Saint-Denis: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Saint-Denis is the capital of Reunion (Reunion), 44 m (144 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Roland Garros Airport (RUN), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Gare de la Grande Chaloupe.
Key facts
Open Saint-Denis in Google Maps
Daylight in Saint-Denis runs from about 10 h 54 min a day in late June to 13 h 27 min in late December (computed for -20.88° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Saint-Denis is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Roland Garros Airport (RUN), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, whose 10,499-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Saint-Pierre Pierrefonds Airport (ZSE, 49 km).
Flights to Saint-Denis: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Gare de la Grande Chaloupe. Trains to Saint-Denis
Buses to Saint-Denis · Driving and car hire
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Musée Léon-Dierx | 20,084 | 2019 |
| Musée des arts décoratifs de l'océan Indien | 10,812 | 2018 |
| archives départementales de La Réunion | 1,153 | 2022 |
| Muséum d'histoire naturelle de la Réunion | 20 | 2019 |
The busiest is Musée Léon-Dierx at 20,084 visitors in 2019. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Saint-Denis
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Port Louis, 228 km (Mauritius) — flights
- Vacoas, 221 km (Mauritius) — flights
- Beau Bassin-Rose Hill, 222 km (Mauritius) — flights
- Saint-Paul, 23 km — tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Nice, Metz, Tangier.
Common questions
Which airport serves Saint-Denis?
Roland Garros Airport (RUN), 7 km (4 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Saint-Denis?
About 154,765 people live in Saint-Denis, across 143 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Saint-Denis in?
Indian/Reunion, currently UTC+4.
What currency is used in Saint-Denis?
The Euro (EUR). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Saint-Denis?
Port Louis (228 km), Vacoas (221 km), Beau Bassin-Rose Hill (222 km), Saint-Paul (23 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.