Getting Around Réunion: Transport Guide for Travellers

Getting around Réunion is easiest with a rental car, backed up by reliable coastal buses and a handful of airport transfer options, so most travellers mix driving with public transport to keep costs down. Plan to spend from €6 for a bus ride to €40–€60 for a taxi from the airport as of 2025.

Réunion is compact but mountainous, so travel time is often longer than the distance suggests. Roland-Garros Airport (near Saint-Denis) is the main gateway, with buses, taxis, shuttles and car rentals on site. South-coast travellers may also use Pierrefonds Airport near Saint-Pierre, which handles some regional flights.

Public transport is bus-only: there is no metro or intercity train network on Réunion, so long-distance journeys rely on the island-wide Car Jaune buses plus local networks in each town. A single Car Jaune ticket typically costs around €2–€3 depending on the route (2025 prices, per information from Car Jaune’s official fare tables).

Most visitors rent a car for flexibility along the coastal roads and to reach hiking areas like the Cirque de Mafate and Piton de la Fournaise viewpoints. Daily rental rates usually start around €35–€45 for a small car in low season, based on quotes from major agencies in 2025. Having mobile data makes navigation and timetable checks far easier; buying and activating a Hello eSIM for Réunion before you land lets you arrive already connected and ready to use maps, bus apps and ride services on Day 1.

Airport transfers in Réunion range from €2–€3 by bus to €60+ by taxi, so your best option depends on your arrival time, luggage, and whether you’re staying in Saint-Denis, the west coast, or the south. Most travellers combine a bus or shuttle with a short taxi or rental car pickup.

Réunion’s main international gateway is Roland-Garros Airport (RUN) near Saint-Denis on the north coast. Local authorities report that the island welcomed over 600,000 tourists in 2023, and most passed through RUN, according to Île de La Réunion Tourisme. That volume means you’ll find multiple ground transport options right at the terminal:

• Public bus: Local Citalis buses connect the airport with central Saint-Denis for about €1.50–€2 per ride in 2025, depending on the ticket type, with services generally running from early morning until early evening.
• Car Jaune intercity buses: Several Car Jaune lines stop near the airport on the main coastal road, giving budget access to the west coast (Saint-Paul, Saint-Gilles) or east. Expect €2–€3 per trip depending on distance.
• Taxis: Official airport taxis use metered fares; typical daytime rates in 2025 are around €20–€30 to central Saint-Denis and €40–€60 to popular west-coast resort areas like Saint-Gilles-les-Bains.
• Private shuttles/transfers: Many hotels and tour companies offer pre-booked transfers; shared shuttles can be roughly €15–€25 per person to the west coast, while private vans cost more but are ideal for groups.

If you prefer to be independent, multiple rental car desks are located in the arrivals hall. Booking in advance often secures better rates, especially during the southern winter school holidays (July–August) when demand is highest.

Réunion’s public transport is entirely bus-based, with an island-wide Car Jaune network plus local systems in major towns, so you can get between most coastal hubs cheaply even without a car if you’re flexible with time and timetables. There is no metro or intercity train on the island.

The backbone of Réunion public transport is Car Jaune, a yellow intercity bus network that circles much of the island and links Saint-Denis with towns like Saint-Pierre, Saint-Paul, and Saint-Benoît. According to Car Jaune’s official fare charts in 2025, a standard ticket usually costs between €2 and €3 depending on distance, with discounted fares for frequent users and students.

Local urban networks complement Car Jaune:

• Citalis in Saint-Denis and the northern suburbs
• Alternéo around Saint-Pierre and the south
• Kar’Ouest around Saint-Paul and the west

Single urban rides typically cost around €1.50–€2 in 2025, with day or multi-trip passes available that can bring the per-trip cost down if you’re riding frequently.

Here’s a quick comparison of common options for getting around Réunion by public transport:

Option	Typical Cost (2025)	Best For
Car Jaune bus	€2–€3 per journey	Intercity coastal travel
Urban bus (Citalis/Alternéo/Kar’Ouest)	€1.50–€2 per ride	Short trips within towns
Day pass (varies by network)	~€4–€6	Multiple daily rides in one area
Taxi (short city trip)	€10–€20	Late-night or door-to-door travel

Buses are reliable on the main coastal routes but less frequent in the evenings, on Sundays, and in mountainous interior areas. Timetables are primarily posted online and at main stops; having mobile data from a Hello eSIM makes checking live schedules and route maps much easier on the go.

Ride-hailing in Réunion is limited compared to big cities, so most travellers rely on official taxis, pre-booked transfers, or local apps where available, making mobile data and navigation tools especially valuable for planning door-to-door journeys.

Unlike destinations such as Japan or Thailand, global ride-hailing giants like Uber and Bolt have little or no official presence on Réunion as of 2025, with local regulations and market size limiting their rollout. Instead, most door-to-door rides are handled by licensed taxis operating from stands in city centres, at major bus terminals, and at Roland-Garros Airport.

