RSS |
By Rental Car -- Rent a car from one of the several local car-rental agencies to explore the island. An international driver's license is required. Driving in Martinique is on the right side of the road. Budget has an office at 31 rue Ernest-Desproges, Fort-de-France, in addition to an airport location (www.budgetrentacar.com). |
Avis (www.avis.com) and Hertz (www.hertz.com) are located at Lamentin Airport.You will have to pay a value-added tax (VAT) of 8.5% on top of the final bill, plus either a charge of around 15 to 25€ if you ask the car to be delivered to your hotel, or an airport pickup charge of about 16€ if you retrieve your car at the airport.
By Taxi- According to local laws, any bona-fide Martiniquais cab must contain a working meter. For specific itineraries the meter must be "on" and functioning. For an idea of prices, a taxi ride for up to four passengers between Lamentin Airport and any of the hotels in Pointe du Bout will cost about 58€ during the day, and about 81€ between 7pm and 6am, when a 40% surcharge is added.
The rule about using a taxi's meter does not apply to passengers who want to hire a taxi for a general tour of the island. This trip costs around 40€ and 45€ per hour for up to four passengers, depending on the itinerary and routing you negotiate with the driver.
|
By Bus & Taxi Collectif -There are two types of buses operating on Martinique. Regular buses, called grands busses, hold about 40 passengers and cost 1€ to 1.50€ anywhere within the city limits of Fort-de-France. To travel beyond the city limits, 9-passenger taxis collectifs are used. |
 |
These are privately owned minivans that traverse the island and bear the sign TC. Their routes are flexible and depend on passenger need. A one-way fare from Fort-de-France to Ste-Anne is 6.15€. Taxis collectifs depart from the heart of Fort-de-France from the parking lot of Pointe Simon.
By Ferry-The least expensive way to transfer between Fort-de-France and the hotel and tourist district of Pointe du Bout is via one of the ferryboats (vedettes) that depart from quai d'Esnambuc in Fort de France. Transit costs 3€ one-way or 6€ round-trip. Schedules for the ferryboats, at least 20 of which are scheduled at regular (usually 30-minute) intervals every day between 6:30am and midnight, are printed in the free visitor's guide Choubouloute, in French and English, which is distributed by the tourist office. Because they're so frequent, most visitors dispense with attempting to understand the schedule at all, and meander down to the waterfront to wait for the next boat.
By Bicycle & Motorbike- You can rent motor scooters from Locabike, 12 rue Pierre & Marie Curie, in Fort-de-France upon presentation of a passport and a deposit of 382€, payable either in by cash or credit
