Driving

Good day,

I've booked a car for the day when we stop in St Maarten in November. My original plan was to travel around the island first heading east from the port, then looping around to the west to visit Maho and through Philipsburg.

I keep reading about the traffic on the island - although the opinions vary from "it's terrible all the time" to "it handles a large amount of passengers well", I'm concerned about the traffic heading back between Maho and the port.

I'm wondering now if I should go the other way - start west with Philipsburg and Maho, then head east and approach the port from that direction.

Any thoughts, or will it not matter?

I think there are 4 or 5 ships that day - approx 17K passengers.

Thanks,

Chris

Good day,

 

I've booked a car for the day when we stop in St Maarten in November. My original plan was to travel around the island first heading east from the port, then looping around to the west to visit Maho and through Philipsburg.

I keep reading about the traffic on the island - although the opinions vary from "it's terrible all the time" to "it handles a large amount of passengers well", I'm concerned about the traffic heading back between Maho and the port.

 

I'm wondering now if I should go the other way - start west with Philipsburg and Maho, then head east and approach the port from that direction.

 

Any thoughts, or will it not matter?

 

I think there are 4 or 5 ships that day - approx 17K passengers.

 

Thanks,

Chris

The worst traffic on the island is in the afternoon coming from the west through Phillipsburg. If you can finish your airplane watching early, you will do a lot better then going north to Orient (if that is on your agenda) and finishing by coming down the east side past Oyster Pond. If you want to make Maho your last stop and then go back to the port through Phillipsburg, you should allow at least 90 minutes.

The worst traffic on the island is in the afternoon coming from the west through Phillipsburg. If you can finish your airplane watching early, you will do a lot better then going north to Orient (if that is on your agenda) and finishing by coming down the east side past Oyster Pond. If you want to make Maho your last stop and then go back to the port through Phillipsburg, you should allow at least 90 minutes.

OK, I understand that you have a unit at OBBR, but you keep referencing coming down the east side of the island 'past oyster pond' to get back to Philipsburg.

That route would be so out of the way that I can't imagine it.

And, BTW, Philipsburg only has one 'l' in the name.

gary

OK, I understand that you have a unit at OBBR, but you keep referencing coming down the east side of the island 'past oyster pond' to get back to Philipsburg.

 

That route would be so out of the way that I can't imagine it.

 

And, BTW, Philipsburg only has one 'l' in the name.

 

gary

Sorry that mention of Oyster Pond seems to upset you. I was simply trying to give OP a geographic reference while answering his question. Also, while principal route N7 is perhaps a couple of miles shorter than the coast road, the fact that it leads through built up Lower Princes Quarter and Middle Region means that the likelihood of traffic is much greater.

Thanks for the replies, I suspecting that travelling in the other direction might work out.

As for Oyster Pond, it doesn't seem that far out of the way, plus the drive along the coast might have some nice scenery.

I would agree with the reverse route if you want to avoid heavy traffic.

The only problem with the reverse itinerary is that most of the planes land in early to mid afternoon. So you would likely miss seeing any flyovers on Maho.

If I recall correctly, you can come south on the principal route from Orient to just past Belle Plaine at the north end of Lower Quarter and turn east and skirt the east side of Lower Quarter and Middle and come around the side of Great Salt Pond and then the east side of Phillipsburg down to the pier. Not sure how the traffic is along that route but probably less than following the Principal route around and you would have to take a good portion of that road from Oyster Pond anyway.