From the airport to the city centre Guadeloupe

As soon as you leave the airport, you'll find cabs to take you to the destination of your choice. To give you an idea, count €30 for 2 people during the day (with one piece of luggage each) from the airport to the center of Gosier.

Car rental counters are located in the rental zone just a few minutes away. Each car rental company has its own shuttle bus to take you from the airport to its branch.

Karu'lis bus routes (AE1 and AE3) pass through the airport, taking you to Les Abymes, Baie-Mahault, Pointe-à-Pitre, Gosier, Sainte-Anne, Saint-François and La Désirade. The KARU'LIS application allows you to find out the real time timetable, inform you of the bus line to take to get to your destination and buy your ticket. Tickets start at €1.20 for mainland Guadeloupe and €1 for Désirade.

Arrival by boat Guadeloupe

For lovers of the Big Blue, the ideal solution in the Caribbean is, of course, by boat. Here's a tip: regular ferry services sometimes offer reduced fares if booked in advance or on the Internet. Don't hesitate to contact them from France to make an inter-island reservation well in advance. If you're planning your trip during the high season, be sure to check availability too! Don't forget that the local population travels a lot. Weekends and public holidays are particularly busy.

The Bergevin ferry terminal in Pointe-à-Pitre handles sailings from Marie-Galante, Les Saintes, La Dominique and Martinique. The terminal offers a wide range of amenities. The huge parking lot, for which a charge is made, is supervised. The days and times of the rotations are provided for information only, as they are subject to change without notice by each company due to bad weather conditions, low passenger numbers, mechanical problems... It is advisable to check schedules before the day of departure to avoid unpleasant last-minute surprises. Express des îles: 0590 091 95 20, Val Ferry: 05 90 914 515, Jeans For Freedom: 0 825 01 01 25.

The Saint-François ferry terminal is dedicated to shuttles to Désirade, Les Saintes and Marie-Galante. Comadile: 0690 49 49 33, Comatrile: 0590 91 02 45.

The Trois-Rivières pier (where parking is subject to a fee of €5 per day) is used for shuttles to Les Saintes. Deher: 0590 86 97 57. Karru'Ferry: 0590 92 59 84.

As Guadeloupe is a base for cruise lines, you may have to disembark at Pointe-à-Pitre for a stopover. Mobile tourist information officers are on hand to assist you and answer any queries you may have. In the center of Pointe-à-Pitre, shops are closed from 1pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Guided tours of the city are available on foot, by tuk-tuk or rickshaw. Cabs also offer a tour of the island during your stopover.

If you prefer to combine business with pleasure, you can choose to visit the islands and islets of the Guadeloupe archipelago on a day cruise aboard a catamaran. This type of excursion, with more or less small groups depending on the company you choose, offers virtually the same program: sailing, swimming, meals on board or in an island restaurant, sightseeing...

Public transport Guadeloupe

The public transport network is made up of the Karu'Lis network, which serves the Cap Excellence (Les Abymes, Baie-Mahault, Pointe-à-Pitre) and Riviera du Levant (Gosier, Sainte-Anne, Saint-François, La Désirade) areas, and independent carriers for other destinations, for which schedules are more or less random.

The Karu'lis network, for its part, has drawn up timetables, itineraries and fares which are available on their website www.karulis.com. Their orange buses are easy to spot. The KARU'LIS application gives you real-time timetables, tells you which bus line to take to get to your destination, and lets you buy your ticket. Tickets start at €1.20, depending on the zone.

Buses generally run from 5.30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday, and on some routes on Saturday mornings. Beware, however, when taking public transport to the Pointe-à-Pitre market on Saturday mornings (the busiest). For the return journey, it's best to leave the city center before 2pm. There are no buses on Sundays or public holidays, except in the north of Grande-Terre (Morne-à-l'Eau, Le Moule, Petit-Canal, Port-Louis, Anse-Bertrand) where the network is better developed, thanks in particular to the TUNGT network. Grande-Terre is better served than Basse-Terre. In the south of Basse-Terre, the Grand Sud Caraïbe network enables travel between the various communes.

Please note that the Karu'Lis network (orange buses) also stops at the very beginning of the afternoon on Saturdays, and does not run on Sundays.

Recognizing Karu'lis lines: 7 urban lines (Pointe-à-Pitre) identified by the letter U. Line U2 leaves from Place de la Victoire and takes you to the town of Gosier. 11 suburban lines (Les Abymes) : Letter A. 7 suburban lines (Baie-Mahault): Letter B. 6 suburban lines (Gosier): Letter G.

Bike, scooters & co Guadeloupe

Touring the island on a two-wheeler gives you a feeling of freedom on the country roads that run along the coast or inland... There are two drawbacks: showers and, more importantly for safety reasons, the often heavy traffic, with drivers and, unfortunately, chauffeurs who speed along narrow roads and disregard the highway code. Some road signs, such as stop signs and yield signs, are not always obeyed. Stray animals (cats, dogs, goats, cattle, chickens, etc.) may also appear from the roadside. Our advice is the same as for motorists: be careful, especially as two-wheelers are among the most accident-prone on the island.

