Mauritius covers 2,040 square kilometers with one international airport. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport sits in the southeast at Plaine Magnien, 48 kilometers from Port Louis. No domestic air service operates. Rodrigues, 560 kilometers east, connects by twice-daily Air Mauritius flights taking 90 minutes.
The island has no rail system. The road network totals approximately 2,400 kilometers, with 93 percent paved. The M1 motorway runs 30 kilometers from the airport through Port Louis to Grand Baie, completed in phases between 2001 and 2022. Speed limits reach 110 kilometers per hour on the motorway, 80 on rural roads, 50 in towns. Driving follows the left side, a British colonial inheritance from 1810.
Public buses serve all districts through a privatized system of regional operators. The National Transport Corporation manages certain urban routes. Port Louis Immigration Square functions as the central terminus. Fares range from 25 to 60 rupees depending on distance. Buses run from approximately 0530 to 2000 with reduced Sunday service. No printed timetables exist for most routes. Cash payment remains standard with exact change expected.
Taxis operate without meters outside the airport. Negotiation precedes every trip. Airport to Port Louis costs 1,200 to 1,500 rupees by taxi. Port Louis to Grand Baie runs 800 to 1,200 rupees. The Tourism Authority publishes suggested fare tables updated irregularly. Hotels arrange taxis at premium rates. Street hailing occurs but advance booking predominates.
Car rental requires a valid driving license held for at least one year. International Driving Permits receive recognition but are not mandatory for stays under four months. Rental agencies concentrate at the airport and major hotels. Daily rates start at 1,200 rupees for manual transmission economy cars, reaching 4,000 rupees for automatics and SUVs. Petrol costs approximately 65 rupees per liter as of 2024. Third-party insurance is mandatory.
Motorcycle and scooter rental operates informally through beachside vendors and some established agencies. Daily rates begin at 600 rupees for 125cc scooters. Helmet use is mandatory. No separate motorcycle license exists in Mauritius beyond the standard driving permit.
Port Louis operates the only commercial harbor. No regular passenger ferries connect coastal towns. Private boat operators run trips to offshore islets including Ile aux Cerfs and Coin de Mire from embarkation points at Trou d'Eau Douce and Grand Baie. These cost 500 to 2,000 rupees including transfers. Catamaran day cruises to the northern islets operate from Grand Baie at 2,500 to 4,500 rupees per person.
Walking proves impractical for inter-town travel. Sidewalks exist sporadically outside Port Louis and plateau towns. Curepipe and Quatre Bornes maintain connected pedestrian areas in their town centers. Coastal roads between resorts often lack pedestrian infrastructure.
The Metro Express light rail opened its first phase in January 2020, running 13 kilometers from Port Louis to Rose Hill with seven stations. The second phase extended service to Curepipe in 2023, adding 13 kilometers and eight stations. Total travel time from Port Louis to Curepipe reaches 37 minutes. Trains run every 12 minutes during peak hours, every 20 minutes off-peak, from 0530 to 2200 Monday through Saturday, 0630 to 2000 Sunday. Single fares cost 25 rupees for up to four stations, 35 rupees beyond. Stored-value cards offer no discount but speed boarding.
Bicycle rental exists primarily in resort areas. The coastal roads feature heavy traffic with narrow shoulders. Grand Baie and Flic-en-Flac have beachfront paths suitable for recreational cycling. Mountain biking operates in Black River Gorges National Park through organized tour companies charging 2,000 to 3,500 rupees per day with guide and equipment.
Navigation apps function with local SIM cards. Orange Mauritius and Emtel provide 4G coverage across 95 percent of the main island. Tourist SIM cards with 10GB data cost approximately 500 rupees at the airport. Rodrigues has reduced coverage with gaps in the interior.
Road signage appears in English and French. Distance markers use kilometers. Village names often differ between official spelling and local pronunciation. Goodlands appears as Goodlands but locals say "Goo-lahn." Quatre Bornes retains French pronunciation. No standardized transliteration exists for Creole place names.
Traffic congestion in Port Louis peaks between 0730 to 0900 and 1630 to 1830 on weekdays. The M1 motorway experiences heavy flow toward Port Louis in morning, outbound in evening. Parking in Port Louis central costs 20 rupees per hour at municipal lots. Street parking uses pay-and-display machines accepting coins only.