Move around in Reunion Island

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Renting a vehicle in Reunion Island

Reunion Island has a network of 5 main roads going all around the island and across the plateaus from Saint-Benoît to Saint-Pierre as well as the road to Cilaos. The country road network is fairly dense in the less mountainous areas. The steep topography and the cyclonic swell are constraints. The "route nationale 2" (the "lava road") is regularly cut by lava flows from the volcano Piton de la Fournaise. In 2009, a new highway, "la route des Tamarins", was inaugurated in the west, linking Saint Paul to Etang Salé.

Car rentals

The car rental is certainly the most convenient way to visit the island. You can access all the interesting sights by the road network of the island. All roads are paved over, so no need to rent a 4x4 to get around, except for the pleasure of driving on some dirt roads of Reunion island.

Bikes and scooter rentals

Bike or scooter to get around in the daytime, while enjoying the sunny climate (watch out for tropical showers though!). A good anti-traffic-jam solution as well (with caution because of the heavy traffic). Motorcycles and also scooters are for rent on the Reunion island.

Minibus with driver

For groups travelling in Reunion, renting a passenger van or a bus with a driver for the day is a very good solution. No hassle to find your way, no need to think about filling up your tank ...

Bus networks in Reunion

There are several networks of transportation on Reunion Island. The main one serves the island by the coast. The secondary networks and the new “Route des Tamarins” give access to the towns and villages on the mountain slopes.

The road network in Reunion island

The road network
A significant number of vehicles travel on roads that can be very busy at peak hours (7:00/9:00-16:00/18:00), especially on the coast (RN1 and RN2), causing some traffic jams like around St Denis and St Joseph. That's why it is better to check with locals before undertaking a long journey! Also visit the Departmental Public Works Directorate's website to get the traffic situation online in Reunion island