or St Maarten since our flight arrives so late.

I know if we fly to St Maarten, we can take the ferry over to Anguilla the next day, but I'm not sure how to get to Anguilla from San Juan. Can anyone recommend a good airline? We've had some trouble with local airlines when flying from Tortola to San Juan with being on time for connections.

We are also thinking about staying at Frangipani Beach Resort after reading some good reviews. Anyone else have another recommendation or experience there? In the past, we have been to Jumby Bay, Parrot Cay & Biras Creek.

Thanks for any help.

After checking airlines & fares from San Juan to Anguilla, it seems like it will be a lot cheaper to fly directly to St Maarten. We will arrive at 7:30pm. Where should we stay is the new question?

Thanks!

The Frangipani is my favorite. I've stayed there three times and will be going back again next December. Meads Bay beach is stunning and there are plenty of dining options near the Frangi, in addition to their on-site restaurant, the Straw Hat, which is regarded as one of the best on the island. My favorite part about the Frangipani is its intimacy. It only has 19 rooms, so, it never feels busy. There's plenty of room for the guests to spread out on the beach and the staff is just lovely.
If you are looking at their one-bedroom suites, be sure to request room 5A. It's on the second floor and has 3 balconies, two of which are pretty secluded. It's my favorite of all the rooms we've stayed in.

Thanks nycuwsapt. I was looking at The Frangipani & also the Viceroy. The pictures of The Frangipani look a bit dated. How close is The Frangipani to the Viceroy?

The Viceroy is at the western end of Meads Bay, while the Frangipani is more towards the center of the beach. This link might help you visualize things more: http://www.anguilla-beaches.com/angu...meads-bay.html. It's definitely possible to walk between the 2.

As for the differences between the two properties, it's really a matter of taste. To me, the Viceroy feels kind of impersonal and has a sleek Miami Beach vibe, but, there are tons of people that love that. If you look at the Meads Bay beach cam which is situated near the Viceroy, you see row after row of umbrellas, beach chairs and people, whereas the section of the Meads Bay that the Frangipani sits on isn't as hopping.

The Viceroy may be sleek and modern, but, I don't feel like the Frangi is dated at all. The suites have kitchens with stainless appliances and granite counter tops. The bathrooms are equipped with vessel sinks, showers that are tiled with mosaic glass and each shower is equipped with multiple heads/sprayers. The Frangipani's rooms are styled with more a British Colonial vibe and the decor makes me feel like I'm on an island vacation, whereas, I feel like the Viceroy has more of a modern edge. The styles are certainly different, but, again, it's really a matter of taste.

From SXM, you can fly on Anguilla Air Services, but their last flight is around 4:30 PM per their website. I do highly recommend them: http://www.anguillaairservices.com/

You can take Fun Time from the dock across from the SXM airport... it appears they have a boat leaving at 9:30 PM - but I would confirm that since it is new. http://www.funtime-charters.com/

It seems logical that they have this late boat to meet the flight you are on - I believe there is also an 8:30 flight arrival from the US - so they can probably take all that business.

The Fun Time agent meets you upon exit from baggage claim at SXM and gets you to the boat (a 2 minute van ride or a 5 minute walk). See if they can arrange a cab at Blowing Point and deal with a rental car later (you can have it delivered to your hotel). While the drive from Blowing Point to Frangi (or any of the west end hotels) is not long or complicated, it will be late and you will be tired and it will be very very dark.

I'd rather arrive at AXA late than spend a night on SXM - just to get the travel thing done in one day. If you do end up staying in SXM for a night, look at La Samanna (4 star) or the Sonesta (2-3 star). There are other "motel-type" options, but I suspect you would be happier at one of these.

I believe the last public ferry leaves Marigot St. Martin at 7 PM

Frangi is a very nice place and Mead's is my favorite beach and home of several of the top restaurants.

Given the level of the places you have stayed at in the past, you may also want to check out Cap Juluca and Cuisinart. I agree that Viceroy is stunning, but out of place and the rooms are mostly a distance from the beach.

I don't know how current the information on this link is, but it is bookmarked on the TA site:

http://www.ferryboatinn.ai/travel.html

Thanks Andrew. I agree with you, I would rather have a long traveling day than spend the night elsewhere.

Thanks for all the info & the hotel review.

Nyuuwsapt, that's for the additional info on the Frangipani & clearing up my impression.