Getting around · Mauritius
Getting around Mauritius
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Quick answer
Mauritius is small enough to cross in under two hours, but roads are narrow and busy around towns. Most visitors hire a car or a taxi with driver for day trips; buses cover the whole island cheaply but slowly, and the Metro Express light rail links Port Louis with the central towns. Useful but not essential.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Car
- Airports
- MRU
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
Ways to get around
Car
Hiring a car gives the most freedom for the southwest loop and the south coast. Mauritius drives on the left, and roads are narrow with buses, cyclists and pedestrians on the verges.
Avoid driving through Port Louis at rush hour and allow extra time on mountain roads in the southwest.
Taxi
Taxis wait outside hotels and in towns; agree the fare before setting off. Many drivers offer full-day island tours at a fixed price, which is a popular alternative to driving yourself.
Bus
Buses run between almost every village and the main towns, cheaply but slowly, with fewer services in the evening and on Sundays.
Express buses between Port Louis and Grand Baie or Curepipe are much quicker than local services.
Tram
The Metro Express light rail runs between Port Louis and Curepipe via Rose-Hill, Quatre Bornes and Ebène, useful for a day in the capital from the central plateau.
Boat
Catamarans and speedboats reach the offshore islets, including Île aux Cerfs from Trou d'Eau Douce and Gabriel Island from Grand Baie.
From the airport
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) is at Plaine Magnien in the south-east, about 15 minutes from Blue Bay. Transfers take about 45 minutes to Belle Mare, about an hour to Flic en Flac and Le Morne, and about 1–1.5 hours to Grand Baie. Most resorts arrange transfers; taxis and car-hire desks are in the arrivals hall.
Do you need a car?
Useful but not essential. A hire car or a taxi with driver for two or three day trips is enough for most visitors; staying put at a resort needs no car at all.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Port Louis | About 40 minutes from Grand Baie by car | Car, taxi or express bus |
| Chamarel and the south-west | About 1.5 hours from Grand Baie by car | Car or taxi tour |
| Grand Bassin and Curepipe | About 1.25 hours from Grand Baie by car | Car or taxi tour |
| Mahébourg and Blue Bay | About 1.5 hours from Grand Baie by car | Car or taxi; boats to the islands from Mahébourg |
| The wild south coast | About 1.5–2 hours from Grand Baie by car | Car or taxi tour |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Mauritius?
Useful but not essential. A hire car or a taxi with driver for two or three day trips is enough for most visitors; staying put at a resort needs no car at all.
+How do you get from the airport to Mauritius?
Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (MRU) is at Plaine Magnien in the south-east, about 15 minutes from Blue Bay. Transfers take about 45 minutes to Belle Mare, about an hour to Flic en Flac and Le Morne, and about 1–1.5 hours to Grand Baie. Most resorts arrange transfers; taxis and car-hire desks are in the arrivals hall.
+What is the best way to get around Mauritius?
Car: Hiring a car gives the most freedom for the southwest loop and the south coast. Mauritius drives on the left, and roads are narrow with buses, cyclists and pedestrians on the verges.