travel

PASSPORT TO F.GUIANA

INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES

The Rochambeau airport, located 20 km from Cayenne (60 km from Kourou, 115 km from Sinnamary, 250 km from St Laurent), is reached by planes from Paris, from Miami, from the French West Indies and from Brasil.

AIR FRANCE : from Paris (Orly Ouest airport) in AIRBIS A 340 (BOEING 747 during summer) , daily flights.

AIR FRANCE and AIR CARAIBES link Cayenne to F.West Indies 10 times a week, and Miami 3 times a week.

Links exist with Surinam (2 times per week) and Brasil (Belém, 8 times a week).

ENTRY FORMALITIES For European Union countries, a valid passport (no visa) is required as well as return or continuation ticket.

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For non European Union countries, a valid passport with visa is required as well as return or continuation ticket and subsistence means.

HEALTH Yellow fever vaccinations is required.
Malaria prevention is mandatory only if excursion on the border rivers (Maroni and Oyapock) is plann

CLIMATE Located very close to the equator, French Guiana ignores the hurricanes, and is free of earthquake and vulcanoes. four seasons, equally warm and humid but permanently refreshed by the alize winds :
- small rainy season from end-December to February,
- small dry season in March-April,
- big rainy season from May to mid-July,
- big dry season from mid-July to mid-December.

Temperature is almost constant, betwenn 24 °C in the night and 30 °C in the day. Humidity is from 70% to 90%.

The journeys proposed here may occur anytime in the year. However, the best season to visit us is between July an December. Period March-April is also very pleasant.

The Carnival period extends from January to mid-February.

MOVING AROUND IN FRENCH GUIANA

BY ROAD A fairly good road network links all the shoreline towns from east to west borders, as well as some inner counties.
The distances are very important in french Guiana and must be taken into account when organizing a stay.

BY SEA A shuttle boat deserves the Devil's Island (only Royale island, but a small shuttle boat deserves St Joseph islad) from Kourou on a daily basis (100 and 200 passengers, 1h crossing time). Several sailing boats (monoskull and catamaran) propose also the crossing, allowing the visit of both Royale and St Joseph islands.

ON THE RIVERS Pirogues are, together with the planes, the only means allowing to enter the inner country. Those pirogues, with engines, of course, are drived by impressively skilfull teams, Busshmen or Bonis, leaving on the rivers for centuries.

BY AIR Plane is the fastest mean to penetrate the country. Moreover, flying above the amazonian forest is a show in itself.

AIR GUYANE deserves dayly the inner towns of Maripasoula, Saül and St Georges with 18 seaters planes.

HELI INTER GUYANE, HELI UNION and HELI OUEST allow for more exclusive flights (dedicated) with 5 to 9 seats helicopters.

MORE INFORMATIONS

Local time is GMT - 3h.

Water is everywhere drinkable, no disease. Of course, you will be proposed mineral water in the restaurants and during the excursions.

Electricity standard is the french one (french plugs/220 Volts).

Modern hospitals (european standard) exist in Cayenne, Kourou and St Laurent, and welfare centers in the inland towns.

Curency is the Euro. Non local banks checks are not easily accepted, no check accepted in gas stations, credit cards are accepted in hotels, restaurants are most of shops. There are change offices in Cayenne and Kourou.