The plane (or cruise) tickets have been booked for months and you’ve been tirelessly counting down the weeks until you get to leave! But somehow those weeks flew by, and now you only have a few days before your relaxing trip to St. Martin. Not sure what to pack? Well, we’ve got you covered!
The Important Stuff
In order to start thinking about the fun stuff you want to bring, you have to get the important stuff out of the way! You already know that you need to bring your passport, driver’s license, plane tickets, and hotel and car rental confirmations but its always a good idea to make a few copies of these important documents, just in case something gets lost or stolen. Keep the originals with you in your carry on bag and take pictures of the documents to keep on your phone, that way you’ll always have your information on you.
Make sure you’re aware of the minor differences between the French side (St. Martin) and the Dutch side (Sint Maarten). Sint Maarten uses American outlets, while St. Martin uses European outlets. Also, if you plan on using cash on the island keep in mind that the French side uses Euros while the Dutch side uses florin (although dollars are also accepted).
In case your luggage gets lost or delayed (it happens!), pack your carry on bag with a few essentials to last you a full day. This means packing all of your prescription medicines, a snack, a change of clothes and undergarments, toiletries, and, of course, a bathing suit. That way if the worst happens, you can still go relax by the beach and take in some rays.
The Fun Stuff
Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, lets start talking about the exciting stuff! A lot of what you are going to pack is based off what you plan on doing while on the island.
If you’re planning on spending your days relaxing at the beach and coming back home a few shades tanner, then be sure to pack your bathing suits, an extra beach towel (just in case your resort doesn’t let you take their towels on the beach), a cover up, a hat, sunglasses, sun block, and some trusty flip flops. If you’re feeling really adventurous be sure to pack some snorkel gear in your beach bag, or if you just feel like relaxing, then bring a good book. If you want your beach day to be family friendly, be sure to do your research and double check to make sure the beach you want to go to isn’t clothing optional, like the famous Orient Bay!
If you crave a little more activity than lounging in a beach chair, then you’re in luck! St. Martin-Sint Maarten has a bunch of beautiful trails and hiking spots for active tourists, like Loterie Farm. Be sure to pack a comfortable pair of shoes, lightweight clothing, a water bottle, a hat, and maybe even a backpack that you can fill with snacks and a blanket, to have a little picnic.
The night light in St. Martin calls for a different dress code than in the daytime. Men should bring nice shorts or pants and button down, collared shirts while women should pack a few nice sundresses and sandals. However, St. Martin is all about easy, breezy island life, so don’t worry too much about being fancy!
If all of this information has overwhelmed you, then don’t worry! Just remember that you are about to go on a fabulous vacation on a beautiful island – whats there to stress about?