Alright folks, grabbing cheap flights to Reunion Island felt like searching for a needle in a haystack at first. Let me walk you through my messy but successful attempt.
The Initial Frustration – Price Hunting
First off, I started hitting all the usual flight search sites. You know the big names. Every time I entered Paris to Saint-Denis (RUN), the numbers just made my eyes water. Seriously, over €800? Nope. Couldn’t justify that. I kept digging, changing dates like crazy. Noticed Tuesdays and Wednesdays often had slightly lower prices. Flexibility is key, seriously.
Booking Breakthrough & Flight Choice
Finally, I stumbled upon a decent deal with a connection. Ended up booking through French Bee. It wasn’t direct, had a short layover in Orly, but saved me nearly €300 compared to Air France direct flights. €520 felt much better! Downside? Departing Paris CDG at some ungodly hour like 6 AM. But hey, cheaper flights mean early alarms. You gotta decide what you value more: sleep or cash. I picked cash this time.
Navigating Roland Garros Airport (RUN)
Landed at Roland Garros feeling half asleep. The airport? Smaller than I pictured. Baggage reclaim took forever – maybe 45 minutes. Patience test, passed. Then the fun began trying to get cash. Pro tip:
- Avoid the Travelex counters like the plague. Their rates were robbery. I walked right past them.
- Found a regular ATM tucked away near the exit doors leading to the car rental area. Used my Wise travel card, got decent euros without the insane fees. Saved probably €30 right there.
Getting into Town – The Bus Hack
The real win came with ground transport. Taxi queue looked long and expensive. Instead:
- Followed signs for public bus outside the arrivals hall. Super clear.
- Bought a ‘Kar’Ouest’ ticket right on the bus with cash (€2). Driver was helpful, actually.
- The Ligne 40 bus dropped me right in central Saint-Denis near the Jardin de l’État in under 30 minutes.
So much cheaper than a €25+ taxi!
Things I Messed Up & Lessons Learned
Not all smooth sailing though. Made some rookie errors:
- Totally underestimated the CDG check-in time. Arrived just 2 hours before for an international flight. Big mistake. Lines were massive. Ended up sweating bullets and running to the gate. Lesson: 3 hours minimum at CDG!
- Forgot my reusable water bottle like a dummy. Paid €4 for a small bottle airside. Rip-off city. Won’t forget next time.
- Had too much hand luggage. Thought I was being clever. Struggle to find overhead space made boarding stressful.
The Final Takeaway
Scoring that deal felt amazing, but required work. Sacrificed convenience (early flight, connection), hunted relentlessly online, and ignored the “easy” expensive options at the airport. The bus was the absolute MVP. Honestly, if you’re flexible and slightly stubborn, Reunion Island doesn’t have to break the bank. Just pack your patience for the airport queues!
