St. Barts Question

[iflyrc5]

The HAL Maasdam will be arriving in St. Barts, 1 Feb 2011. This is a tender port. Have not found much on the boards about St. Barts and the HAL tour costs are very expensive (i.e. $99 for a 2 hour snorkel trip). Just wondering if there is a beach within walking distance or a short cab ride from where the tenders arrive? I found a reference to "Shell Beach" being near by but don't know anything else. Any information from folks that have visited St. Barts recently is appreciated.

[KroozFoolz]

We walked to Shell Beach.

Here is the link to a map -

http://www.sbhonline.com/St-Barts-bb/showpost.php?post/201868/ - you can pick up a copy of the map at the Tourism Office in Gustavia.

 

 

 

more pics of our visit to St. Barts here: http://travel.webshots.com/album/577502187bKfGYE

[iflyrc5]

Thanks much!! Looks like a nice beach. Do you remember about how far it is from the tender pier to the Beach?

[KroozFoolz]

I would say if you walked purposefully from the tender pier to the beach, it might take about 15 minutes to get there. We took our time, looking around at things in town, taking pics, and not taking a direct route, and I guess it took us more like 30 or 40 minutes.

[youbid]

Hi,

We have been lucky to visit St.Barts several times. Shell beach is ok, but I would recomend St. Jean Beach as it has several places to eat or shop with its white sand beach about a mile long. You may want to take a taxi its about a 5 minute ride just over the hill from port. Or do as we have always done and rent a car, for about $40.00 aday including insurance I found its the best way to see St. Barts on your on pace..If you do rent be sure and get a VERY small car as the streets are tight and parking too... ;):o

[mamaofami]

Any info on hiring a driver to take you around St. Barts? Can we do that from home or wait till we get there? Any suggestions on tour drivers?

[susiesan]

Hi,

We have been lucky to visit St.Barts several times. Shell beach is ok, but I would recomend St. Jean Beach as it has several places to eat or shop with its white sand beach about a mile long. You may want to take a taxi its about a 5 minute ride just over the hill from port. Or do as we have always done and rent a car, for about $40.00 aday including insurance I found its the best way to see St. Barts on your on pace..If you do rent be sure and get a VERY small car as the streets are tight and parking too... ;):o

 

Do you remember who you rented from for $40 a day? The cheapest I can find is 70 euros, which is about $98 a day. Did you rent when you got there?

[Alison1466]

I can get good rates on Expedia from Europecar, but can't figure out which location is closest to the dock. Do you remember? The locations listed are Hotel LeThoiny, Airport, and Gustavia.

 

Thanks. We are on the Holland America Maasdam for 10 days leaving Ft. Lauderdale March 18, 2011

[WeRockChalkKU]

We went with Alamo because we wanted to pick our car up at the dock and not the airport - thought it would save time. It cost us more than places that didn't have cars at the dock but we thought that was the best use of our time. However, after getting our car we discovered that the airport is very close to the dock and you have to refuel at the gas station right across the street from the airport. Plus, the airport is a must see on the island. It ranks in the top 10 in the world for craziest/difficult places to land a plane. We spent time watching planes land and takeoff. You can see this on You tube but experiencing it is amazing. Fair warning the gas station by the airport closes from 12-3 pm. You can still get gas there from an automated system but your credit card requires a pin or special chip imbedded in it. Ours didn't have it and we had to return later to purchase gas.

 

Everything is expensive in St Barts.

[youbid]

Do you remember who you rented from for $40 a day? The cheapest I can find is 70 euros, which is about $98 a day. Did you rent when you got there?

