Getting Around Saint-Paul
Saint-Paul sits on the west coast of Réunion, and for most visitors the practical reality is that the town is one stop on a wider island transport network rather than a place with its own dense urban transit system. The useful thing to understand before you arrive is that Réunion's public transport is built around inter-city buses, and Saint-Paul is served by them. Plan your movements around that network and you will get where you need to go; expect a metro-style system and you will be disappointed.
Rail, Metro and Tram
There is no rail, metro or tram network to use in Saint-Paul. Getting around the island by public transport means buses. If you are arriving with the expectation of a train or tram link from the airport or along the coast, you will need to adjust your plans and look at the bus options instead.
Buses and Public Transport
The island's inter-city bus network is Car Jaune, and it is the backbone of public transport for visitors. It covers the north, west, south and east of Réunion, which means Saint-Paul and the surrounding west-coast resorts are within reach of the network. Buses are air-conditioned, have on-board WiFi and information screens, and are accessible to all.
Two Car Jaune lines are particularly relevant to Saint-Paul:
- Line T is the tourist line, running between Sainte-Marie and Saint-Pierre via the beaches and the airports. It operates seven days a week, with departures from Roland Garros Airport in the early morning through to the evening, and return departures from Saint-Pierre bus station during the day. The journey takes around two hours. Stops in the Saint-Paul area include Gare de Saint-Paul, Boucan Canot, Les Aigrettes, Saint-Gilles-les-Bains, Roches Noires, Filaos Saint-Gilles and La Saline les Bains.
- Line ZO runs between Sainte-Marie and Saint-Pierre along the Route des Tamarins, operating Monday to Saturday. It connects the Duparc pôle d'échanges, Roland Garros Airport, Saint-Denis and Saint-Pierre, and some journeys also serve Roland Garros Airport. The journey takes roughly an hour and forty minutes.
Fares on both lines are simple and visitor-friendly: a single ticket costs €5, a day ticket €15, and a book of five tickets €20. Children under 12 travel at half price and under-threes travel free. You can buy tickets at the stop or on board.
For the network more broadly, Car Jaune sells a contactless yPass card that can hold occasional tickets and passes. You can buy and recharge it at Car Jaune points of sale, online at www.carjaune.re, or through Car Jaune partners. There is also an M-Ticket app for smartphones, available on the App Store and Play Store, which lets you buy and validate tickets on your phone. Paper tickets are still sold at agencies and on vehicles. Paper tickets and M-Ticket purchases carry a QR code that is validated on boarding, while a yPass must be scanned.
For real-time schedules, check the "Timetable" section at www.carjaune.re or scan the QR code at your stop. There is also an information hotline on +262 (0)262 81 82 83 if you need to check something before you travel.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available, and at Roland Garros Airport there is a taxi service operating 24 hours a day in front of the terminal building; the airport taxi service can be reached on +262 (0)2 62 48 83 83. Car hire is also available at the airport, including vehicles with a driver (VTC) for hotel-to-airport transfers, business trips, evening journeys, excursions, and hiking departures and returns. If your plans involve arriving late, leaving early, or getting to a trailhead, a taxi or a hired car with driver is the more reliable option than trying to match a bus timetable.
Walkability
Walking is a reasonable way to cover the immediate area where you are staying, but it is not a practical way to move between the scattered coastal settlements and resorts of the Saint-Paul area, which are spread along the coast and connected by the bus network and by road. Treat walking as your option for local errands and beach-to-accommodation trips, and use buses, taxis or a hire car for anything further.
Getting from the Airport into Saint-Paul
Roland Garros Airport is the main airport, and it sits to the east of Saint-Paul on the island's northern side. You have three practical options for reaching Saint-Paul:
- Car Jaune coach. Coach services link Roland Garros Airport with the town centre, and Line T connects the airport with Saint-Paul stops including Gare de Saint-Paul, Boucan Canot, Saint-Gilles-les-Bains and La Saline les Bains. Line T runs seven days a week, with departures from the airport from early morning until evening. Line ZO also serves the airport on some journeys, Monday to Saturday. A single ticket is €5, a day ticket €15, and a book of five €20.
- Taxi. Available 24/7 in front of the terminal building. Call +262 (0)2 62 48 83 83.
- Car hire or VTC. Car-hire services operate at the airport, including vehicles with a driver for transfers. This is a good choice if you are heading to a hotel in the Saint-Gilles or Boucan Canot area, arriving at night, or carrying luggage and hiking gear.
If you are picking up a hire car at the airport, note that the public car park gives you 15 minutes of free parking.
Practical Tips
- Buy a yPass card or use the M-Ticket app if you plan to use Car Jaune more than once or twice; it saves fumbling for paper tickets on boarding.
- Remember to validate: scan your yPass, or have the QR code on your paper ticket or M-Ticket ready when you board.
- Check the timetable at www.carjaune.re or at your stop before setting out, especially for the less frequent services.
- Line T is the most straightforward option for combining an airport arrival with a west-coast beach stay, since it serves both the airport and the Saint-Paul coastal resorts.
- Line ZO does not run on Sundays, so plan weekend travel around Line T or a taxi.