Posted November 4, 2007

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THE ONLY WAY TO THOROUGHLY ENJOY SXM IS TO RENT A CAR AND SEE IT ALL!

We customarily avoid Hertz & Avis here -- they're fine, of course, but they're franchises which must pay franchise charges to Hertz & Avis, so they're usually a bit pricier than local rent-a-car companies. (Hertz & Avis are fine if you want to spend the money. We simply suggest they're not worth it. Both are in SXM, along with National, Budget, and Thrifty. Thrifty had acquired a reputation a few years ago of offering low prices but when you get there, the car you thought you rented is replaced by something smaller and older. Thrifty in SXM was not high on our list, but we've not heard any recent complaints so they may be ok.)

There are many fine LOCAL car rental companies in St. Maarten/St. Martin. We'll tell you the companies we recommend and why in a minute.

Regardless of who you rent from, note these recommendations:

1. This is paradise -- not utopia. Never leave any valuables in your car or in your trunk. Never. Not a good idea at home or anywhere else including the Caribbean. Resist the temptation to put your pocketbook or video camera in your trunk. Just don't.

2. Rent an older car (squeaks, rattles, dents). It will be less expensive, less convenient, and less likely to be looked at twice by the same folks who want you to leave valuables in your car trunk.

3. Be sure your car has a spare tire, and be sure you keep the trunk locked to protect it. Some rent a car companies rent cars without a spare tire simply because spares do get stolen (happens throughout the Caribbean.) But spares are a good idea. With all the construction here, if you stay long enough and drive enough, you WILL get a flat. (We've had four of them since 1978.)

4. Avoid Dutch Side "R" plates; request French plates. See #2.... The "R" plates make it too obvious you're a tourist who may leave your pocketbook or video camera in your trunk!

Here is who we recommend, based on their consistently fine service to us for more than 11 years...

Tropical/Tropicana Rent-A-Car is the place we use. They have a fleet of about 75 cars, all of which will be one year old or newer as of November, 2007. They also offer Jeep-type vehicles and vans and give fine personal service, meeting you at the airport.

Their website enables you to reserve a car online. You'll also find pictures of their cars and some of the places where you'll drive them. Go to www.tropical-tropicana.com, complete the reservation form, and you'll hear back from them within a few days. Prices vary seasonally but are always VERY reasonable, particularly compared to many other islands and car rental companies. You can also reserve by phone or fax. Most cars are Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corollas, or Nissan Platinas, all with a/c. Offices are near Marigot on the French Side (in Concordia) and near Pelican Resort/Atrium Resort on the Dutch side (opposite the Atrium). A Tropical rep meets you right at the Princess Juliana airport. He'll be holding a placard with your name as you get ready to exit the terminal.

Want a $15 discount off the regular price of a weekly rental? JMB Website Supporters members (click here for info) get a code which, when used on Tropical-Tropicana's web reservations page, gives them $15 off the regular low price of a weekly rental. That'll buy you several beers at happy hour or a decent lunch on the beach. Or, three rounds of miniature golf at Sputter's in Simpson Bay!

BY PHONE: If you'd rather reserve your car by phone and you're dialing from the U. S. or Canada, you can call Tropical directly: 011-59069027-37-58; and 011-599-557-6069, which is the one I usually use. You can also call the FRENCH side numbers: 011-59059087-94-18; fax is 011-59059087-98-06. (I now use the Web reservation form, but previously I used fax.) In your fax include the date and time of arrival and the airline/flight number, and your name, address, and phone number (including area code) so Tropical can confirm your reservation. If you have a fax include that number too, of course. You can call the Dutch Side, but those phones are not always answered (Dutch Side staff is often at the airport picking up clients). Dutch side number: 011-599-544-3470. Remember, please mention to Tropical that you saw this information on Jeff Berger's St. Maarten website. He'll take care of you even if you don't, but do it anyway. 

If you have ANY question about a future reservation, call Mickey directly on his cell phone at 011-599-557-6069. You can also email him at (delete the "no spam" part before emailing): nospamreservations@tropical-tropicana.com .

Reluctant to use someone you never heard of? We heard from a woman whose husband felt exactly the same way. Their midwinter flight into the island was many hours late, not arriving until around midnight. Her husband was assuming the worst, that nobody would be there for them at the airport. But, hours after they had been scheduled to arrive, Mickey from Tropical was there, waiting with a big smile and keys to their car. How'd he know they were late? "I have friends," he said. We were two hours late for our trip early in 2006 . . . and Mickey was there waiting.

