Prepare your trip

What should I pack?

Reunion may boast a tropical climate, but it’s worth packing warm clothes and a waterproof jacket if you plan on going hiking or staying up in the mountains.

So, it’s a good idea to bring a pullover, windcheater and hiking shoes as well as your swimming costume, sunhat and shorts.

Getting here

Several flight companies fly direct from Mainland France to the two airports in Reunion.

XL Airways
Three flights per week between Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and Saint-Denis-Roland-Garros, with short stopovers in Lyon and Marseille. There is also a direct flight between Lyon and Saint-Denis.

Air France
Direct flights between Orly-Ouest and Saint-Denis. Up to 10 weekly flights during peak season.

Air Austral
One to two daily flights between Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle and Saint-Denis. In winter, there are flights from Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and Nantes. Connecting flights to the airport in the south of the island are possible, as are direct flights to other islands around the Indian Ocean (Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles, Mayotte, Comoros…)

Corsair
One daily flight between Paris-Orly and Saint-Denis.

Getting around in Reunion

The Reunionese love their cars, and it remains the easiest way to visit the island during your stay. All the major car hire companies operate in Reunion, notably with offices at the airport in Saint-Denis.

Useful information

Currency

Reunion is part of France and therefore the European Union. The currency is the Euro.

Language

French is the official language, but Creole remains the mother tongue for all of the Reunionese.

Time difference

Reunion is located four hours ahead of London, in the time zone of GMT+4. We are therefore 2 hours ahead of Paris in summer, and 3 hours ahead in winter. So, when it’s 10am in Paris, it’s midday in Paris in summer and 1pm in winter.

Formalities

As Reunion is an Overseas Department, any French citizen may arrive and leave Reunion freely, staying for an indeterminate time on the condition he or she has a valid identity card. Members of the European Union must present their passport upon arrival, and may stay for up to 3 months, just like in Mainland France.

Telephone country code: 262 is the international dialling code for Reunion.

Transport

To visit the island, renting a car is recommended, and access to some villages and hiking footpaths is often only possible by car.

There are yellow buses operating around the island’s main coastal road, and smaller bus companies providing services up into the mountains.

For more info: www.cg974.fr see page entitled ‘transports et routes’.

Opening hours

Shops open early and close relatively early as well, making it possible to shop from 6am in some places up to 5 or 6 pm for others, including on Saturdays. Most places close between midday and 2pm. Shops are rarely open on Sundays.

Public offices and companies are generally open from 8am to midday and 2pm to 5pm, sometimes closing at 3 or 4pm on Fridays.