 

I rented from Turbe, do a google search. They are at the airport, but will be waiting at the dock for you, with a sign with your name. The airport is about a 5 minute drive from the docks. I did make my reservation online about 3-4 weeks before we arrived. Great service, just remember in St. Barts the parking in town is limited and the streets are narrow so get a SMALL car. You will see alot of Smart cars that should be a clue to the roads and parking...Have fun, we do....:):o

[susiesan]

I rented from Turbe, do a google search. They are at the airport, but will be waiting at the dock for you, with a sign with your name. The airport is about a 5 minute drive from the docks. I did make my reservation online about 3-4 weeks before we arrived. Great service, just remember in St. Barts the parking in town is limited and the streets are narrow so get a SMALL car. You will see alot of Smart cars that should be a clue to the roads and parking...Have fun, we do....:):o

 

I contacted Turbe and the current rate is 60eu a day, which is $80 or so, for a Hyundai Getz. That includes insurance. They will meet us at the dock. Alamo has the same car for $63.00 a day, incl. insurance, at the dock. I made a reservation with Alamo. I'd prefer the charge go in dollars so as not to have an additional foreign conversion charge from euros to dollars when I get the CC bill.

[Alison1466]

I rented from Europcar for late March and got a rate of 29 Euros. They are located at the dock

[susiesan]

I rented from Europcar for late March and got a rate of 29 Euros. They are located at the dock

 

Thanks, Alison. I looked at Europcar and they are even less than Alamo, $54 for March 1 so I reserved with them and canceled Alamo.

[youbid]

Thanks, Alison. I looked at Europcar and they are even less than Alamo, $54 for March 1 so I reserved with them and canceled Alamo.

 

Hi,

I checked there web site and its 30 euro's a day in the low season which starts in March. They have three seasonal rates so we happen to be there in the low season and paid less... Anyway have fun, we do :):o

[strawbs1]

Favor?? While you're in St. Barts, can you ask if Laurent Effel is still open? I was there about three years ago and there were three of those shops but I believe the owners planned to move. My favorite shops EVER and since we're going there in May, I'm hoping they're back!

[ksps cruise fan]

Hi,

We have been lucky to visit St.Barts several times. Shell beach is ok, but I would recomend St. Jean Beach as it has several places to eat or shop with its white sand beach about a mile long. You may want to take a taxi its about a 5 minute ride just over the hill from port.

 

We'll be in St. Barts for the third time this winter and in contrast we don't have warm, fuzzy feelings at all about this island. Our feelings stem from our first visit. We asked a taxi to drive us to a nice beach. He did this, although I can't recall the name of the beach. Once at the beach, we saw several hotels ringing the beach. We went to each one and asked if we could rent a chair for a couple of hours. The answer at each place was "no."

 

I speak very, very, very basic French, but I can not longer recall the language I used for my original question. If I had to guess, I probably asked the first hotel in English and after being turned down, I switched to French for the subsequent hotels.

 

We took a taxi back to town, strolled around a little bit and returned to the ship. The second cruise, we never got off the ship. This cruise, I'd like to have a more successfully experience.

 

The photo of Shell Beach doesn't show anyone on chairs with umbrellas. Is that the situation on the whole beach or just the scene in the photo? What is the situation for chairs and umbrellas at St. Jean Beach?

[ksps cruise fan]

Once at the beach, we saw several hotels ringing the beach. We went to each one and asked if we could rent a chair for a couple of hours. The answer at each place was "no."

 

I speak very, very, very basic French, but I can not longer recall the language I used for my original question. If I had to guess, I probably asked the first hotel in English and after being turned down, I switched to French for the subsequent hotels.

 

Whoops! I omitted the important part of my story. As I asked about chairs at the remaining hotels, I began asking for recommendations where we could rent lounge chairs. The answer: "All beaches in St. Barts are private. Hotels have only enough lounge chairs for their guests."

 

That unfriendly enounter explains why we never left the ship on our second cruise to St. Barts.

[sunfl0wer]

We went to St Jean beach last Feb. They only rented chairs if you 'had a reservation' (and, of course, we didn't). Chair rentals were really expensive when you did have a reservation ($50 ea/day). I've been told that Amazon sells an inflatable beach chair. I'm going to check into that option for our cruise next Feb. Cab fares are posted in euros. Be sure to know the correct conversion to $US, otherwise, drivers will be happy to take advantage of you.