Transportation in Mauritius
Bus, cabs, motorcycle, helicopter, boat and now Metro Express... It is easy to move around in Mauritius. The country benefits from a relatively extensive and convenient transport network, which extends to the North, the South, the East and the West. The tramway (Metro Express) only operates on the outskirts of the cities for now.
The bus network in Mauritius
Mauritius has a bus network that provides economic travel from 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in urban areas and from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in rural areas.
And it is shared between public, regional and private operators, including:
- TBS - Triolet Bus Service;
- MBT - Mauritian Bus Transport;
- NTC - National Transport Corporation;
- UBS - United Bus Service;
- RHT - Rose Hill Transport;
- Luna Transport Company.
This network covers a very large part of the island, with many stops throughout the villages and towns. Click here to find out which bus numbers to use for your destinations.
Which bus, for which direction?
The National Transport Authority (NTA) has compiled all the buses serving the island and their numbers. Click here to see the bus stops for each line.
As for Port-Louis, the capital has 2 main stations, Gare du Nord and Gare Victoria. Both are connected by shuttles, while each town has its own central station. To find it, just ask for directions!
Fares for the bus network
To travel by bus in Mauritius, it is imperative to have change: tickets are purchased on board, often after the bus has started. Indeed, the "ticket collector" passes by each passenger to ask about the destination and to collect payment.
Fares are calculated according to the distance traveled, so they increase approximately every 1.6 km.
Here are the rates applicable since May 8, 2022:
- Stage 1: from Rs 12 to Rs 17;
- Stage 2: from Rs 18 to Rs 24;
- Stages 3-4: from Rs 24 to Rs 30;
- Stages 5-6: from Rs 27 to Rs 35;
- Stages 7-8: from Rs 30 to Rs 39;
- Stages-12: from Rs 31 to Rs 41;
- Stages 13-30: from Rs 34 to Rs 44;
- Stages 31-39: from Rs 37 to Rs 47.
Good to know:
For a few extra rupees, you can take one of the many air-conditioned buses that serve the major towns.
You will also find a special bus to and from the airport in Plaine Magnien. Of course, elderly or pregnant people have priority for seats!
It is not uncommon to see ticket inspectors boarding the buses to check passengers' tickets. Any offender risks a fine.
Useful link:
The Metro Express
The tramway, also called Metro Express, began operating between Port Louis and Rose Hill in December 2019. Today, it connects Port-Louis to Curepipe every day, from Monday to Sunday, including public holidays, from 06:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and it allows the population to move in a modern, safe and comfortable way over 26 km.
The tramway, "metro" as it is commonly called, passes through Port Louis, Beau Bassin - Rose Hill, Ébène, Quatre Bornes, Vacoas-Phoenix and Curepipe. There are currently 20 stations from Port Louis to Curepipe, including 6 major stations adjacent to bus stations.
Current Metro Express stops:
- Central Curepipe;
- North of Curepipe;
- Floréal;
- Sadally;
- Vacoas Center;
- Palmerston;
- Phoenix Mall;
- Phoenix;
- Trianon;
- St. Jean;
- Quatre Bornes Center;
- Belle Rose;
- Rose Hill Center;
- Ébène
- Vandermeersch;
- Beau Bassin;
- Barkly;
- Coromandel;
- St Louis;
- Port Louis Victoria
- Réduit.
The Rose-Hill-Ébène line is also newly operational. The authorities are already starting to think about extending this service, so it is expected that in the next few years, the population will be able to travel to the East and then to the South (Mahébourg) or even to the North, to Grand-Baie.
Facilities for users
Drivers
Metro Express users can park their cars in a specially dedicated parking lot in Coromandel with a capacity of 250 vehicles, including spaces for the disabled. 2 other similar parking facilities are under construction, one in Phoenix and the other in Vacoas.
Cyclists
Those who ride to the Metro Express station have several spaces to park their two-wheelers:
- Rose-Hill Central: sheltered and secure space with 24 bike racks;
- All stations: 12 bike racks;
- Direct road access to bikes within a 1-2 km radius of stations.
Metro Express tickets
The price of the ticket is calculated according to the number of zones covered. For the time being, it starts at Rs 32 and can go up to Rs 52 per trip.
To buy a single-use ticket, simply go to one of the many automated ticketing machines on all stations, then select the "SINGLE USE TICKET" option. The following steps are simply written on the screen and are easy to follow.
The MECard
Regular metro express riders can save between 5 and 10% per trip with the MECard.
The MECard is designed for all segments of the population, so it is available in 5 categories:
- Adult - Costs Rs 150 to purchase and includes a credit of Rs 100.
- Child - Costs Rs 150 and includes a credit of Rs 100.
- Student - Costs Rs 100.
- Senior - Free for retired citizens aged 60 and above
- Priority - Free for citizens with reduced mobility.
The purchase, as well as the refill of the card, is done at the dedicated MECard counters.
Driver service in Mauritius
If you need a driver, for example, in anticipation of a night out, there are many companies offering this type of service. Here are a few examples:
My Chauffeur: A subsidiary of RHT Holding Ltd, the company takes care of one-off and business trips for both the public and companies. You can download its mobile application from the web, book a car 24/7, and even request a female driver.
Europcar - Chauffeur Services: The car rental specialist offers to hire a driver by the day for Rs 900 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and Rs 160 per additional hour (including VAT).
Hire Car Mauritius: This company based in Quatre Bornes offers an extensive chauffeur service for both individuals and companies. Its fleet is composed of a Sedan Car, a Toyota Wish, a Minivan, a Minibus, a BMW 7 Series, a BMW X5 and a Mercedes V class.
Rent a car in Mauritius
The largest international agencies, Avis, Sixt, Europcar or Hertz, as well as official local rental companies, are present on the island and offer all types of cars.
You can benefit from preferential rates on long-term rentals. Insurance is included in the rental price.
The agencies also offer the possibility of having a replacement vehicle immediately in case of a breakdown.
Cabs in Mauritius
While Uber and other similar cab apps do not exist in Mauritius, there are a number of cabs that operate in dedicated locations. You can find them near hotels, train stations, beaches and shopping centers. In addition, restaurants, bars, pubs, or nightclubs also usually have a list of cabs in case of an emergency. Don't hesitate to try out cabs near your home and keep the contacts of those you feel you can trust.
There is no set rate for cabs. Thus, it is difficult to give you an acceptable average cab fare.
Cabs operating with licenses have yellow plates on the doors indicating where they operate. Be careful, as many operate without a license, and if the cab is subject to a police routine check, both the driver and the passenger are liable to a fine.
Useful links:
Expat.com - Classified ads for buying and selling cars
Air travel in Mauritius
Air Mauritius offers about 30 weekly flights to and from major European cities, including 3 flights between London and Mauritius. You can book your flight to Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle and many other UK cities via London. British Airways, Air Austral, Air France, Air Seychelles, Air India, Kenya Airways, Emirates, South African Airways, Air Zimbabwe, Condor, Corsair Fly and Turkish Airlines are other airlines that fly to Mauritius.
Useful links:
Ships in Mauritius
At the date of publication of this guide, the Trochetia is the only ship in service between Mauritius and Rodrigues. A boat trip to Rodrigues has several advantages: it is cheaper than a flight, the port of embarkation is located in Port Louis, and boarding takes place one hour before departure. The Trochetia serves as both a cargo ship and a passenger ferry. It can accommodate a maximum of 112 passengers exclusively in cabins of different categories (luxury, semi-luxury, first and second class).
Useful link:
