The Roland Garros Airport in Saint Denis is Réunion Island’s main point of entry. The car rental agencies are all located in a separate building opposite the main terminal. Exit the Arrivals Hall and cross the road towards the parking area to access the car rental offices.

Réunion is an easy destination to get around. Transport is reasonably priced and reliable, but be prepared for traffic jams near the main cities.

The most popular way of travelling around the country is by self-drive as this gives you the freedom and flexibility to explore the different regions of the island. The roads are in good condition although they become narrower in the remote areas. You drive on the right, as you would in France. Alternatively, you can hire an expert guide for the day, which is great fun as you learn a lot at the same time.

The Intercity bus travel around the island is offered by Car Jaune (‘Yellow Bus,’ buses are easily recognizable by their yellow color). There are 13 lines. Apart from these buses there are also local buses. Most lines operate between 6 am and 7 pm Monday to Saturday, with a limited number of services on Sunday. You can buy a ticket from teh driver as you board (except in the main bus stations, where you get them at vending machines). To get the bus to stop, you ring the bell or clap your hands twice loudly.

Réunion Island is part of Europe, and is a safe island. However you do need to apply common sense: avoid walking alone at night, in isolated areas, do not show that you have large sums of money or valuable objects.

Do not swim unless there is a lifeguard. Being that Reunion Island is in the middle of the warm Indian Ocean, there is an abnormally large population of sharks that circles the waters around Reunion. There have been a number of recorded shark attacks. In 2013, all open-water swimming and surfing in Reunion was banned.

French is the main language, with Creole as the second choice. Some English is spoken but the road signs and information will all be in French. It’s useful to understand some French as English fluency is rare. We suggest you get a good English-French guidebook and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, excuse me and numbers 1-10.

The local cuisine blends influences from Africa, India, China, and Europe. As an island the cuisine includes a wide variety of local fish. If you prefer more western-style food, you can find this in both gourmet and fast food establishments across the island. There are also a wide variety of local fruits, vegetables, herbs and other ingredients not usually found in French mainland cuisine such as Manioc, Mangue (mango), Goyavier (guava), Chevaquines (dried shrimp), Baba-figue (banana flowers which are stuffed and fried), Songe, and Ti-jacques (jack fruit).