Okay, so last month I finally took that trip to St. Martin I’d been saving up for. Gorgeous place, seriously. But figuring out the money situation? Man, that was a little headache I wasn’t ready for. Thought I’d just swipe my card everywhere like back home. Big mistake.
Landing & First Reality Check
Touched down at the airport, grabbed my bag, and needed a taxi to the hotel. Hopped in, told the driver the address. Easy, right? Got to the hotel, pulled out my fancy travel card all proud… and the driver just shook his head. “Cash only, mon.” Oh boy. Had to scramble to find an ATM right there in the airport before I could even leave. Got hit with that foreign ATM fee too. Not the best start.
The Card Confidence Crash
Day two, hit the main street in Philipsburg for souvenirs. Bigger shops took my card fine, even the tap-to-pay worked sometimes. Felt good. Then I saw this tiny shack down an alley selling amazing smelling spices. Wanted to grab some. Lady smiled, showed me her goods, wrapped them up. Tried my card. “Sorry dear, machine not working today.” Of course. Had to leave empty-handed because I’d spent most of my cash already. Felt like a total tourist dummy.
Beach Bar Blues & Lunch Lesson
Third day was beach time. Hungry after swimming, wandered up to this cool beachside grill shack. Ordered the grilled mahi-mahi and a beer, sat right by the waves. Perfect. Bill came, tried the card again. Owner pointed at a faded sign near the register: “CASH ONLY – ATM 10 min walk.” Are you kidding me? Sunburnt and hungry, had to haul myself down the scorching beach path just to eat lunch. The ATM ate more fees. Grumpy.
What Finally Worked For Me
- Morning ATM Ritual: Started pulling out enough euros (French side) or USD (Dutch side) for the whole day every morning. Just accepted the fee once instead of death-by-a-thousand-cuts.
- Card Backup ONLY: Only whipped out the card at bigger restaurants with proper terminals or fancy resorts. Anywhere else? Assumed cash was king until proven otherwise.
- Small Bills Lifesaver: Broke big notes ASAP. Couldn’t pay a $5 fruit smoothie with a $50 bill without the stall owner scowling. Kept a mix, especially $1s and $5s.
The Takeaway?
My grand solution wasn’t rocket science. Got home and slapped my own forehead. Cash is absolutely not dead in St. Martin, especially for the fun stuff – food trucks, taxis, beach bars, local markets. Cards? Fine for big-ticket things or hotels. But relying only on plastic means missing out on cool spots or sweating to find an ATM constantly. Pack enough USD cash upfront (both sides use it easy), accept you’ll need more than home, and just enjoy the island. No more walking away from spicy shack treasures for me. Lesson learned the hard way!
