Mauritius car hire

The tongue-twisting Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport (SSR) is the island’s international airport, where major car hire companies have their offices.

Once you’ve landed, you can pick up your rental car and reach Le Morne on the west coast or Grand Baie on the northern tip in about an hour. Alternatively, you can pick up your hire car from the main towns dotted across the island, or have it delivered to your hotel for a small fee.

Car hire can be a cheaper option in comparison to taxi services – a cab from the airport to Grand Baie, for example, will set you back around £40 one way.

An air-conditioned rental car fitted with a GPS navigation system ranges from £25 to £50 per day, depending on the size of the vehicle, so compare prices to find the cheapest rates from leading car hire companies on the TravelSupermarket website.

You can make the most of your hire car by exploring Mauritius’s great variety of beaches. The north side is home to Grand Baie, which is best for nightlife and water sports, as well as tranquil, tree-lined beaches such as Mont Choisy and La Cuvette.

The sheltered lagoons on the island’s west coast are popular with families with young children. Five-star hotels line the east coast, while the southern part of the island is still largely untouched by mass tourism.

If you can tear yourself from its golden beaches, Mauritius is strewn with fascinating cultural attractions. The Natural History Museum in Port Louis catalogues the island’s native wildlife and features the only complete dodo skeleton in existence.

On the other side of the island, Mahébourg is Mauritius’s ancient capital, where Dutch settlers first landed in 1598. Today, this tranquil little town is a place of winding alleys, pretty seafront restaurants and traditional markets.

You must be at least 21 to hire a car in Mauritius, and drivers under the age of 24 may incur a surcharge. Make sure to carry your licence with you at all times and obey speed limits (110kph, or 68mph, on the motorways). In Mauritius you drive on the left and give way to the right.

1.    Parking is free, except in the main city centres. Purchase your parking tickets at petrol stations and fill out a sheet when you park the car.

2.    Petrol stations are available in towns and cities, but only a handful operate past midnight, so always refill the tank before going on a late-night trip.

3.    Do not park under a coconut tree – they can do serious damage!