Traveling to St. Barths is as unique an experience as being on St. Barths. My best recommendation for anyone, first time or seasoned visitor, is to relax and take everything in stride. Baggage can get lost, but it always shows up later. Flights are late, but they come eventually. Connections get missed, but you can usually find the next flight or take a ferry. I'll give you some of my personal insights after we go over the basic information you need to get here.

There are only two ways to get to St. Barths, unless you're a fantastic swimmer; by air or by sea. The closest International airport that can accommodate commercial jet airliners is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) in St. Maarten. St. Barths is known the world over for its unusual and sometimes breathtaking airport landings. Small single and twin-prop "island hopper" type airplanes must weave their way through a break in the mountain, fly just over the roofs of cars, make a quick dip, and gracefully land on the runway. The runway is very short and if you spend some time at Chez Joe, the airport restaurant, you can sit and watch as occasionally an inexperienced private pilot must abort the landing, zoom off over the beach at the far end and make another go! The commercial airlines that serve the island have some of the best and most experienced pilots in the world, and the planes are reliable and time-proven for this type of environment.

By Air

First, no large air carriers fly directly to St. Barths. The St. Barths airport is small, one of the smallest in the world, so landing takes a special plane and a special pilot. If you own your own plane and are thinking of flying to St. Barths, review this information first; the landing is tricky.

So, you'll need to go to one of the larger international airports first, before beginning the last leg of your journey to St. Barths. The closest an most common connection is Princess Juliana International (SXM) located on Dutch Sint Maarten. You can also fly into San Juan, Puerto Rico and take a charter flight direct to St. Barths, but you'll more than likely just end up connecting to St. Maarten. Guadeloupe is also a connection point.

The following international commercial airlines serve the island.

• WinAir
• Air Caraïbes
• Air Antilles
• St. Barths Commuter

The major carriers serve several different locations that make connections to St. Barths. For example, you can fly into Guadeloupe, then make a connection to get here. I'm no travel agent, but here is a list of who flies what where:

St. Maarten:

• Air France
• American Airlines
• Continental
• Corsair
• Delta
• KLM
• US Airways

San Juan:

(as of now, only charter airlines fly direct from San Juan to St. Barths)

Guadeloupe:

I've done this trip many times over the years and have collected some wisdom about the journey. Please take a moment to look over the Travel Tips page, which can help you make your journey relaxing and fun. The short version, leave your stress behind.

Charter: You can also charter a private plane if that suits you. Here are the charter companies and booking agencies that can help you with your travel plans. Finally, St. Barths can accommodate helicopters. I don't know anything about them, but I'll find out and keep you informed.

By sea:

If you're coming from St. Maarten, and seriously don't like flying in small planes (they're very safe), you're looking to save some money (not really all that much less expensive), or you can't make the last flight of the day (at sunset), then you can get to St. Barths by ferry. With a nod to the fine captains of the ferries and charter boats, you may be in for a surprise coming by sea. On a fine day, it can be smooth as glass, but depending on the wind, swell, and general conditions of the sea, the ride can be pretty choppy. There have been two ferry companies in the past, but currently, there seems to be only one.

• The Rapid Explorer
• The Voyager

Charter:

You can also charter private boats to help you make the journey.

Cruise Ship:

Now before I go into the cruise lines that stop in St. Barths, it should be noted that cruise ships cannot dock anywhere on St. Barths. The harbor and channel are simply not deep enough and the portside not large enough. Also, being a cruise ship port, brings with it a certain non-participatory nature that just isn't St. Barths style. The cruise ships come and anchor off shore and you can use their shuttle service to get to land.

The following cruise lines stop in St. Barths:

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Private Yacht:

Many many cruisers, yachts, and super uber mega yachts (they're so big I don't even know what to call them!) visit St. Barths year round. There are slips and moorings in and out of the harbor for reasonable rates. When arriving, you can contact the Dockmaster at the Capitainerie on Channel 12 for information. Visit our port page for complete information.