pijeta

Hello. I'm starting to plan a late spring trip to Anguilla. My biggest question at this point involves the logistics of getting there, especially with a 3 & 5 year old.

Right now, flights to Anguilla are listed at $1500/person vs. $750/person to St. Marteen. That's a huge $3000 savings for our family of four. Logistically though, how difficult is it to land at SXM and ferry over to Anguilla? I'm finding mid-day flight arrivals, so I assume we'd make it in time to catch a ferry (they stop running at 7pm, correct?), but what if we are delayed? Also, do we have to catch a taxi to get to the dock? How long is that and what's an average charge for the ride? What does the ferry charge?

Also, on the return flight home, how long would we need to expect to get from our place in Anguilla to the airport? Or would we need to forfeit the last night on Anguilla for a stay on St. Marteen close to the airport? (Which, honestly, doesn't sound too appealing for many reasons including safety issues surrounding St. Marteen).

I really want to make this work, but I'm wondering if it's going to be just too much work and money and we should opt for somewhere else. ?

Thanks in advance!

RoamsAround

It's actually fairly easy to get to Anguilla from St. Martin. The least expensive way is by ferry from Marigot. Upon arrival in SXM take a taxi to Marigot, board the ferry for the 20 minute crossing then taxi at Blowing Point to your accommodations on AXA. With a mid-day arrival you'll have no trouble getting to AXA by early afternoon. If memory serves me right it's about a 20 minute ride from airport to Marigot and another 20 minutes for the ferry ride - ferries run every 30 minutes. Alternative is to take private water taxi or one of the shuttle boat services from the Dutch side (closer to airport but more expensive as crossing is longer. Go here for more details: http://ivisitanguilla.com/by-sea/

While it is theoretically possible to travel between the airport and Anguilla in about an hour for planning purposes you can realistically expect it to take from 1:30 to 1:45 from the time you exit the airport to reach Anguilla and that includes waiting time for the ferry. How long it takes to get from Blowing Point to your accommodations on AXA depends on where you are staying.

Reverse the process for your return trip

TPAYT

Loved Anguilla but didn't like getting there.
RoamsAround has given you good advice. It was quite easy to get from St, M. airport to the ferry dock but I must add that the crossing was quite bumpy. Of course, that depends on the seas at the time..the taxi & ferry charges are not large--nowhere near the flight costs. I don't remember what they were but I would if they were high.

Anguilla was beautiful but after 20+ islands, it's just too complicated a journey. Now if we were staying for a month or so it would be more doable, but in flying from the midwest for a 10 day vacation, we now choose islands that we can get to easier like Turks & Caicos.

WWK

We really liked Anguilla, but gave up going there for all the reasons listed above. A very bumpy ferry ride was the final straw for us many years ago. Now we only go to places we can get to non-stop from the east coast. Good luck!

Odin

The ferry ride is only 15-20mins, so if it is bumpy it is not for long. But if you have luggage it can be a pain getting on/off. Barbados will be easier, which was a choice on your other thread. Or stay in St Maarten.

http://www.beachesofbarbados.com/

Callaloo

The ferry trip over to Anguilla is quick, even if it can be bumpy (the way it was when I last did it). But, it's also a mental state -- it's much better if you convince yourself that your vacation has begun once you land at SXM; the ferry ride is just an opportunity to get into the Anguilla groove. (So many of us do the same when landing at STT and ferrying over to the BVI -- the scenery is so pretty and the vibe so friendly that you are decompressing as you travel.)

If your patience allows, another way to make the travel less of an issue is to make your trip a two-island vacation. This is what I've been doing lately to get to Nevis (and have done for Anguilla as well) -- stay on St. Martin for a few days before moving on to the next destination. St. Martin is easy to reach from the US, and the other islands are easy to reach from St. Martin. That way, you have two relatively easy trips, rather than one not-as-easy one.

Of course, understanding that you have two kids may make you less inclined to stay in one place, then pack up again and move.

beachykeen

I prefer the shuttle boat or private ferry-easier with the luggage. Also, if the public ferry has indoor seating only, there may be a gassy smell. The shuttle boats and private ferry offer soft and not so soft drinks. There is also a small plane that takes 8 minutes to get from SXM to AXA

ejcrowe

I think it's pretty easy to get to Anguilla. We used to take the private boat shuttles and now we fly from St Maarten to Anguilla on Anguilla Air Services. The public ferry is fairly reliable, fairly efficient, and fairly inexpensive. My husband happens to enjoy flying, so now that's what we do. It works well with our flight schedules to and from St Maarten. I personally think that Anguilla is worth whatever hassle it takes to get there.

travelbur

Just fly to St Maarten (airport code: SXM) and call it a day. The San Juan or St Maarten air flights are very expensive. Then either take the public ferry from Marigot - $15 p/p each way, or one of the private ferries - about $60 p/p each way. marigot is a 15 minute cab ride from the airport (make sure the cabbie uses the NEW bridge), the privaye ferries have shuttle buses from the airport and are about 2 miles away.