Mauritius is about 65 km long, drives on the left and has its best sights at opposite ends: the lagoons and Île aux Cerfs on the east coast, the coloured earth and waterfalls of Chamarel in the south-west, the gardens and Hindu temples of the north. Collect your car at the airport when you land, and the whole island is a day trip away.
Mauritius is about 65 km long, drives on the left and has its best sights at opposite ends: the lagoons and Île aux Cerfs on the east coast, the coloured earth and waterfalls of Chamarel in the south-west, the gardens and Hindu temples of the north. Collect your car at the airport when you land, and the whole island is a day trip away.
Debit card, not credit card
You do not need a credit card to rent in Mauritius. The refundable security deposit is taken on your debit card and released after you return the car; its amount is shown on each car before you book.
Deposit and excess shown up front
Each car lists its insurance options, its excess and the refundable debit-card deposit before you book, so nothing about the cover is a surprise at the desk.
Local rates, not airport markups
Direct prices from Mauritian partners. What you book is what you pay at pick-up, with no counter fee added at the terminal.
Unlimited mileage
Taxis between the north coast and the south-west are priced by the trip and add up fast. Nothing we rent charges by the kilometre, so Chamarel, Île aux Cerfs and Port Louis all fit in one stay.
Collect on arrival
Most long-haul flights land early in the morning. Pick up at the terminal when you land and drive straight to your hotel – Grand Baie and Le Morne are both about 1h15 away, with no transfer to book.
One counter, at Mauritius Airport in the south-east. Open its page for the road out of the terminal, drive times and what is worth the detour nearby.
Each region is measured from Mauritius Airport in the south-east, about 1h from Port Louis and 1h15 from the north and west coasts.
Calm lagoons and the island's busiest resort strip: Grand Baie, Pereybère and Cap Malheureux at the tip, Trou aux Biches and Mont Choisy beaches, and Pamplemousses garden inland – all about 1h15 from the airport on the M1 and M2.
The capital about 1h from the airport, with its market and UNESCO-listed Aapravasi Ghat, then the cooler highlands: Moka and Eureka House, Le Pouce and the Trou aux Cerfs crater at Curepipe.
Around the airport: the old port town of Mahébourg 10–15 min away, the Blue Bay lagoon, the nature reserve of Île aux Aigrettes, and the wild cliffs of Gris Gris on the south coast in about 35 min.
The island's most dramatic corner, about 1h15 from the airport: Black River Gorges National Park, the sacred lake of Grand Bassin, the coloured earth of Chamarel and the UNESCO-listed Le Morne Brabant above its lagoon.
Left-hand traffic, fast motorways through the middle and slow coastal roads around the edge – with plenty of speed cameras on both.
Drive on the left
Mauritius keeps left and the cars are right-hand drive, with the gear lever on your left. Roundabouts are everywhere, even on the motorway; they run clockwise and you give way to traffic from your right.
Speed cameras are everywhere
Limits are up to 110 on the motorway, 80 on main roads and 40–60 through towns and villages. Fixed speed cameras are common, and fines reach the rental partner – and then you.
No tolls
No road in Mauritius charges a toll. The M1 and M2 motorways run from the airport through Port Louis to Grand Baie; the coast roads are slower, with buses, scooters and pedestrians close to the kerb.
Avoid Port Louis at rush hour
The motorway into the capital jams from about 7:00 to 9:30 and again in the late afternoon. Plan airport runs and day trips through Port Louis around those hours.
Stay in during a cyclone warning
Cyclone season runs roughly from December to April. If a class 3 or 4 warning is issued, the authorities ask everyone to stay indoors, so do not set out on a drive until it is lifted.
Minimum age 21
With at least one year of driving experience. Some vehicle categories set a higher minimum, and it is shown on the car while you are still choosing.
Yes. You pay with a debit card. A refundable security deposit is taken on that debit card at pick-up, on every insurance tier, and released after you return the car. The amount is shown on each car before you book, so you know what will be held before you travel.
It depends on the car and the cover you choose, and it is shown on each car before you book. It is held on your debit card at pick-up and released after you return the car; your bank may take a few working days to show it. Check that your card allows payments abroad.
At Mauritius Airport (MRU) in Plaine Magnien, in the south-east of the island. Your voucher names the meeting point and pick-up time.
A valid national licence is normally enough for a holiday rental, especially if it is printed in English or French. If yours uses another alphabet, bring an International Driving Permit as well. The partner checks your licence at pick-up.
Most visitors settle in within the first hour. The motorway is a gentle start; take the many roundabouts slowly – they run clockwise – and remember that a turn across traffic is now a right turn.
For a week of beach and hotel, perhaps not. To see the island, yes: buses are slow between regions and taxis from the north coast to Chamarel or Île aux Cerfs cost more for a day than a rental car does.
May to December, when it is drier and cooler; the east coast is windy in the southern winter from June to August. December to April is hot and humid, and the cyclone season can close the roads for a day or two.
Book in minutes, see the deposit on each car before you choose, and collect it at Mauritius Airport when you land.
