General info | Reunion island
Airlines: Reunion is served by regular air lines: Air France, Air Liberté, Corsair and Aérolyon (Nouvelles Frontières), AOM, Jet Ocean Indian Air Mauritius, Air Austral. Different companies serve the other islands of the Indian Ocean (Comores, Mauritius, Madagascar, and Seychelles) where it is possible to go to Reunion by domestic flights.
Airport: The main airport is Roland-Garros Airport, which is located a few kilometres away from Saint Denis.
Transfers: A transfer can be provided by us, otherwise there are taxis available but they are expensive or shuttles which are available between from 7.30 am to 8.00 pm.
Driving: Driving is on the left end side of the road and an International Driver's License is necessary. Note that Reunion Island has an excellent road network.
Passport: The French and European Union citizens can go to Reunion Island only with their identity cards. A passport valid for at least six months after the date of expected return is required for Canadians.
Visa: No visa is required for tourist stays of less than three months. Visitors must show their return ticket, to the customs services and give them the address where they will reside. No extension of visa for touristic purposes will be addressed. In case of problems, please contact:
Prefecture of Saint-Denis
Place du Barachois, 97400 Saint-Denis
tel. 02 62 40 75 80
Customs: When entering Reunion, passengers over 17 years of age are allowed the following duty-free allowance:
• 200 cigarettes, 50 cigares or 250g of tobacco
• 1 litre of spirits over 22 % or 2 litres for spirit under 22 %, 2 litres of wine.
• 50 ml of perfume or 250 ml eau de toilette.
Please note that fruits, vegetables, seeds and meat products are considered as restricted goods and are prohibited from entering the island.
Tax : No tax
Vaccination: Reunion has no risk of malaria. Vaccination is not mandatory except for those travelling from areas where yellow fever and cholera is at risk.
Medication: You must have your usual medication and sticking plaster. Don't forget cream for mosquito and for the sun.
Climate: Reunion Island has a tropical climate and features only two seasons: summer a hot wet season that lasts from November to April and winter rather cooler and drier period from May to October.
On the coast, the temperatures are similar to those of Mauritius, with an average of 21oC in winter and 28oC in summer. But in the High Plains and mountains, it varies between 4oC and 25oC depending on the altitude and the time. Above 2 000m, the temperature can fall below 0 ° C overnight.
December to April is the hot season, but the weather is rainy. The weather is less often beautiful at that period of the year, as always in the tropics: moist air, and sometimes heavy rains of short duration in the afternoon. A lot of clouds in the interior lands and in altitude. Between December and February, it rains regularly.
For more information please visit: www.tv5.org/meteo
Currency: The local currency is the Euro
Change: You can get 1 Euro = 1, 27 Dollar or 1 Dollar = 0, 79 Euro
For today's exchange rate see: Oanda.com the currency site.
Credit cards: The more popular credit cards are accepted: Visa, Master Card, Diner's, Eurocard, American Express, Bleu Card.
Traveler’s cheques: Traveler’s cheques can be widely exchanged
Tipping: Service is always included but Tips are warmly received.
Language: Even if people speak Creole between them, the official language is French, spoken by all. Malagasy and Indian languages are spoken by many of the inhabitants. In the tourism industry, a number of people speak English and / or German.
Food: The local speciality is the curry, a meat, fish or shellfish ragout “mijoté” with garlic, onions, ginger, clove, curcuma and other local spices and served with rice; beans and a condiment called « rougail » mix of tomato, lemon pistachio.
Water: The water is perfectly safe.
Local Time: Reunion Island lives at GMT +4. That is, 3 hours must be added to the French hour in winter (austral summer) and 2 hours in summer (southern winter).
From November to April, the sun rises (in average) at 5:30 a.m. and sets (on average) at 6:45 p.m. And 6:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. from May to October.
Public Holidays: 1st January - New year's day, ,1st May - Worker's Day, 8th May: Armistice 1945, may-juin : Ascension; 14th july - Independence Day, 15th August - Assumption Day,1st November - All Soul's Day, 25th December – Christmas. The same as “la metropole”, la France, with more different religious days: Le Cavadee, Guan-Di Festival, Chinese New Year, Tamoul.
Security: better leave all valuables and passport hidden in the house. Carry only such cash as necessary when you go to the beach.
Phone: Telephone dialing code to Réunion is 00262 and from Réunion to England 0044, to France dial directly the number
Dodo Travel & Tours (Madagascar)
Tana Waterfront, Ambodivona
B.P 12125 Antaninarenina
Antananarivo 101 - Madagascar,
Tél : +(261) 20 22 690 36
Fax : +(261) 20 22 257 05
Dodo Travel & Tours (Mauritius)
Queen Mary Avenue - Floréal, Mauritius
Tél: + (230) 698 68 09
Fax: + (230) 698 68 09
Useful Telephone Numbers
Ambulance and Fire Brigade : 999
Hospital Victoria : 388000
Airport International flights : 384400
