Réunion Island, known as "The Intense Island", boasts a stunning range of landscapes, from lush forests to volcanic peaks. While its beaches are lovely, the island's true allure lies in its diverse interior, best explored by car due to limited access. Renting a vehicle is essential for visiting UNESCO World Heritage sites like the cirques and Piton de la Fournaise volcano.
Saint-Denis, serving as the administrative capital and home to Roland Garros Airport (RUN), is the primary starting point for car rentals. To get the best deal, it’s important to plan, compare agencies, and understand the specific needs dictated by the island's terrain. This guide will help you navigate the rental market for a financially sound Réunion adventure.
The foundation of securing an excellent car rental deal lies in booking early. Delaying the booking process may lead to higher prices and a lack of vehicle choice. Réunion Island experiences significant peak seasons, notably during the European winter, from December to January, and the European summer, from July to August, when demand from both French and international tourists spikes dramatically.
During these periods, booking three to six months in advance is highly recommended. Even outside these peak windows, reserving your vehicle at least one month ahead of your arrival date is crucial. Prices often operate on a demand-based dynamic model, meaning that daily rates can increase exponentially as the pick-up date approaches. Even a booking made just one week in advance often results in substantially higher daily rates compared to a reservation made several weeks earlier.
To efficiently review the vast array of available options, use global comparison platforms. These tools aggregate prices from dozens of providers, allowing you to quickly filter and identify the cheapest base rates. However, their main benefit is in providing a baseline price, rather than necessarily the final booking platform. They serve as an excellent starting point for comparing both the large international players and the smaller, more cost-effective local companies.
It is important to compare both international and local agencies to evaluate all your options. International agencies offer reliability, high-quality fleets, and the convenience of desks directly inside Roland Garros Airport. While they provide a familiar service, their pricing often reflects these premium advantages. Conversely, local agencies are often the key to unlocking true budget rates. These local companies are highly competitive, frequently run special offers aimed at longer rentals, and sometimes offer a more personalised service.
Consider the advantage of airport versus city pick-up. The airport inherently features the most competitive pricing due to the sheer concentration of competing agencies operating there. The infrastructure and competition drive base prices down. However, always check the possibility of picking up the car from an agency location just outside the airport grounds. While this may require a short shuttle ride provided by the company, it can sometimes result in a slight discount by allowing the agency to avoid airport location surcharges or fees, offering a marginal saving on the overall rental cost.
Selecting the correct vehicle class is perhaps the most critical decision you will make, as the unique topography of Réunion Island makes some cars practically unsuitable for full island exploration. When weighing cost versus capability, it is tempting to gravitate towards the cheapest option. However, you should also ensure that the car you choose is suitable for your itinerary.
For tourists wanting to save money, a mini or small hatchback is the most common budget choice. These cars are inexpensive to rent, extremely fuel-efficient, and perfectly adequate for coastal roads and city driving within Saint-Denis. However, they possess limited engine power, so they are not fit for exploring remote areas.
For tourists seeking to explore the island's interior, a compact or mid-size hatchback with a slightly more powerful engine or a small SUV is recommended. This engine power is essential for navigating the steep, hairpin turns and relentless ascents leading into the famous natural cirques of Mafate, Cilaos, and Salazie, or the drive up to the Piton de la Fournaise.
Next, consider the transmission type. In Réunion, as is common across much of Europe, manual transmission cars are both more prevalent and significantly cheaper to rent. If you are comfortable driving a stick shift, this is the easiest way to immediately shave money off your rental bill. Automatic transmission options are available but generally carry a higher daily rate and are fewer in number, meaning they must be booked very early to guarantee availability, especially during peak season.
Confirm other vehicle features. For example, air conditioning is not a luxury but a necessity on Réunion Island, particularly during the hot, humid summer months and when driving along the coast or in the bustling environment of Saint-Denis. Thankfully, the vast majority of modern rental vehicles on the island are equipped with A/C as standard, but always double-check the specifications before finalising your booking.
Understanding the insurance coverage represents the biggest potential cost variable. Every car rental comes with a mandatory Third-Party Liability (TPL), a significant security deposit, and a defined excess or deductible amount. This is the maximum you are liable to pay in the event of damage. Deposits can be substantial, often held on a credit card, so ensure you have sufficient available funds.
In addition to TPL, rental agencies will strongly push their own insurance tiers, offering comprehensive plans that dramatically reduce or eliminate the excess, albeit at a high daily premium. Before accepting this expensive coverage, check if your personal travel insurance policy or your credit card provider offers coverage for rental car collisions. If your card covers this, you can politely decline the agency's Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), potentially saving hundreds of pounds, although you will still be responsible for the high deposit amount, which the agency holds until the car is returned undamaged.
The quoted daily price for a rental car is rarely the final cost. To truly secure the best deal, you must meticulously review the policy details and understand the potential for hidden charges. To avoid extra fees, pay close attention to the smaller policies. The fuel policy should always be "Full-to-Full". This means you pick up the car full of fuel and return it full. Any other option, such as "Pre-Purchased Fuel" or returning it empty, will invariably result in the agency charging inflated prices for the fuel they add.
Confirm that your reservation includes unlimited mileage, which is common in Réunion but always worth verifying, especially if you plan to circle the island multiple times. Additionally, be aware of the cost of extra drivers, child seats, or GPS. These are often inexpensive to add online during the initial booking process, but the price can be astronomically higher if requested at the counter upon pick-up.
Lastly, explore ways of leveraging special offers. Agencies in Saint-Denis often provide significant long-term rental discounts. If your trip is longer than seven days, the per-day cost will generally drop. For extended stays, three weeks or more, ask specifically about monthly rates. If your plans are flexible, always search for and utilise the free cancellation filter when booking through comparison sites. This allows you to lock in a low price early but retain the freedom to cancel and rebook if an even better last-minute offer appears.
Successfully navigating the Saint-Denis car rental market is a matter of diligence and strategic foresight. The most important takeaways are simple: book early, compare the competitive local agencies alongside the international brands, ensure the vehicle you select is powerful enough for the island's steep mountain roads, and carefully review the insurance policy and price breakdown to avoid unnecessary fees.
A great deal on a car rental is more than just a financial saving; it is the ultimate enabler, providing the freedom and flexibility required to fully experience the volcanic peaks, lush cirques, and stunning coastline that define Réunion Island. Your unforgettable adventure begins the moment you secure the right set of wheels. Book a car from Final Rentals today to get the best car and deals, ensuring a stress-free start and the complete freedom to explore every corner of this magnificent island.
