Guadeloupe | Travel Information
General Info, Travel Info, & FAQs are provided to assist with your vacation.
CUSTOMS Visitors are allowed to bring in 50g of perfume, 0.25 litres of eau de toilette, 500g of coffee, 100g of tea, two litres of wine, one litre of spirits over 22 degrees volume or two litres of spirits less than 22 degrees volume, 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco, and medication proportionate to personal requirements for the duration of their stay.
Also see the section in General Info: Illegal items.
IMPORTING ANIMALS To temporarily import your pet it must be a least three months old and tagged. Its collar must also show your name and address. You must present a current valid certificate of vaccination against rabies issued by a veterinarian from the country of origin, as well as a certificate stating the animals comes from a country that has been rabies free for more than three years, and that it stayed in the country for more than six months or since its birth.
Animals prohibited from entry include pit bulls, boerbulls and dogs similar by their morphological characteristics to a pedigree tosa. Animals categorized as guard or protective dogs (American Staffordshire terrier, rottweiler and tosa) are allowed entry with a birth certificate and pedigree book, but must be muzzled and kept on a leash.
For more information contact your nearest France National Tourist Organization (Maison de la France) or the veterinary services department (Direction départementale des services veterinaries/DDSV) in Guadeloupe at 590/590 99 09 19.
GETTING THERE BY AIR Flights arrive at Pole Caraïbes International Airport (airport code PTP; tel 05 90 21 14 00), which is near the town of Les Abymes and about six miles from Pointe-à-Pitre. Flying time is approximately five hours from Montreal, 4.5 hours from New York and three hours from Miami.
Airlines that service Guadeloupe include Air Antilles Express (tel 08 90 64 86 48), Air Canada (tel 05 90 21 12 77), Air Caraïbes (tel 08 20 83 58 35), Air des Iles (tel 06 90 67 40 84), Air France (tel 08 20 82 08 20), American Airlines/American Eagle (tel 05 90 21 11 80), Corsair (tel 05 90 21 11 11), LIAT (tel 05 90 21 13 93) and Winair/Windward Islands Airways (tel 05 90 27 61 01).
Note: The phone numbers listed above are local access numbers unless otherwise stated.
BY CRUISE Cruise ships dock at the Centre Saint-John Perse terminal in Pointe-à-Pitre.
Cruise lines that call on Guadeloupe include Seabourn Cruises, Star Clipper cruises and Windstar Cruises.
BY FERRY Brudey Frères (tel 05 90 90 04 48) provides daily ferry service from Martinique (€57 one way, €87 return) and Dominica (no service on Fri; €55 one way, €80 return). Reduced fares are available for babies, children, youth and families.
L'Express des Iles (tel 05 96 42 04 05) operates a ferry service from Dominica (€64 one way, €99 return), Martinique (€64.15 one way, €99.30 return) and St Lucia (€64.15 one way, €99.30 return).
Fares and schedules are subject to change.
BY PRIVATE YACHT Upon arrival you must hoist your yellow flag and check in with customs at one of the following ports: Marina of Bas-du-Fort, Marina of Rivière-Sens, Squad in Deshaies, Squad in Saint-François, Squad in Port-Louis, Grand Bourg in Marie-Galante. For temporary admission up to six months you will need to provide your boat registration, license for motor boats, passports for crew and passengers, clearance and bills for merchandise and recent additional equipment on board.
Useful phone numbers: - Sea rescue (COSMA/Central Office of Maritime Security in the Antilles), 05 96 71 92 92, VHF 16 and 11, BLU 2182, Inmarsat 422 79 90 24 - Maritime weather report, 08 92 68 08 08 (Météo France Guadeloupe) or COSMA (see numbers above)
GETTING AROUND BY CAR There are plenty of car rental agencies from which you can rent a car with or without a driver. Bicycles, mopeds, scooters and motorcycles can also be rented. Roads are paved, well maintained and well marked.
Depending on the car rental agency (called location in French), to rent a car you must have held a drivers license for at least 1-3 years and be a minimum of 21-23 years old. Ensure you bring your valid driver's license from home.
Traffic rules and signage are the same as in France, and the police enforce traffic safety. Driving is on the right. Seat belts are mandatory and children under 12 years are required by law to sit in the back seat. Drinking and driving with a blood alcohol level equal to or higher than 0.5g per litre of blood is prohibited, and police can test for blood alcohol levels. Those on scooters, mopeds and motorcycles must wear helmets.
CAR RENTALS (country code 590) With a driver: B&B Grande Remise (Pointe-à-Pitre), 05 90 83 56 08
Without a driver: Airport: Ada Car Rental, 05 90 93 68 60; Budget Guadeloupe/Caribe Car, 05 90 21 46 57; Europcar Guadeloupe, 05 90 91 58 22; Holiday by Car, 05 90 83 38 29; Jumbo Car, 05 90 91 55 66; Rent a Car Guadeloupe, 05 90 91 11 68
Abymes: Aautolok, 05 90 22 24 70; A C Be Bop Car, 05 90 25 36 91; A G Auto Sylvie Location, 05 90 20 21 93; Budon Location, 05 90 20 15 51; Guadeloupe Location, 05 90 89 90 59; Transcar, 05 90 91 64 80
Baie Mahault: Antilles Bail Cars, 05 90 92 93 89; Pro Rent, 05 90 26 73 44
Elsewhere on Guadeloupe: BKL/Blue Karaib Location (Morne-à-l'Eau), 05 90 24 68 54; Escapade Car Rental (Petit Bourg), 05 90 94 13 50; Holiday by Car (Bouillante), 05 90 98 50 27; Loca Phenix (Trois-Rivières), 05 90 92 98 40
BY TAXI Taxi fares are set by the government and can be quite expensive once you leave the main towns. Verify the fare with the driver prior to departure. Between 9pm and 7am fares generally increase by 40%. Island tours are available in addition to standard taxi service
BY FERRY Brudey Frères (tel 05 90 90 04 48) operates daily service between Pointe-à-Pitre and Terre de Haute (€24 one way, €39.50 return) in the Les Saintes Islands and between Trois-Rivières and Terre de Haute (€16 one way, €22 return). They also operate daily service (except Sat) between Pointe-à-Pitre and Grand Bourg (€24 one way, €39 return) on Marie-Galante Island.
L'Express des Iles (tel 05 96 42 04 05) operates regular service between Pointe-à-Pitre and Saint-Louis and Grand Bourg, both on Marie-Galante Island (€24.15 one way, €39.30 return) and between Pointe-à-Pitre and Terre de Haute (€24.15 one way, €33.30 return) on the Les Saintes Islands.
Ferries also depart from St-Francois, Grande Terre to Désirade, Marie-Galante and Les Saintes, and from Trois-Rivières Basse-Terre to Les Saintes.
Fares and schedules subject to change.
BY BUS Private bus lines operate throughout the island from approximately 5am to 7pm on no set schedule. Service is less frequent on Sundays. There are bus stops, but you can also flag them down with a wave of your hand.
Departure points from Pointe-à-Pitre to Grande-Terre north: Gare Routière de Mortenol Grande-Terre south: next to Marché de la Darse (Gare Routière de Dubouchage) Basse-Terre: Gare Routière de Bergevin
BY AIR Air Caraïbes (tel 08 20 83 58 35) flies between Pointe-à-Pitre and Désirade, Marie-Galante and Les Saintes.
Disclaimer: Information is provided as a service to visitors and is updated regularly. All
information should be verified prior to travel.
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