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Road trip tips… St. Maarten / Saint Martin edition

April 30, 2008

Earlier this month I gave you guys some tips on how to save money on road trips if you were from the US, or were planning on visiting the United States of Rising Gas Prices. However, there was something I overlooked. We purchase gasoline for our vehicles here on St. Maarten / Saint Martin as well. After many e-mails from readers, I decided to give you some of my own tips of saving some green on your gas, and also create less greenhouse gases for the environment.

Now these tips should be very helpful, since I personally drive a V6 powered SUV, and the rising gas prices have also been hitting me hard in my pockets. These tips are not scientifically proven, but being a son-of-the-soil and knowing my way around the island, I should know what I’m talking about. The tips will be given more for the tourist aspect, however, locals and fellow islanders can also follow along with these helpful hints.

Pick the right tools for the job: If we could drive around on hammers, work benches and electrical saws all day… that would be a sight. But I am not talking about those tools. I am referring to the way you get around on the island. When renting a car, go for a 4-cylinder automatic transmission. Or if you can handle the manual, get a soft-top jeep especially if you plan to do some “off-roading”. Manual transmission cars usually burn less gasoline than the automatics, thus saving you the amount of times you tank up and money. With the soft-top, you can avoid putting on that AC and enjoy the cool Caribbean breeze and warm sun as you cruise along the local roads. If you are a big family, instead of renting 2-3 cars, why not get a mini van or a big 12-seater bus. Creates less traffic congestion, pollution and keeps everyone together, so if one gets lost… everyone gets lost! Joke. Also, to save a couple extra bucks, take a rental from the “local boys”. Usually there are no credit cards involved, and depending on the time and type of vehicle you rent, you could be paying as low as $30 a day.

Avoid traffic: Oh yes, in paradise we also have traffic jams. Here is a tip… avoid them! Want to get your shopping done? On the Dutch side of the island, the best times for this is after lunch. The roads are relatively quiet around 2-4PM. On some good days, you might find light traffic around 9-11AM. This applies however to one side of the hill. When traveling in the Cole Bay / Simpson Bay area, this is a whole different story. With the sudden boom of activity over on that side, plus the opening hours of the Simpson Bay bridge, there is no telling when you will be stuck in traffic or not. Usually the early morning hours are quiet. Try to get some breakfast from the many bagel shops, delis and breakfast restaurants that line the road. Nothing like a cup of coffee and the rising Caribbean sun. Once you have gotten your morning fuel, head over to the French side via Low Lands. Most of the kids are in school already, and traffic is light. Enjoy the beach or some shopping. Have some lunch over at the “lolo’s”. Avoid shopping areas like Marigot and Columbier around 10AM-1PM. Traffic usually gets hectic around this time as delivery trucks often make stops, and the kids get out of school for lunch. Stay in the areas like Grand Case, French Quarter and French Cul-De-Sac. Avoid the roads around 5-6PM, you will surely be caught in bumper to bumper rush hour traffic. Find a bar and pull over. An hour passes by quickly when sipping on a Heineken or a tropical fruit cocktail. If you have to be on the Cole Bay / Simpson Bay side, schedule your trips around the bridge openings. If traveling early mornings or around lunch time, avoid getting behind school buses. Trust me, you will get frustrated by the constant stop offs.

Public transportation: Wanna really save some money? Avoid the rental cars and taxis and hop on a local bus. These are great if you know your way around the island. It’s usually $2.00 per person, depending on the trip.

Helpful Hints: Here are some more helpful hints to help you save money on your next Caribbean vacation.

  • Don’t drive with the AC on, and your windows open
  • Try purchasing your gasoline on the French side. Most of the stations take gas 1 Euro = $1
  • If buying gas on the Dutch side, use the self-service pumps. The official rate of dollars to Antillean guilders on the island is 1.80. If an attendant pumps your gas, most of the gas stations take it as 1.82. Thus you lose on your dollars, and a few liters of gas. When you pump your own gas, they give you the official rate. Don’t know why they do this, but it has been going on for quite some time now.
  • Stay in resorts, hotels or guest houses that are close to stores, restaurants or mini marts. Sometimes you won’t even have to drive. Just a few minutes of walking won’t kill anyone. You could always order in as well.
  • Beware of where you park. Not because a spot looks deserted means you can park there. That’s usually because one is not allowed to park there in the first place. The locals know best where one can park or not. If you do see a car or two parked in a deserted area, look to see if they have their emergency lights on. Usually they do this just to get a quick run into a store. This is illegal, though the police usually lets it slide. But like they say, “don’t try this at home…”.

Written by Suppa · Filed Under Travel Tips 

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One Response to “Road trip tips… St. Maarten / Saint Martin edition”

  1. Saint-Martin » Road trip tips… St. Maarten / Saint Martin edition on May 10th, 2008 2:10 am

    [...] Road trip tips… St. Maarten / Saint Martin editionWe purchase gasoline for our vehicles here on St. Maarten / Saint Martin as well. After many e-mails from readers, I decided to give you some of my own tips of saving some green on your gas, and also create less greenhouse gases for the … [...]

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