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Guadeloupe Additional Information

Car Rentals

[Automobiles may be rented on the island and you should have no problem getting one, even if you wait until after you arrive. Autos are available at the airport, and if you stay at Gosier, several companies keep offices there for you to rent from. We have shopped around at the offices at Gosier and have been satisfied with renting from them. Cars are delivered from elsewhere, so you may have a half hour wait. The Civilized Explorer]

Major car rental companies (and their local numbers) include:

ABC                88.00.47
Avis               82.33.47
Azur Auto          84.30.56
Ballad'In Car      88.02.33
Budget             82.95.58
Car Pentier        82.35.11
Caraibes Evasion   90.38.71
Chris Auto         88.34.42
Citer              82.10.94
Easy Rent          88.76.27
E.C.M. Location    98.23.73
Eurodollar         84.53.11
Europcar           82.50.51
Euro Rent          91.42.16
Guiver Car         83.25.69
Hertz              82.00.14
Jumbo Car/Thrifty  91.42.17 / 91.55.66
Karukera Car       83.78.79
Location Service   85.82.65 / 88.11.61
Mattei             88.53.87
Nad'in Car         91.60.06
Soltour            83.39.15
Tropic Car         91.84.37
Vargold-Car        81.17.87
Via Locations      26.73.24
Victory Car        84.18.57

[For those who don't speak French, location means rental. The Civilized Explorer]

Public Transportation and Taxis

Public buses are modern and comfortable, inexpensive, and very easy to use. They stop along the road, particularly where there are bus- stop signs and shelters marked "arrêt- bus." A wave to the driver stops the bus. Public buses run from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fare from the airport to Pointe-à-Pitre terminal on rue Peynier: 5F.
Most tourist transport however, is by taxi. Some drivers speak English, but not all. Taxi stands are at the airport, in Pointe-à-Pitre and Basse- Terre, and at major hotels. Approximate sample fares:

airport to Gosier hotels -- 58F
airport to Pointe-à-Pitre -- 29F
airport to St. François hotels -- 167F

Night fares are 40% higher than day fares and are in effect 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. and all day Sunday and holidays. Radio cabs are dispatched by calling 20.74.74, 82.96.69, and 83.09.55.

Ferry Service and Excursions to Offshore Islands

For Marie- Galante, ferries leave Pointe-à-Pitre harbor daily at 8 a.m., as well as at other hours. Round- trip fare is about US$30. Antilles Trans Express, Tel: (590) 91.13.43,, connects Pointe-à-Pitre's Quai de la Darse with Grand- Bourg, as does BrudeyFrères, Tel: (590) 90.04.48, which has two to three trips daily. From St. François on Guadeloupe's east end, Antilles Trans Express leaves every Tuesday (and Thursday, in high season) at 8 a.m. for the 1-hour trip to St. Louis. Round- trip fare: US$30. There is also service on the Amanda Galante, Tel: (590) 83.12.45.
For Les Saintes, Antilles Trans Express and Brudey Frères connect daily from Pointe-à-Pitre at 8 a.m., sailing back from Terre- de- Haut at 4 p.m. Round- trip fare: US$30. From St. François, a boat departs at 8 a.m. every Tuesday (and Thursday, in season), and is priced at about US$32 round- trip. The Princess Caroline, Tel: (590) 86.95.83, connects from Trois- Rivières on Basse- Terre (one and a half hour drive from Pointe-à-Pitre), leaving daily at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., with departures from Terre- de- Haut at 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. From the town of Basse- Terre, Brudy Frères has a boat departing daily (except Sunday) at 12:30 p.m. The trip takes about 30 minutes.
For Désirade, Socimade boats, Tel: (590) 83.32.67, connect at least twice daily (except Tuesday) in both directions from St. François. The trip takes 45 minutes and is priced at about US$40 round- trip. Sotramade, Tel: (590) 20.02.30, makes two to three trips every day between St. François and La Désirade, similarly priced at US$20 round- trip. There also is service on Le Mistral, Tel: (590) 88.48.63 / 20.04.43.
Note: Ferry crossings are sometimes rough, so unless you're a good sailor, you might want to make your trip by air. Local tour operators offer delightful excursions.

Getting Additional Information

Helpful Addresses on the Island

Guadeloupe Tourist Office              Prefect's Office
5, Square de la Banque, B.P. 1099      rue Lardenoy
97181 Cedex Pointe-à-Pitre             97100 Basse-Terre
Guadeloupe, FWI                        Guadeloupe, FWI
Tel: (590) 82.09.30                    Tel: (590) 81.15.60
Telex: 340 919715
Fax: (590) 83.89.22

Police                                 Sub-Prefect's Office
Pointe-à-Pitre                         Place de la Victoire
Tel: (590) 82.00.05                    97100 Pointe-à-Pitre
Basse-Terre                            Guadeloupe, FWI
Tel: (590) 81.11.55                    Tel: (590) 82.91.14

Further Information in the USA

Telephone: The Guadeoupe Tourism Board has a toll-free number at 1-888-448-2335. "France on Call" nationwide from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Eastern time at 1- 900- 990- 0040.
Write or Visit:

       French Government Tourist Office
       444 Madison Avenue
       New York, NY   10022

or

       9454 Wilshire Blvd.
       Suite 715
       Beverly Hills, CA   90212
       Tel: (310) 271-6665

or

       676 N. Michigan Ave.
       Suite 3360
       Chicago, IL   60611
       Tel: (312) 751-7800

Further Information in Canada

Telephone, Write, or Visit:


       French Government Tourist Office
       1981 Ave. McGill College (490)
       Montreal, Que., H3A 2WO
       Tel: (514) 288-4264
       Fax: (514) 844-8901

or

       30 St. Patrick St.
       Suite 700
       Toronto, Ont., M5T 3A3
       Tel: (416) 593-6427
       Fax: (416) 979-7587

As always, if you have any objections, corrections, suggestions, or questions, drop me a line via Cyber Poste:

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