From the airport to the city centre French Guiana

There is no public transport to Cayenne - Félix Eboué international airport (actually located in the small town of Matoury). From there, visitors have several options, preferably planned before landing. If you're staying at a hotel, check with it to see if it offers a shuttle service to and from the airport. Alternatively, you can rent a car directly at the airport: ask your car rental company to meet you at the counter at your arrival time. Alternatively, you can hire a cab (approx. 50 euros to the city center).

Arrival by boat French Guiana

For the two rivers that border French Guiana (on the Suriname side, as well as on the other side, at the Brazilian border), it is possible to travel upstream to reach villages located on the riverbanks. These villages are sometimes only accessible by river.

If you are arriving in French Guiana by boat from the two neighboring countries, you will find many pirogue operators who will make the crossing for a few euros. Don't forget to have your passport stamped before leaving the country you're visiting, to ensure that your departure is officially recorded.

Public transport French Guiana

Bus. From now on, two transport networks will serve Cayenne and the surrounding area: Transport interurbain de la Guyane (TIG) for communes outside the Communauté d'agglomération du Centre Littoral (CACL), and Agglo'bus peri-urban transport for communes belonging to the CACL. Thanks to these two networks, you'll be able to get to just about any district in and around the city.

For connections between the various towns in French Guiana, you'll need to look at the TIG minibuses: from the Cayenne bus station, you can travel to Kourou, Saint-Laurent or Saint-Georges (make sure you book at www.ville-cayenne.fr/transports).

Another option is to use shared cabs. Their timetables are rather unpredictable, as they only leave once the minibus is full. They charge fixed fares and can be found at airports and bus stations throughout the département.

Bike, scooters & co French Guiana

Cycling through Guyana's city centers is a perfectly feasible project. But in the absence of cycle paths, you need to remain vigilant: an informed man is worth two. If you opt for this mode of locomotion in town, we strongly advise you to use a mountain bike. Less sensitive to the imperfections of certain roads, it will also enable you to use the laterite tracks that lead to some heavenly sites. Unfortunately, however, there are too few mountain bike rental companies on site.

On the long national roads, however, you'll often come across road cyclists devouring the asphalt in small pelotons, especially if you travel early in the morning. Road cycling is very popular in French Guiana, and there are some great routes to discover, but beware of motorists.

With a driver French Guiana

There aren'tmany cabs in French Guiana, and prices are comparable to those in mainland France. If you haven't planned your transfer to Cayenne-Félix-Éboué airport (private or rental car, etc.), you can still take a cab. The journey to the city center will cost you around 50 euros (with a surcharge at night). In the absence of buses and shared cabs, you'll also need to take a cab when you go out at night. Don't try to phone them, it's hopeless. It's better to go directly to the cab rank (in Cayenne, Place des Palmistes). Private drivers such as Uber and others are not very common.

Another possibility: carpooling also works quite well between the main towns, and can be enjoyable if you're flexible about your schedule. You'll find listings on the well-known www.blablacar.fr, or for a local alternative, www.blada.com offers quite a few carpool listings across the region.

By car French Guiana

There are no freeways in French Guiana, but all coastal towns and communes (as well as a few inland towns, such as Régina and Saint-Georges) are accessible by road. Signage is clear, and it's hard to get lost. To reach certain sites, you may have to take a laterite road. At the entrance to Cayenne, coming from Matoury or Kourou, the 2 km four-lane road is often referred to as the "rocade". It is on this road that radar checks are most frequent. Be careful, too, on the road between Cayenne and Kourou.

Road conditions. While great progress has been made in recent years with the construction of bridges in place of ferries, the introduction of traffic circles to avoid traffic jams too often leaves much to be desired. In addition, access to many tourist sites (Fourgassié waterfalls, Voltaire falls...) is via laterite tracks that easily deteriorate in the rainy season. Check with tourist offices or tourist information centers to find out about the condition of the roads before using them, and check your rental contract (you will generally only be insured on tarmac roads).

Service stations. As elsewhere, all service stations are open during the day; in Cayenne, some also have night-time opening hours (Mirza traffic circle with the three statuettes). On the other hand, for longer trips (Cayenne-Saint-Laurent, for example), it's best to fill up before you leave, because after Kourou, it's... Saint-Laurent (200 km). On the eastern route, the Régina pump has closed, as has the Cacao pump, and the Saint-Georges pump is not always supplied. Carry a supply of petrol as soon as you leave the main towns.

Driving. French Guiana is a French department, so in theory the same rules apply as in mainland France. But beware! In practice, drivers are often distracted, scooters are driven without lights, helmets are not worn and speeding is a popular sport... What's more, drivers often forget to signal any change of direction. So stay alert! Cayenne is the only city where traffic jams are a real ordeal, especially when leaving the office (or at the end of classes) and on market days. There are no freeways in French Guiana, so the speed limit on the 390 km of national roads is set at 80 km/h.

Car rental. Renting a car is the most practical and almost indispensable solution for visiting French Guiana. All the major rental companies are present, with a fairly extensive fleet. You can rent a car before you leave, and pick it up at the airport (for an additional charge of around 20 euros), or you can pick it up at a rental point in the town of your choice. Please note: rental car insurance does not always cover you in the event of damage on laterite tracks. So, if you're planning to drive long distances or on dirt tracks, don't hesitate to ask your rental agency for advice on the various options available to you (such as 4x4 rental).