How to Get Around French Guiana

Getting Around

French Guiana is entered almost entirely by air at Cayenne – Félix Éboué, at Matoury 16 kilometres from the capital and run by the chamber of commerce: Air France flies daily nonstop from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Air Caraïbes about five times a week from Orly, daily in high season; Air France also flies up to twice daily from Fort-de-France, from Pointe-à-Pitre via Fort-de-France, and weekly from Belém and Fortaleza in Brazil. Overland there are two ways in: the Oyapock bridge from Oiapoque in Brazil to Saint-Georges, opened in 2017, whose border-post hours should be checked, and the pirogue across the Maroni from Albina in Suriname to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, about fifteen minutes, with passport and any visa required. The Canadian advisory notes that drug screening at the airport is being reinforced -- luggage searches, fingerprints, X-rays -- so allow time on arrival and departure.

Along the coast, two national roads and the departmental network link the communes from Cayenne to Saint-Laurent and the near interior: Cayenne to Kourou about an hour, to Régina an hour and a half, to Saint-Georges two and a half hours, to Saint-Laurent three; the speed limit on the national roads is 90 km/h, checked at the gendarmerie posts of Régina and Iracoubo. The Canadian advisory calls road safety very good on the paved main roads and warns of unlit, unsigned rural roads, reckless motorcyclists and unstable phone coverage in the forest; the isolated communes are reached only by unpaved tracks, four-wheel drive strongly advised in the rains. SEMOP buses cover Cayenne and its neighbours, the interurban TIG network reaches Kourou and Saint-Laurent cheaply with variable frequencies, shared taxis leave the bus stations when full, and rental counters at the airport open for every international arrival. Into the interior, Guyane Express Fly and Van Air fly 17-to-19-seat aircraft daily between Cayenne, Camopi, Maripasoula, Saül, Grand-Santi and Saint-Laurent, and pirogue taxis work the Maroni and the Oyapock.

Verified against Comité du Tourisme de la Guyane, September 2026.

Entry

French Guiana is a department of France in the EU: French citizens enter with an ID card, EU citizens with a passport and a return ticket; other nationalities may need a visa, to be checked with a French consulate; the UK advisory says no visa for up to 90 days with a passport valid three months beyond departure, the Canadian the same 90 days with a return ticket, proof of accommodation and of funds possible. Yellow-fever vaccination is compulsory for every traveller, done at an approved centre at least ten days before departure and valid for life. Time zone GMT-3, four hours behind Paris in winter and five in summer.

Airport

Félix Éboué (CAY), Matoury, 16 km from Cayenne; Paris-CDG daily (Air France), Paris-Orly about five a week (Air Caraïbes), Fort-de-France up to twice daily, Pointe-à-Pitre via Fort-de-France, Belém and Fortaleza weekly; reinforced drug screening. Secondary international airport at Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.

Land and river borders

Oyapock bridge Saint-Georges–Oiapoque (Brazil), opened 18 March 2017; check border-post hours. Maroni pirogue Albina–Saint-Laurent, about 15 minutes; a ferry also crosses.

Roads

About 2,200 km, no motorway; N1 Cayenne–Saint-Laurent, N2 Cayenne–Saint-Georges; 90 km/h limit; French driving law and blood-alcohol limit 0.05%; EU and UK photocard licences valid, hire firms may want a year's experience, a higher minimum age and an IDP; agencies open 8–12 and 14:30–17:30, Saturday mornings, counters at the airport for every international arrival; four-wheel drive for unpaved tracks in the rains; avoid driving after dark in remote areas.

Public transport

SEMOP urban buses in Cayenne and nearby communes (six urban lines in 2021); TIG interurban buses to Kourou and Saint-Laurent, frequencies vary, check at the bus stations; shared taxis leave when full, government TIG vehicles carry a TIG sticker; water taxis and river pirogues on the Maroni and Oyapock.

Interior

Guyane Express Fly and Van Air, daily, 17–19 seats: Cayenne–Camopi, Maripasoula, Saül, Grand-Santi, Saint-Laurent. Rivers and aircraft are the only access.

Emergency numbers

112 for everything; 15 for an ambulance. No Canadian office in the territory; the embassy in Paris is responsible.

← Back to French Guiana overview

Sources & verification Covers the sourced claims on this page.

