There are flights between Réunion and Mauritius, the Seychelles, Comoros, Mayotte, Madagascar, South Africa, Kenya and, of course, metropolitan France. For other international destinations, you'll have to get a connecting flight from Mauritius. From France, generally it's more expensive to travel from July to mid-September and at around Christmas time. There's currently no departure tax.

Cruise liners mostly give Réunion a miss in favour of the Seychelles or Mauritius.

Roland Garros airport is located about 11km (7mi) east of St-Denis. A special airport bus travels frequently between the airport and St-Denis, as do taxis. Taxis also operate in the towns on the normal hire-on-demand basis. In country areas, where there are no buses, they operate on a scheduled timetable. It's also possible to hire a taxi and driver for a day tour around the island.

The Réunion bus service 'Cars Jaunes' (Yellow Coaches) covers most parts of the island with several main routes: St-Denis to St-Pierre; St-Denis to St-Bênoit; St-Pierre to St-Bênoit; St-André to Salazie; and St-Pierre to the Cirque de Cilaos. Public buses are luxurious Mercedes, Renault or Volvo touring coaches, complete with stereos.

The road system on the island is excellent, well signposted and heading into the mountains via the cirque roads is a magnificent experience. As with the rest of France, Réunion keeps to the right. To drive on the island, you must have either a valid French or international driver's licence.

Due to the traffic, the haste of most motorists and the steep and precarious nature of the mountain roads, those considering cycling as a form of transport should be prepared for some hair-raising and potentially dangerous situations. The coastal roads are too busy for casual cycling and the cirque roads are too steep, but the back roads and rugged terrain of the interior are ideally suited to mountain bikes. Several places have sprung up to provide information, hire bikes and organise backcountry tours.