Banks on the Dutch side are open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 to 3:30 and Friday from 8:30 to 4:40. The Windward Islands Bank at Le Grand Marché is open on Saturday from 9 to noon. French banks are open weekdays from 8:30 to 12:30 and 2:30 to 4; they are usually closed on Wednesday afternoons and afternoons preceding holidays. Dutch-side post offices are open weekdays from 7:30 to 5. On the French side, post offices are open weekdays from 7:30 to 4:45 and Saturday from 7:30 to 11:30. Shops on the Dutch side are generally open Monday through Saturday from 9 to noon and 2 to 6; on the French side, Monday through Saturday from 9 to 1 and 3 to 7. In Grand Case and around the Sonesta Maho Beach, the shops generally stay open until 11 to cater to the dinner crowd. Increasingly, however, shops on both sides remain open during lunch. Some of the larger shops are open on Sunday and holidays when cruise ships are in port.

Generally, the Dutch side operates on 110 volts AC (60-cycle) and has outlets that accept flat-prong plugs -- the same as in North America. The French side operates on 220 volts AC (60-cycle), with round-prong plugs; you need an adapter and sometimes a converter for North American appliances. The French outlets have a safety mechanism -- equal pressure must be applied to both prongs of the plug to connect to the socket.

Emergency Services

Dutch-side emergencies (PHONE: 911). Ambulance or fire emergencies Dutch side (PHONE: 120 or 599/522-6001). Ambulance French side (PHONE: 590/87-50-08 or 590/87-72-00). Police emergencies Dutch side (PHONE: 108 or 599/542-2222). Police emergencies French side (PHONE: 17 or 590/87-50-04).

Hospitals

Hôpital de Marigot (Rue de l'Hôpital, Concordia. PHONE: 590/87-87-67). St. Maarten Medical Center (Cay Hill. PHONE: 599/543-1111).

Pharmacies

Central Drug Store (Camille Richardson St., Philipsburg. PHONE: 599/542-5576). Simpson Bay Pharmacy (Plaza del Lago, Simpson Bay. PHONE: 599/544-3653). Pharmacie du Port (Rue de la Liberté, Marigot. PHONE: 590/87-50-79).

Both sides of the island celebrate specific holidays related to their government and culture, and some, such as New Year's, the Easter holidays (Mar. or Apr.), Labor Day (May 1), Christmas, and Boxing Day (Dec. 26) are celebrated together.

Other French-side holidays are Ascension Day (Aug. 15), Bastille Day (July 14), Schoelcher Day (July 21), All Saints' Day (Nov. 1), and the Feast of St. Martin (Nov. 11). Other Dutch-side holidays are Antillean Day (Oct. 21) and St. Maarten Day (Nov. 11; this coincides with Feast of St. Martin on the French side). On many holidays, government offices, shops, and even gas stations may be closed.

Many hotels offer Internet service -- some complimentary and some for a fee. There are cybercafés scattered throughout the island.

The main Dutch-side post office is on Walter Nisbeth Road in Philipsburg. There's a branch at Simpson Bay on Airport Road. The main post office on the French side is in Marigot, on rue de la Liberté. Letters from the Dutch side to North America and Europe cost NAf 2.85; postcards to all destinations are NAf 1.45. From the French side, letters up to 20 grams and postcards are EUR.58 to North America. When writing to Dutch St. Maarten, call it "Sint Maarten" and make sure to add "Netherlands Antilles" to the address. When writing to the French side, the proper spelling is "St. Martin," and you add "French West Indies" to the address. Postal codes are used only on the French side.

Information

Cyber Link (53 Front St., Phillipsburg.). Internet Corner (105 rue de Hollande, Marigot.). Coconets (29 Hope Estate, Grand Case.).

Dutch is the official language of St. Maarten, and French is the official language of St. Martin, but almost everyone speaks English. If you hear a language you can't quite place, it may be Papiamento -- a mix of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, French, and English -- spoken throughout the Netherlands Antilles.

At this writing, a valid passport was expected to become a requirement for all U.S. citizens traveling to St. Maarten starting on January 1, 2007.

Petty crime can be a problem on both sides of the island. Always lock your valuables and travel documents in your room safe or your hotel's front desk safe. When sightseeing in a rental car, keep valuables locked in the trunk or car, or better yet, don't leave anything in the car. Never leave your things unattended at the beach. Despite the romantic imagery of the Caribbean, it's not good policy to take long walks along the beach at night.

Departure tax from Juliana Airport is $15 to destinations within the Netherlands Antilles and $30 to all other destinations. This tax is included in the cost of many airline tickets, so it's best to check with your airline. If it's not included, the tariff must be paid in cash (dollars, euros, or NAf) at a booth before you get on your plane. If you arrive on the island by plane and depart within 24 hours, you'll be considered "in transit" and will not be required to pay the departure tax. It will cost you EUR3 (usually included in the ticket price) to depart by plane from L'Espérance Airport and $4 by ferry to Anguilla from Marigot's pier. Hotels on the Dutch side add a 15% service charge to the bill as well as a 5% government tax, for a total of 20%. Hotels on the French side add 10% to 15% for service and a taxe de séjour; the amount of this visitor tax differs from hotel to hotel and can be as high as 5%.

