Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For mobile phones, Réunion uses the GSM 900/1800 system, which is compatible with
Europe and Australia, but incompatible with North American GSM 1900. The network
covers most towns and villages throughout the island, including the Cirque de Mafate.
If your GSM phone has been 'unlocked', it is also possible to buy a SIM card with either
of the two local network operators:
Orange
(
www.orange.re
)
and
SFR
(
www.sfr.re
)
. Recharge cards
are readily available.
There are various prepaid calling cards (available at newsagents) that require you to dial a
free number and enter a personal identity number (PIN) before you place your call.
There are no area codes in Réunion.
TOURIST INFORMATION
There are generally
offices du tourisme
(tourist offices) in most main towns across the is-
land. Most of them have at least one staff member who speaks English.
Tourist-office staff provide maps, brochures and the twice-yearly magazine
Guide RUN
,
which is a useful directory of hotels, restaurants, discos and other places of interest to vis-
itors.
The
Centrale d'Information et de Réservation Régionale - Île de la Réunion Tourisme
(
www.reunion.fr
)
is
Réunion's regional tourist office.
You can also contact the French tourist office in your home country; these are listed on
TRAVELLERS WITH DISABILITIES
Independent travel is difficult for anyone who has mobility problems in Réunion. Only the
newest of newly remodeled businesses have features that are specifically suited to wheel-
chair use.
Negotiating the streets of most towns in a wheelchair is frustrating given the lack of ad-
equate equipment, and most outdoor attractions and historic places don't have trails suited
to wheelchair use. Two notable exceptions are Kelonia in St-Leu, and the renovated Mais-
on du Volcan in Bourg-Murat.
VISAS
Though Réunion is a French department, it's not part of the Schengen treaty. The visa re-
quirements for entry to Réunion are almost the same as for France, bar a few exceptions.
For EU nationals, a national ID or a passport suffices. Citizens of a number of other
Western countries, including Australia, the USA, Canada and New Zealand, do not need
visas to visit Réunion as tourists for up to three months; they need only a passport.
Other nationals should check with the French embassy or consulate nearest your home
address to find out if you need a visa. For example, Brazilian citizens do not need a visa to