Typical taxi pricing in 2025 (based on local tariff information and traveller reports) looks like this:

• Airport to central Saint-Denis: around €20–€30
• Saint-Denis to Saint-Gilles: around €40–€60, more at night or on Sundays
• Short city rides: often €10–€20, depending on distance and time of day

Some taxi companies allow booking by phone or through their own small-scale apps. Because coverage and services can vary, navigation apps (Google Maps, Waze) are invaluable both for drivers and passengers to verify routes and estimated times.

To use these tools seamlessly, it helps to arrive with data already set up: Hello eSIM for Réunion lets you activate a data plan before you fly, so you can order taxis, share your location with friends, and follow routes in real time as soon as you land. That’s especially useful if your flight arrives late at night when bus services are sparse and taxis can be in high demand.

Inter-city travel in Réunion is dominated by coastal roads and Car Jaune buses, but renting a car gives you the flexibility to reach mountain villages and hiking trailheads that buses only serve a few times a day or not at all. Most travellers combine both depending on their itinerary.

The main road encircling most of the island’s coastline links Saint-Denis, Saint-Paul, Saint-Gilles, Saint-Leu, Saint-Pierre, and towns in the east. Car Jaune buses run along this corridor, making it possible to travel between major hubs affordably:

• Saint-Denis to Saint-Paul/Saint-Gilles: around 1–1.5 hours by bus, roughly €2–€3 in 2025
• Saint-Denis to Saint-Pierre: often 2–2.5 hours depending on traffic and route

However, Réunion’s interior is dominated by dramatic cirques (like Mafate and Cilaos) and volcanic landscapes. Roads into these areas are steep, extremely winding, and sometimes narrow, with limited or no bus service. That’s where a rental car becomes invaluable.

Inter-city options at a glance:

Mode	Pros	Cons
Car Jaune bus	Cheap, scenic, eco-friendly	Fixed timetables, limited night service
Local buses	Good within towns	Not ideal for long distances
Taxi/transfer	Door-to-door, flexible	Expensive for long journeys
Rental car	Maximum freedom, great for hikes	Driving can be challenging in the hills

If you’re planning to base yourself on the west coast and make day trips to other towns, Car Jaune may be enough. But if you want sunrise at Piton de la Fournaise, road trips into Cilaos, or multiple beach and waterfall stops in one day, renting a car will save hours and opens up much more of the island.

Driving in Réunion follows French road rules with good coastal highways and challenging mountain roads, so confident drivers who rent a small car and avoid night driving in the interior will enjoy the most flexibility while staying safe and within budget.

As Réunion is an overseas department of France, driving is on the right, signage follows European standards, and speed limits are generally 50 km/h in towns, 80–90 km/h on main roads, and up to 110 km/h on certain expressway sections, according to French road regulations in overseas territories. Police enforce strict drink-driving laws and seatbelts are mandatory for all passengers.

For rentals, major agencies typically require:

• A valid driving licence from your home country
• An International Driving Permit (IDP) if your licence is not in French or another EU language
• A minimum age of 21–23 (varies by company), sometimes with a young-driver surcharge under 25

Daily rental rates for a compact car generally start from €35–€45 per day in 2025 when booked in advance, with higher prices in peak season (July–August, December–January). Fuel prices are similar to mainland France; budget around €1.70–€1.90 per litre in 2025, based on regional fuel statistics.

Driving tips for Réunion:

• Plan extra time: mountain roads to Cilaos or the volcano are steep, narrow, and full of hairpin bends.
• Avoid driving in heavy rain or at night in the interior; landslides and rockfalls occasionally cause closures.
• Use offline or online maps to navigate; having mobile data via a Hello eSIM makes it easy to reroute around traffic or closures and check weather alerts.

If you’re sharing a rental with friends, Hello’s expense splitting feature in the app is handy for tracking fuel, tolls, and car costs in euros and your home currency at once.

Most travellers get around Réunion with a mix of rental cars for mountain and countryside trips plus buses and taxis for coastal towns, so your ideal option depends on whether you prioritise flexibility, budget, or avoiding challenging driving conditions in the island’s interior.

Is it easy to get around Réunion without a car?
Yes along the coast, but less so in the mountains. Car Jaune and local buses connect major towns, and they’re cheap (from about €2–€3 per intercity trip in 2025). However, bus frequency drops in the evenings, on Sundays, and for interior routes, so you need to plan carefully.

Do I need an International Driving Permit to drive in Réunion?
If your licence is from the EU or in French, you can usually drive with your home licence. Travellers from other countries are often advised to carry an International Driving Permit in addition to their licence; many rental companies list this as a requirement in their 2025 terms.

How much should I budget per day for transport?
If you rely mainly on buses, you might spend €5–€10 per day on tickets. With a rental car, factor in €35–€45 per day for the vehicle plus fuel and parking. Shared taxis or private transfers can add €20–€60 per major journey.

Is mobile data important for getting around Réunion?
Very. Bus timetables, weather alerts for mountain roads, and navigation all work best online. An eSIM from Hello for Réunion lets you arrive connected, which is especially useful if you’re landing late or meeting friends and want to share live locations.

Can Hello help track my transport budget?
Yes. The Hello app includes multi-currency expense tracking, AI receipt scanning, and expense splitting, so you can log bus tickets, taxi receipts, and rental costs in euros, automatically convert them, and keep your overall Réunion transport budget on track.