Hi, We are thinking about 1 week vacation in Oct. going south. <BR> <BR>Between St. Maarten and St. Martin, which side is better for staying? <BR> <BR>A friend of mine went to St. Maarten about 7 years ago and liked it very much. However, the messages in this Forum seem to be mixed. Where can I find out more information about the island? <BR> <BR>

I've never heard anything real good about the Dutch side, here or anywhere. The French side seems to get all the raves.

I couldn't agree more. The French side is charming and very European, excellent beaches and restaurants. <BR> <BR>The Dutch side has casinos, KFC and traffic.

People who like to be near the casinos and other nightlife and prefer an American style ambiance like the Dutch side; others feel it is too built up, Americanized and ugly and prefer the quieter atmosphere of the French side. Since the island is small and getting around pretty easy (you should rent a car), you can stay on either side and not miss anything. You can get a lot of information at www.traveltalkonline.com, keeping in mind that most of the posters are strong Stmartinophiles.

I live on St. maarten and I think you should base your decision on what hotel and best package you can book. Both sides have very nice hotels and very nice beaches The island is so small that you can go to either side easily to do whatever that side has to offer <BR>and definitely rent a car <BR>enjoy!

I prefer to stay on the Dutch side of the island. It has more life to it. The French side can be a bit snooty and expensive at times. And the French government does not maintain its side as well as the Dutch, especially after hurricaines. But, you can go back and forth from one side to the other with ease, so it really depends on the deal you get. Either way, have lots of fun!

It depends on what you want. If your basing your trip on what your friend saw there 7 years ago, you'll be shocked by what you see. The island has gone downhill in a big way. I would choose another island where you don't see so many negatives posted.

Anna, Sxm may have "gone down hill" in the last 7 years, but What other island has so much to offer?

No no. St. martin has gone uphill recently. <BR>this is because everything is new and nice. Hurricanes force things to be rebuilt. I was recently there and many things are new because of the hurricanes. It is going uphill, and as the poster said, no other island has what st. martin has to offer!

Thanks for all the replies. <BR> <BR>I have heard that the island is not as nice as before after the hurricanes. However, it still sounds a quite attractive place to us. <BR> <BR>One more question. Does anybody know how expensive the food is on St.Martin? I have seen some good price packages but only cover hotel. The meals are extra. <BR> <BR>

It's been several years since we were in St Marteen and we did stay on the french side and loved it. The food varied in price depending on the restaurant. The most expensive meals we had were at some of the places in Grand Case on the french side. However, we also had some very good meals both on the French and Dutch side that were quite reasonable. There are a variety of places there and it was fun to explore as many as we could. I especially liked having breakfast at the outdoor cafes near the marina on the french side in Maigot. Have fun

Restaurants on St. Maarten can be expensive but part of the fun of St. maarten is eating out. we have absolutely fabulous restaurants.. it is a gourmet paradise. <BR>there are restaurants that are less expensive though. you oculd expect to spend maybe about $20-$25.00 a person at those. There are some local restaurants too with wonderful local food that are even less expensive.other resturants are more elegant and expensive but tbere is a wide variety to choose from.. all inclusive plans really aren't recomemnded on St. maarten because of all the fabulous eating possibilities <BR>enjoy!