Day Trips from St Martin with Kids: Exploring Anguilla, St Barts, and Nearby Islands

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Contents hide

I Filter out the noise and find what works for your family.

II Anguilla: The Easier, Cheaper Add-On

III St Barts: More Polish, More Cost

IV What to Actually Pack for Either Trip

V Which One Fits Your Family’s Day

VI Quick Answers

VII Things to Do in St Martin

VIII Where to Stay in St Martin

IX Ready to Plan Your St Martin Trip?

St Martin sits within a short ferry ride of two genuinely different neighboring islands — quiet, beach-focused Anguilla and glossy, upscale St Barts — but nothing in existing family content covers what it actually takes to pull off either trip with kids: ferry logistics, real pricing, and whether the crossing itself is something a seasickness-prone kid can handle.

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The Short Version

Anguilla is the easier, cheaper day trip — a 30-minute public ferry from Marigot, $20 per adult and $10 per child one way, plus a $10 departure tax per person
Shoal Bay in Anguilla is the standout family beach — calm, child-friendly water, with chair and umbrella rentals around $10 each
St Barts is the pricier, longer trip — a 45-minute ferry from Philipsburg or about 75 minutes from Marigot, with organized day-trip packages running $109 for adults, $79 for kids 4-12, and free for toddlers under 4
Public ferry tickets to Anguilla can’t be pre-booked — buy them on arrival at the Port de Marigot terminal, and take an early departure to maximize beach time
Both crossings can get choppy due to currents in the channel — worth considering motion sickness medication if your kids are prone to seasickness
A passport is required for both trips, even though they’re short hops between nearby islands

Anguilla: The Easier, Cheaper Add-On

The public ferry from Marigot to Anguilla takes about 30 minutes and costs $20 per adult and $10 per child one-way, with an additional $10 departure tax per person. Tickets can’t be booked ahead — you buy them at the Port de Marigot terminal the day of, so an early departure is worth prioritizing both to beat any lines and to maximize actual beach time once you arrive. Shoal Bay is the beach to head for with kids: calm, undisturbed water and soft sand, with chair and umbrella rentals around $10 each at Elodia’s Beach Bar — reasonable by Caribbean standards. If you want more flexibility once you’re there, a rental car is worth considering, though Anguilla drives on the left, which takes a bit of adjustment.

St Barts: More Polish, More Cost

St Barts is the pricier, more involved option. The fastest route is a 45-minute ferry from Philipsburg on the Dutch side; from Marigot on the French side, plan on closer to 75 minutes. Organized day-trip packages typically include hotel pickup between 7:30 and 8:15 AM, a 9:30 AM ferry departure arriving around 10:30, and a return ferry at 6:00 PM getting back by 7:30 — a full day, but a manageable one. Pricing on these packages runs about $109 per adult and $79 for kids ages 4-12, with toddlers under 4 typically free, plus a $15 port tax due at check-in. St Barts leans upscale — think boutique shopping and hillside villages more than a dedicated kids’ beach scene — so it suits a family looking for a scenic, food-and-wandering kind of day more than one built around swimming.

What to Actually Pack for Either Trip

Both crossings can get genuinely bumpy — easterly currents in the channel make for a choppier ride than the short distance suggests, so motion sickness medication is worth having on hand if your kids are prone to it, along with a wet bag for damp swimsuits and towels on the way back. A passport is required for both trips despite how close the islands are, and it’s easy to forget that detail when the whole outing feels like a short local hop rather than international travel. Pack snacks and water regardless of destination — island time applies to restaurant service on both islands, and a hungry kid on a schedule doesn’t mix well with a leisurely lunch wait.

Which One Fits Your Family’s Day

If the goal is a relaxed beach day with easy logistics and a lower cost, Anguilla and Shoal Bay are the better match — cheaper, shorter, and built around exactly the kind of calm-water swimming that works well with kids. If your family wants a scenic, more adult-flavored day of wandering hillside streets and boutique shopping, with the beach as a secondary activity rather than the main event, St Barts is worth the extra cost and travel time, especially if your kids are old enough to enjoy exploring a new town on foot.

Quick Answers

Which day trip is cheaper, Anguilla or St Barts? Anguilla — the public ferry runs $20/adult and $10/child one-way plus a $10 departure tax, versus roughly $109/adult and $79/child for an organized St Barts day trip.
Do we need a passport for these day trips? Yes, for both — it’s a short ferry ride, but still an international crossing.
Which is the better beach day with young kids? Anguilla’s Shoal Bay — calm, child-friendly water with affordable chair and umbrella rentals.

Ages, heights, prices, and hours in this guide were current as of publication, but attractions and operators change these details without much notice. Please confirm specifics directly with the venue or tour operator before you go, especially anything with an age or height cutoff.