Transportation

1. Air

The national airline of the country is Air Mauritius, which is based in Port Louis. The airline operates direct flights to about 30 destinations worldwide. Most of the flights depart from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU), Mauritius. The airport is located thirty miles southwest of Port Louis. It just takes around 45 minutes to reach the city by taxi. Other facilities available at the airport include duty free shops, currency exchange, snack bar, post office, and car rentals.

2. Bus

Mauritius has a very well developed transport system including buses that connect various parts of the island. Bus travel is cheap in Mauritius and the ride is comfortable as the roads are in good condition. The only drawback is that the buses stop at many stations, which increases the time taken to reach a destination.

The other point to remember is that there are two bus stations in Port Louis, one for buses heading towards the south of the island and the other is for buses heading towards the north parts of the island. If you are heading towards Port Louis after arriving at the airport, make sure that you go to the north station.

3. Car

Cars are easily available on rent in Mauritius and the basic requirement is that the user should be above 23 years of age and should have a valid International Driving License. You can also get a temporary driving license from local authorities on presentation of a valid license from your country and passport. The per day rent rates of some models of cars is given below (excluding gas):

Volkswagen Polo-US$ 77

Volkswagen Passat TDI-US$ 163

Suzuki Sumaria (Open)-US$ 77

Suzuki Jimny-US$ 90

Renault M. Scenic-US$ 103

Renault Clio-US$ 69

Opel Astra-US$ 90

Nissan Primera-US$ 116

Mercedes Elegance E300-US$ 361

Land Rover Freelander-US$ 159

Kancil Mini Car-US$ 62

BMW 525 TDS-US$ 252

BMW 318i-US$ 143

4. Ferry

Ferry services in Mauritius are used mainly for exploring the neighboring islands. You can either board a passenger ferry for visiting the nearby islands or hire a chartered ferry if you are traveling in a group. Ticket rates of passenger ferries are fixed but the rates of chartered ferries is negotiable. Passenger ferry tickets cost between five to ten dollars whereas cost of chartered ferries ranges between 100 to 200 dollars depending on the destination and your negotiation skills.

5. Ship

Port Louis is primarily a commercial port, but a small number of passenger ships make daily trips to nearby islands of Réunion and Rodrigues. You can book your tickets on the Mauritius Trochetia or the cheaper and slower Mauritius Pride, both of which operate several times a month between Mauritius and Reunion. You can also go to Madagascar from Mauritius via passenger ships that operate twice a month. For more information about ships, shipping routes, and rates, you can contact the Mauritius shipping office, whose address is given below:

Mauritius Shipping, Suite 417-418, St James Court, St Denis St, Port Louis, Mauritius (Tel: 210 5944 or 6120).

6. Taxi

Most taxis in Mauritius have meters, but are seldom used, which makes it necessary that you tell the driver to start the meter before boarding the taxi. For longer trips, rates are generally negotiable, but can prove to be expensive if you do not have a basic idea about rates for different destinations on the island. Many taxi drivers' double up as local guides, but you should be careful in dealing with these drivers as some of these may take you to places where they get a fixed commission. It is advised that you do not follow their instructions about excursions, restaurants and shops. Indicative taxi rates from the airport to different locations are given below:

From airport to Curepipe: $ 33

From airport to Port Louis: $ 33

From airport to the North: $ 45

From airport to Belle Mare and Trou D'eau Douce: $ 45

From airport to Le Morne: $ 33