Popular Airport | Princess Juliana Intl. Airport |
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Popular Airlines | |
Approximate Flight Duration | 14 hour 10 min |
Approximate Travel Distance | 11380 Km |
Taking a taxi in the morning or evening outside of rush hours is probably the most reliable method of transport to the airport in densely populated Durban. It’s also possible to reach the airport with rented cars or shuttle company buses.
You can reach the airport by taxi from the city centre in around 30 to 50 minutes depending on traffic conditions. It might be a good idea to speak with the taxi driver beforehand and let them know your time of departure to not have any bad surprises for your journey.
The shuttle buses that leave for the airport depart from Durban Station in the city centre, depart once every day at 8:00, 11:00, and 16:00 and reach the airport in around half an hour.
The traffic flows on the left side in Durban, so if you come from a country where you drive on the right it might be a better idea to hire a car with a driver rather than getting behind the steering wheel yourself. If you come from country where cars drive on the left side, you might be more at home with this option.
There is only one terminal in King Shaka Airport where there is an ABSA bank, which opens half an hour before the first flight and closes half an hour after the last flight. In addition, you can find financial services from the ATMs of First National Bank, Nedbank, and Standard Bank. There is a prayer room for Muslims, and a post office that offers services depending on the first and last flights of the day. There are baby and childcare rooms that mothers can use.
In addition to these services, the airport has many lounges. The most exclusive ones are the South African Airways Business Class Lounge, found near the entrance of the terminal, and BIDVest Premier Lounge. In these lounges you can order some food and rest on comfortable seating areas to read books or newspapers.
Airport restaurants include; Cape Town Fish Market, Cosmic Candy, Big Five Duty Free, Fego Coffee Shop, Kauai, KFC, Milky Lane, Mugg&Bean, Panarottis, Rhapsody’s, Spur, Steers, Sweet Treat, The Airport Cellar, and Wimpy. There is also a Yemaya Nail Express, Woolworts, Vodashop, Tie Stop, The Urban Retreat, The Scoin Shop, NWJ Fine Jewellery, Sneakers, Sunglass Hunt, Nike, MTN, Moda Luggage&Leather, Khasav, Jeep, EM Native, and Electro Electronics for your shopping needs.
Passengers can prefer one of the different vehicle options to reach the center from Princess Juliana International Airport, which takes approximately 25 minutes to drive to Philipsburg, the magnificent capital city of Sint Maarten Island. In order to go to the center of the island, which is world-famous due to its wildlife and brilliant beaches, you can easily rent a car or make use of VIP services at the airport.
Those who would like to go to the center from Princess Juliana International Airport as a group of 5-6 individuals or more can make a reservation for one of the bigger vehicles of the tour operators.
Besides, it is extremely easy to find a taxi at arrival times of the airplanes at the airport. With the taxis that are quite practical to go to the center, you can reach Philipsburg, which is considered as the center of Sint Maarten Island, in less than 30 minutes without waiting in front of the terminal.
Visitors who land on Princess Juliana International Airport can opt for going to the center by renting a car from rental companies such as Avis, Best Deal, Hertz and Empress Rent A Car almost at all hours of the day. There are also rental companies available, such as Paradise Island Car Rental, Safari Car Rental, Best Deal Car Rental, Budget Car Rental and Sushine Car Rental for domestic and foreign tourists who would like to rent a car at the airport. While renting a car to reach the center and other spots on the island, do not forget that your passport and other travel documents may be required. If you are going to travel on the island for the first time, get one of the offline maps, which you can use in places with no internet connection, with you.
Tour shuttles provided at Princess Juliana International Airport by many different companies such as Xaro Tours & Transportation, St. Maarten Sightseeing Tours, Transco SARL and D & J Tours are among the alternatives to go to the center. The difference between shuttles and taxis and rental cars is that reservation for shuttles needs to be made a few days or weeks earlier. If you need to take a shuttle, you can ask for a shuttle with a reasonable price by contacting the hotel you are going to stay on the island before you take the airplane.
To go to Philipsburg from the airport, you can benefit from the vehicles of VIP services, which offer a more comfortable journey. Companies such as Island Reps and VIP Destinations provide transportation from the airport to different places within the island.
You can go to the mesmerizing beaches in and around Philipsburg by taxi as well. Moreover, taxis can be found at the airport gates in accordance with the arrival times of the flights. Bargaining a price is not so much possible in the taxis of Princess Juliana International Airport. However, it is always possible to learn about the average price you are going to pay or a fixed price in advance.