Karu'vélo : karuvelo.ecovelo.mobi (Electrically-assisted bicycles).

Auto Discount: 05 90 971 000 (motorcycle rentals).

Veloc: 0690 46 69 68 (mountain bikes).

With a driver Guadeloupe

Cab and VTC drivers organize guided tours of the island. Here are some of our recommendations:

Gwadiles : 06 90 74 74 11.

MC Transports Services: 06 90 41 65 64.

Cabs du soleil : 06 90 74 66 29.

Cœur des îles (airport reception): 05 90 21 71 74.

By car Guadeloupe

When it comes to driving in the West Indies, certain habits and local peculiarities may come as a surprise.

Road conditions and bad weather. On the whole, Guadeloupe has a good road network. Thanks to the development of departmental and national roads, only a few departmental and secondary roads are winding or steep, such as the Grands-Fonds in Grande-Terre and the route de la Traversée. But the climate is tough on asphalt, and road services often have their work cut out for them, especially after heavy rain.

Some private roads are subject to a right-of-way and provide access to accommodation, but are the subject of disputes between the various owners: you may have to take a road strewn with potholes, the condition of which can worsen after a heavy tropical downpour.

Water run-off is a major problem, especially during heavy rainstorms. In many communes, ditches (known as gullies) have been dug on either side of the road to prevent flooding. In heavy rain, it's best to drive with your headlights on low beam or even on low beam. In the event of a storm, beware: in addition to flooding the roadway, landslides are possible (particularly in Basse-Terre, and on the Route de la Traversée). In general, if there is too much rain, it's best not to attempt any major excursions, even by car, and especially not to go hiking.

Signs along the main road linking North Grande-Terre to South Basse-Terre inform road users of any disruptions (time to complete a journey, accidents, roadworks, traffic jams, etc.), so that they can use an alternative route if possible. This real-time information is also available on the www.trafikera.fr website.

Signposting. Tourist information around the beaches, for example on the various leisure activities available (diving, sailing, jet-skiing, etc.), is now well detailed. Don't hesitate to ask the locals, who are always ready to help. Around Pointe-à-Pitre, when you want to leave the ring road, watch out for vehicles coming up on your right and joining the ring road! These crossings can be dangerous if you're not used to them... At dusk, watch out for unlit pedestrians and cyclists along roads in residential areas, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings. When overtaking and before bends, do as everyone else does - honk your horn to signal your presence! At night, don't hesitate to flash your lights if you're not sure you've been seen. It's best to leave early in the morning if you have several hours' driving ahead of you, to avoid traffic jams: the roads are narrow, the landscape is very hilly and it's often difficult to overtake.

Speed limits. Perhaps most striking is the propensity of some drivers to disregard speed limits. From the very first crossroads, you'll realize that speed plays an important role among Guadeloupean motorists, a factor not to be overlooked. Guadeloupe is one of the worst performers in terms of road safety, with one of the highest rates of fatal accidents in France over the years. For your part, respect the Highway Code and keep your eyes open. Be vigilant at crossroads, as you may encounter a driver who fails to stop at the Stop sign in front of you; another driver who stops to let you pass when he has the right of way... The use of turn signals needs to be reviewed too! The driver's hand out the door often replaces the blinker, and unannounced stops to greet an acquaintance are still common. Some buses still stop on the side of the road at the request of a passenger, without respecting the stops provided for this purpose. So keep your distance and be patient.

Slow down, traffic jams and controls. Every day of the week from 6.30am to 9am and from 4.30pm to around 7pm (from 12pm to 3pm on Wednesdays, Fridays and the eves of public holidays), traffic jams on national roads are legion. The only coastal road on either side of the island is regularly congested, even during the day. Traffic jams are exacerbated by weather conditions, particularly during the rainy season. As for police checks, they are often carried out to measure your blood-alcohol level... Watch out for the number of ti-punches or planteur "savored" during the day! Guadeloupe's roads are equipped with numerous speed cameras. Mobile or twin speed cameras are also common on the main roads.

Animals on the roads! Goats, cows, stray dogs and even iguanas can roam the roads without really worrying about traffic, and they have the annoying habit of crossing without looking. Stray dogs, of which there are many, come out especially after dark. You need to be careful at all times on the road.

Tourist traps Guadeloupe

Beware of private car rental firms that offer their vehicles for hire for small sums. Vehicles may be in poor condition or uninsured. Be careful when booking, and ask for proof of insurance when paying the deposit.

You may also be accosted on arrival at the airport, ferry terminal or cruise port by unregistered cab drivers. Authorized cabs will wait for you in the queue reserved for them.