BY AIR The majority of visitors arrive by air, from Africa, Europe or other Indian Ocean islands. The main airport is Roland Garros International Airport, which is 11km east of the main town, St-Denis. The airport at Pierrefonds, in the south of the island, only handles flights within the Indian Ocean.
From Europe The only direct flights from Europe to Réunion are from France and take 11 hours from Paris. A number of airlines have introduced flights from regional airports in France. These flights are considerably more expensive during high season, ie: French school holidays. If you are travelling from any other part of Europe you will need to fly to France to connect with an onward flight. However, most airlines offer special fares for the flight to Paris if you are carrying on to Réunion. Alternatively, you could fly to Mauritius and on to Réunion from there.
Air France Twelve flights per week from Paris to St-Denis.
Air Austral Eleven flights per week from Paris, two flights per week from Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes and Marseille.
Corsairfly Daily flights from Paris.
From Africa
Air Austral Up to two flights weekly from Johannesburg. Also flights from Madagascar (Antananarivo, Nosy Be, Dzaoudzi and Tamatave).
Air Madagascar Several flights per week from various destinations in Madagascar, including Antananarivo, Nosy Be and Tamatave.
From the Indian Ocean islands
Air Austral Several flights daily between Mauritius and St-Denis. Daily flights from Mauritius to Pierrefonds. Also ten flights per week from Mayotte and two from the Comoros (Moroni) to St-Denis; one flight per week from the Seychelles.
Air Mauritius Several flights daily between Mauritius and St-Denis. Daily flights from Mauritius to Pierrefonds.
From the US To Paris by any airline and then as above. Air Mauritius can arrange visits of two to three days to Réunion as extensions to holidays in Mauritius. For Air Mauritius details
From Australia Weekly flights with Air Mauritius to Mauritius from Melbourne and Perth, then on to Réunion. Air Austral offers flights from Sydney to Paris via St-Denis, two or three times weekly.
Airline offices in Réunion
a Air Austral 4 Rue de Nice, 97400 St-Denis; % 0262 909090; f 0262 909091; e reservation[at]air-austral.com; air-austral.com. Also at 14 Rue Archambaud, 97410 St-Pierre; % 0262 962696; f 0262 354649; e saintpierre[at]air-austral.com.
a Air France Indian Ocean Office, 7 Av de la Victoire, BP 845, 97477 St-Denis; % 0820 820820; f 0262 403840; airfrance.re. Also at 73 Rue Luc Lorion, 97410 St-Pierre; % 0820 820820.
a Air Madagascar 31 Rue Jules Auber, 97461 St-Denis; % 0892 680014; f 0262 218568; e contact[at]airmadagascar.com; airmadagascar.com
a Air Mauritius 13 Rue Charles Gounod, 97400 St-Denis; % 0262 948383; f 0262 412326; air-mauritius.com. Also at 7 Rue François de Mahy, 97410 St-Pierre; % 0262 960600; f 0262 962747.
a Corsairfly 2 bis Rue Maréchal Leclerc, 97400 St-Denis; % 0820 042042; f 0262 488013; corsairfly.com
BY SEA Few cruise ships stop off at Réunion, although the number is rising. Lots of glamorous French yacht owners keep their vessels in St-Gilles-les-Bains and may be looking for crew if you’re lucky. Try asking at the local tourist office or around the port, where everyone seems to know each other.
For details of regular sea links between Mauritius and Réunion
ON ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE
ROLAND GARROS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT The airport, which is named after a French aviator born in Réunion (1888–1915), is 11km east of St-Denis (% 0262 488068; e arrg.dir[at]reunion.cci.fr; reunion.aeroport.fr. For flight information, % 0262 281616). Although relatively small, this is a well-organised airport. There are souvenir shops, a post office, a bank and ATMs in the entrance hall of the terminal building. The bank and post office are open on weekdays and Saturday mornings, but close for lunch. There is also a very helpful tourist information desk with lots of leaflets, including the invaluable Run Guide. Next to the desk is a touch-screen information point – follow the instructions on the screen and it gives you details of hotels (which you can then telephone free), transport, entertainment, etc. The restaurants and bars are upstairs, and there is rather pricey internet access and free Wi-Fi. The departure lounge has a duty-free shop and snack bars. The main car-hire companies, including Budget, Avis, Hertz and Europcar, are represented at the airport, with offices in a separate building on the right-hand side of the car park as you exit the terminal building. See Car hire, pages 56–7 for further details.
Luggage Baggage reclaim is located just beyond immigration. For a trolley you will need a €1 coin, which you will get back when you return it.
Getting to your hotel There is a shuttle-bus service (navette) between Roland Garros International Airport and St-Denis city centre, which makes around 12 return trips daily between 07.00 and 19.45. The journey takes around 20 minutes and costs from €4.
A taxi to the centre of St-Denis costs from €20. Fares are higher after 20.00. If you can’t find a taxi, which may be the case on a public holiday or at night, % 0262 488383.
PIERREFONDS AIRPORT The south of the island is now conveniently linked to neighbouring Indian Ocean islands by flights to and from Pierrefonds Airport, 7km west of St-Pierre (% 0262 968000; e info[at]pierrefonds.aeroport.fr; grandsudreunion.org. For flight information, % 0262 967766).
A regular bus service connects the airport to St-Louis and the main bus station in St-Pierre; the journey takes 20 minutes and costs €5. Buses leave St-Pierre 1½ hours before each flight departs and leave the airport one hour after each flight arrives. Taxis between the airport and St-Pierre cost around €15.50. Car rental can also be arranged in the terminal building.
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