Calling from one side of the island to another is an international call. To phone from the Dutch side to the French, you first must dial 00-590-590 for local numbers, or 00-590-690 for cell phones, then the six-digit local number. To call from the French side to the Dutch, dial 00-599, then the seven-digit local number. Because of this, many businesses will have numbers on each side for their customers.

To call a local number on the French side, dial 0590 plus the six-digit number. On the Dutch side, just dial the seven-digit number with no prefix.

To call the Dutch side from the U.S., dial 011-599/54 plus the local number; for the French side, 011-590-590 plus the six-digit local number. At the Landsradio in Philipsburg, there are facilities for overseas calls and a USADirect phone, where you're directly in touch with an operator who will accept collect or credit-card calls. To call direct with an AT&T credit card or operator, dial 001-800/872-2881. On the French side, AT&T can be accessed by calling 080-099-00-11. If you need to use public phones, go to the special desk at Marigot's post office and buy a télécarte. There's a public phone at the tourist office in Marigot where you can make credit-card calls: the operator takes your card number (any major card) and assigns you a PIN (Personal Identification Number), which you then use to charge calls to your card.

Often without consistency, service charges of 10% to 15% may be added to hotel and restaurant bills. Especially in restaurants, be sure to ask if a tip is included; that way, you're not either double tipping or short-changing the staff. Taxi drivers, porters, chambermaids, and restaurant waitstaff depend on tips. The guideline is 10% to 15% for waitstaff and cabbies, $1 per bag for porters, and $1 to $5 per night for chambermaids.

A 2½-hour taxi tour of the island costs $50 for one or two people, $18 for each additional person. Your hotel or the tourist office can arrange it for you. Elle Si Belle offers island tours by van or bus for $15.

Information

Elle Si Belle (Airport Blvd., Simpson Bay. PHONE: 599/545-2271).

Before You Leave

St. Maarten Tourist Office (675 3rd Ave., Suite 1806, New York, NY, 10017. PHONE: 800/786-2278 or 212/953-2084, www.st-maarten.com). St. Martin Office of Tourism (675 3rd Ave., Suite 1807, New York, NY, 10017. PHONE: 877/956-1234 or 212/475-8970, FAX: 212/260-8481, www.st-martin.org).

In St. Maarten/St. Martin

Dutch-side Tourist Information Bureau (Cyrus Wathey Sq., Philipsburg. PHONE: 599/542-2337). Dutch-side tourist bureau administrative office (33 W. G. Buncamper Rd., in Vineyard Park Bldg., Philipsburg. PHONE: 599/542-2337). French-side Tourist Information Office (Rte. de Sandy Ground, near Marina Port-Royale, Marigot. PHONE: 590/87-57-21 or 590/87-57-23).

Marriages on St. Maarten follow the same rules as on the other Netherlands Antilles islands; getting married on the French side really isn't feasible because of stringent residency requirements, identical to those in France. Couples must be at least 18 years old and submit their documents at least 14 days prior to the wedding date. The application requires notarized original documents to be submitted to the registrar, including birth certificates, passports (for non-Dutch persons), divorce decrees from previous marriages, death certificates of deceased spouses, and passports for six witnesses if the ceremony is to take place outside of the Marriage Hall. The documents must be submitted in Dutch or English -- or else they must be translated into Dutch. The cost for this process is $275.55. Some of the larger resorts have wedding coordinators who can help to prepare the paperwork for a wedding. Wedding planners' fees average between $900 and $1,200. Any questions should be directed to the chief registrar.

Information

Chief Registrar (Census Office, Soualiga Rd., Philipsburg. PHONE: 599/542-5647, FAX: 599/542-4267).

It's generally not necessary to change your money in St. Maarten/St. Martin. All banks now have ATMs that accept international cards. On the Dutch side, try RBTT or Windward Islands Bank, both of which have several branches on the island. On the French side, try Banque des Antilles Françaises or Banque Française Commerciale, but they will issue only euros. MasterCard, Visa, and American Express are accepted all over the island, Diners Club and Discover on occasion.

Legal tender on the Dutch side is the Netherlands Antilles florin (guilder), written NAf; on the French side, it's the euro (EUR). The exchange rates fluctuate, but at this writing they were about NAf 1.78 to US$1 and about EUR1 to US$1.17. On the Dutch side, prices are usually given in both NAf and U.S. dollars, which are accepted all over the island. Legal tender on the French side is the euro, but in practice most places will accept dollars readily and will often give a favorable exchange rate.

Information

Banque des Antilles Françaises (Rue de la République, Marigot. PHONE: 590/29-13-30). Banque Française Commerciale (Rue de Hollande, Marigot. PHONE: 590/87-53-80). Credit Mutuel (Rue de la République, Marigot. PHONE: 590/29-54-90). RBTT (Emnaplein, Philipsburg. PHONE: 599/542-3344, Union Rd., Cole Bay, PHONE: 599/544-3078). Windward Islands Bank (Cannegieter St., Philipsburg. PHONE: 599/542-2313).