PLEASE NOTE: we want very much to know whether this site is working for you. PLEASE mention Jeff Berger and/or the "Everything St. Maarten" website when making your reservations so we know this site is working for you.

Car Rentals for Cruise Ship Passengers: Tropical doesn't serve cruise ship passengers, but Panoramic Car Rental does and they are in Philipsburg near the Dr. A. C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities. We first became aware of them a few years ago and have recommended them to several cruise ship visitors and they've been quite pleased. Here's their website. Ask for Mohamed; call his cell with questions: (011) 599 524 4078. Mention that you heard of him through Jeff Berger's "Everything St. Maarten" website. (The cell is finicky). You can also email him here.   

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Get Great Deals on Airfare Year-Round, Deep Discounts on Car Rentals, Phone Calls Home, and Hotel and Timeshare Stays, More SXM Info & Lots of Freebies for Just $49 for one year, $57 for two!

Nearly 5,000 people have joined JMB Website Supporters since it was founded in 2002. Here's what they're getting:

• SUPER LOW-COST AIRFARES: We monitor airfares to St. Maarten every day from more than 100 cities in the U. S., Canada, and Europe, and whenever we hear about good airfare sales --scheduled or charter-- we send JMB Website Supporters members Airfare Bulletins with all the details, so they can get the travel dates and seats they want. Sometimes we unearth exceptionally low fares, after a lot of digging -- like about $200 for Winter round-trips to SXM from several U. S. cities, and other low fares from many cities coast-to-coast. Low airfares alone are worth the price of subscribing!

LOTS MORE BENEFITS:

• MORE THAN TWO DOZEN SOURCES OF LOW AIRFARES: Sometimes there aren't any low "sale" airfares. No matter. There are other ways to make sure you fly for less than most other people. We now show you more than TWO DOZEN different sources of low airfares!
    
• WHOLESALE AIRFARES: Our wholesaler will reserve your seat but you won't pay for it until a few weeks before your flight. That way, if lower fares become available, she can lock them in for you without you having to pay any "change fee."
    
• LOW-COST SXM (St. Maarten) AIR/HOTEL PACKAGES: You will not find lower package prices anywhere. We beat Travelocity, Expedia, and everybody else every day.
    
• RENT OR SELL YOUR SXM TIMESHARE FOR FREE through our weekly newsletters (now about 115,000 readers) and online (about two million visitors) -- no charge, ever. Our audience goes to the island and needs accommodations, making our "for rent/sale" listings especially effective. (Use of this service requires membership renewals to be current.)
    
• ULTRA LOW-COST CALLS HOME: We tell you how to make calls for pennies a minute using your hotel phone or your cell phone. You won't find this info anywhere else. (Hotels charge about $5/minute for calls home. How does about 30 cents a minute grab you?)
    
• DISCOUNTED PLACES TO STAY: We give you a source for rooms at top hotels and timeshares for short money per week, per room (not per person), far less than you'll pay anywhere else. That's even less than most timeshare maintenance fees.
    
• CAR RENTAL DISCOUNTS: Members-only discounts give you $15 off the regular non-discounted rack rate of Tropical Car Rental. Available year-round.
    
• MEMBERS-ONLY SXM PHOTO GALLERY: Post your favorite SXM photos online, free.
    
• MEMBERS-ONLY MESSAGE BOARD: Ask questions and get answers from other members and from Jeff, Susan, and other JMB Communications' knowledgeable, experienced staff.
    
• MEMBERS-ONLY TRAVEL CALENDAR: Meet other members from around the country or around the world and make new friends on St. Maarten.
    
• FREE ST. MAARTEN SCREENSAVERS: Just-for-JMB Website Supporters, we offer totally FREE St. Maarten PC screensavers with a number of our best pictures. Passworded web access lets members download these special, members-only screensavers for free. And now there's a downloadable St. Maarten movie, too -- with more coming.
    
• HEAVILY DISCOUNTED EMERGENCY MEDICAL EVACUATION PROTECTION: Should you become critically ill or injured and require an emergency air ambulance home, the cost is usually over $30,000. Our members get $72 off annual plans good for emergency travel home from the US, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Belize and Costa Rica: short money for real peace-of-mind.
    
• HEAVILY DISCOUNTED ST. MAARTEN SOUVENIRS: T-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, jumping-dolphin baseball caps, colorful Caribbean-color hair or wrist "scrunchies," hand-painted porcelain refrigerator magnets, and lots more. The lowest prices are always offered to members only. Meet other members when you wear SXM Euro-oval logo merchandise!

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Updated 11/4/07