Checked against Comité du Tourisme de la Guyane — Two national roads and several departmental roads link the coastal communes from Cayenne to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and the near interior (Roura, Régina, Saint-Georges); isolated communes are reached only by unpaved tracks, four-wheel drive strongly advised in the rainy season; shared taxis leave from the bus stations; rental agencies open 8–12 and 14:30–17:30 with Saturday mornings, with counters at Félix Éboué airport for every international arrival; driving times: Cayenne–Kourou about 1 hour, Cayenne–Saint-Laurent about 3 hours, Cayenne–Saint-Georges about 2h30, Cayenne–Régina about 1h30; SEMOP buses cover Cayenne and nearby communes, TIG interurban buses reach Kourou and Saint-Laurent cheaply, frequencies vary; Guyane Express Fly and Van Air fly daily 17–19-seat aircraft between Cayenne, Camopi, Maripasoula, Saül, Grand-Santi and Saint-Laurent, Air France flies daily nonstop from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Air Caraïbes about five times a week from Paris-Orly, daily in high season; Air France flies up to twice daily from Fort-de-France, up to twice daily from Pointe-à-Pitre via Fort-de-France, and weekly from Belém and Fortaleza; from Brazil the Oyapock bridge links Saint-Georges to Oiapoque, border-post hours to be checked; from Suriname the Maroni is crossed by pirogue from Albina to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni in about 15 minutes, with passport and any visa required, International flights land at Félix-Éboué airport, 16 km from Cayenne; the territory can also be reached by boat from Suriname or Brazil on the Maroni and Oyapock rivers; a personal or hired car is the most practical way around, with pirogues for the river villages and domestic flights for communes reachable only by air; the temperature runs 24 to 32 °C all year, dry season July to November, rainy season December to June; Carnival runs from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday; the essentials are the Guiana Space Centre, the Salvation Islands, the Kaw marshes and the Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni penal colony, French citizens enter with an ID card or passport; EU citizens need a valid passport and a return ticket; non-EU visitors may need a visa, to be checked with the French embassy; yellow-fever vaccination is compulsory for all travellers, done at an approved centre at least 10 days before departure and now valid for life; some areas carry a malaria risk; the territory is on GMT-3, four hours behind Paris in winter and five in summer, Air France flies daily nonstop from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Air Caraïbes about five times a week from Paris-Orly, daily in high season; Air France flies up to twice daily from Fort-de-France, up to twice daily from Pointe-à-Pitre via Fort-de-France, and weekly from Belém and Fortaleza; from Brazil the Oyapock bridge links Saint-Georges to Oiapoque, border-post hours to be checked; from Suriname the Maroni is crossed by pirogue from Albina to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni in about 15 minutes, with passport and any visa required, Two national roads and several departmental roads link the coastal communes from Cayenne to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and the near interior (Roura, Régina, Saint-Georges); isolated communes are reached only by unpaved tracks, four-wheel drive strongly advised in the rainy season; shared taxis leave from the bus stations; rental agencies open 8–12 and 14:30–17:30 with Saturday mornings, with counters at Félix Éboué airport for every international arrival; driving times: Cayenne–Kourou about 1 hour, Cayenne–Saint-Laurent about 3 hours, Cayenne–Saint-Georges about 2h30, Cayenne–Régina about 1h30; SEMOP buses cover Cayenne and nearby communes, TIG interurban buses reach Kourou and Saint-Laurent cheaply, frequencies vary; Guyane Express Fly and Van Air fly daily 17–19-seat aircraft between Cayenne, Camopi, Maripasoula, Saül, Grand-Santi and Saint-Laurent, International flights land at Félix-Éboué airport, 16 km from Cayenne; the territory can also be reached by boat from Suriname or Brazil on the Maroni and Oyapock rivers; a personal or hired car is the most practical way around, with pirogues for the river villages and domestic flights for communes reachable only by air; the temperature runs 24 to 32 °C all year, dry season July to November, rainy season December to June; Carnival runs from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday; the essentials are the Guiana Space Centre, the Salvation Islands, the Kaw marshes and the Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni penal colony (September 2026).
Checked against Global Affairs Canada — Road safety is overall very good, major roads paved and well maintained; remote areas have poor lighting, signage and rural roads, motorcyclists are reckless; avoid driving after dark, carry a charged phone, coverage is unstable in the rainforest; public taxis and vans are relatively safe; buses serve Cayenne, Montsinéry-Tonnegrande and Remire-Montjoly; shared taxis leave when full, and the government's public shared-taxi service is the TIG, each vehicle carrying a TIG sticker; a ferry crosses the Maroni to Suriname; pirogues serve the rivers, No tourist visa for stays up to 90 days; customs may ask for a return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation and of sufficient funds; drug screening at Félix-Éboué airport is being reinforced, with luggage searches, fingerprinting and X-rays possible on arrival or departure, so allow time; drug penalties severe; French law does not prohibit same-sex acts but homosexuality is not widely socially accepted, Road safety is overall very good, major roads paved and well maintained; remote areas have poor lighting, signage and rural roads, motorcyclists are reckless; avoid driving after dark, carry a charged phone, coverage is unstable in the rainforest; public taxis and vans are relatively safe; buses serve Cayenne, Montsinéry-Tonnegrande and Remire-Montjoly; shared taxis leave when full, and the government's public shared-taxi service is the TIG, each vehicle carrying a TIG sticker; a ferry crosses the Maroni to Suriname; pirogues serve the rivers, Dial 112 in an emergency; no office of the Government of Canada in French Guiana, the embassy in Paris is responsible; the rainy season runs mid-December to June with seasonal flooding, impassable roads, mudflows and landslides; bush and forest fires occur; malaria risk in certain areas and seasons; dengue and Zika risks; rabies may be present in wildlife including bats (September 2026).
Checked against UK Government (GOV.UK; FCDO travel advice abroad) — Crime levels are low but there is a risk of robbery in some areas of Cayenne, especially after dark; avoid isolated areas and secluded beaches after dark, take a licensed or pre-arranged taxi after an ATM, do not wear expensive jewellery, use the hotel safe; dive schools may have limited resources and not observe safety standards; French driving law applies and a UK photocard licence is valid, hire firms may require a year's experience, a higher minimum age and an IDP; the blood-alcohol limit is 0.05%; tropical storms are a risk in the rainy season from December to July, Passport valid at least 3 months after the planned departure; French Guiana is an overseas department of France and part of the EU; no visa for up to 90 days for tourism or business; a yellow-fever certificate is required to enter, and may be needed for onward travel because of the risk in French Guiana, Crime levels are low but there is a risk of robbery in some areas of Cayenne, especially after dark; avoid isolated areas and secluded beaches after dark, take a licensed or pre-arranged taxi after an ATM, do not wear expensive jewellery, use the hotel safe; dive schools may have limited resources and not observe safety standards; French driving law applies and a UK photocard licence is valid, hire firms may require a year's experience, a higher minimum age and an IDP; the blood-alcohol limit is 0.05%; tropical storms are a risk in the rainy season from December to July, Call 15 or 112 for an ambulance; health risks include Zika, dengue and yellow fever; general health care facilities are very good, hospitals and GP practices equivalent to mainland France; insurance should cover treatment and evacuation (September 2026).