Good news: getting here is a lot easier than it looks. It's one long travel day, one stop, and then you're on an island with an active volcano, waterfalls everywhere and turquoise lagoons. I live here, so let me walk you through it, step by step.
The Short Answer
- No direct flights from the US. You'll make at least one stop, almost always in Paris.
- Count roughly 20 to 26 hours of total travel from the East Coast, more from the West Coast.
- Round trips start around $1,200 in low season, and $1,500 to $2,000+ is pretty common.
- You land at Roland Garros Airport (RUN), in the north of the island, near Saint-Denis.
- No visa needed for US passport holders staying up to 90 days.
01Route 1: Through Paris (the easy one)
This is how most Americans get here, and it's the one I'd look at first. Reunion Island is part of France, so Paris is basically our main door to the world. You fly overnight across the Atlantic, connect in Paris, then take a second long flight, about 11 hours, straight down to the island.
The airlines to look at
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French bee
Newark · San Francisco · Los Angeles → Paris-Orly → Reunion
Usually the cheapest way to get here, and both flights use the same Paris airport, which makes life easy. It's a low-cost airline, so meals and checked bags depend on the fare you pick. Read the fine print before you click "book". Their US routes change with the seasons, so check what's flying on your dates.
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Air France
Many US cities → Paris → Reunion
Often a bit pricier, but you get lots of departure cities, bags included on most fares, and everything on one ticket. If a flight is late and you miss your connection, they rebook you. That peace of mind is worth something on a trip this long.
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Air Austral & Corsair
Paris → Reunion
Two more airlines flying Paris to Reunion. Worth comparing if you're booking the transatlantic part separately, or if you're spending a few days in Paris first anyway.
Paris has two big airports, Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Orly (ORY), and they're about an hour apart by road, more in traffic. Before you book, check that your two flights use the same one. If they don't, give yourself plenty of time, or better, book everything on a single ticket so the airline has your back.
02Route 2: Through Mauritius (two islands, one trip)
Mauritius is our closest neighbor, a short hop of under an hour by plane. So another option is to fly to Mauritius through the Middle East, with Emirates via Dubai or Qatar Airways via Doha for example, then jump over to Reunion with Air Austral or Air Mauritius. There are several flights between the two islands every day.
It makes the most sense if you want to see both islands in the same trip, which honestly is a great idea when you've come this far. It's also an easy way to turn your trip into a little Indian Ocean tour and add another island or two, like Madagascar, the Seychelles or Mayotte. Two things to know: the total travel time is usually longer than via Paris, and if you book the island hop separately, leave a comfortable gap between flights.
03How much does a flight to Reunion Island cost?
The honest answer: it depends a lot on when you fly. As a ballpark, here's what I saw in recent searches for round trips from the East Coast:
- Around $1,150 to $1,250 for the cheapest deals from Newark with French bee, in low-season months like November and March.
- $1,500 to $2,000 or more is more realistic with full-service airlines, from other US cities, or with checked bags and meals added.
- Peak periods cost more and sell out early: July, August and the Christmas holidays. That's when French families fly home or on vacation, and the Paris to Reunion flights are packed.
Prices move all the time, so treat these numbers as a starting point, not a promise. My tips: search with the airport code RUN, keep your dates flexible by a few days, and if you're coming during French school holidays, book several months ahead.
The cooler, drier months (roughly May to November) are the best for hiking. December to March is hot, green and humid, and it's also cyclone season, so keep your plans a little flexible then. I cover the seasons in more detail in The Ultimate Guide to Reunion Island.
04Landing at Reunion Island airport
All flights from Paris land at Roland Garros Airport (RUN), in Sainte-Marie, about 15 minutes from Saint-Denis, the capital. It's small, easy and you'll be out pretty quickly. (There's also a second little airport in the south, Pierrefonds, but it's mostly for regional flights.)
- Rent a car. It's really the best way to explore, and the main rental companies have desks right at the airport. Book ahead, especially in high season.
- Ask for an automatic if you don't drive stick. Most cars here are manual, and automatics go first.
- Plan the drive. From the airport, count 40 minutes to an hour to the west coast (around Saint-Gilles), depending on traffic, and at least an hour to the south. We drive on the right, like at home.
- Keep day one easy. After 20+ hours of travel, nobody needs a hike. A beach, a plate of rougail and an early night is the perfect start.
05Passport, visa & paperwork
Reunion Island is a French department, which means it's officially part of France and the European Union. For Americans, the paperwork is pretty light:
- Passport: make sure it's valid for at least 3 months after the date you leave the island.
- Visa: not needed for tourism stays of up to 90 days.
- ETIAS: Europe's new online travel authorization for Americans is expected to start at the end of 2026. Check the official site, travel-europe.europa.eu, a few weeks before you fly, especially if you're stopping over in Paris.
- Money: we use the euro. Cards work almost everywhere, but keep some cash for food trucks, markets and little snack bars.
- Plugs: European two-pin, so pack an adapter.
- Language: French and Creole. English isn't widely spoken outside hotels, so a few words of French go a long way (and that's exactly where I come in).
06How to make the long trip feel shorter
- Break it up in Paris. One or two nights there turns one exhausting day into a bonus city trip, and you arrive on the island in much better shape.
- Take night flights. My personal trick: pick flights that leave in the evening so you can sleep on the way. Most Paris to Reunion flights leave in the evening and land in the morning or around midday, so you wake up almost on the island.
- Know the time difference. Reunion is 8 hours ahead of New York (9 in winter) and 11 hours ahead of LA (12 in winter). We don't change clocks here.
- Keep a mini arrival kit in your cabin bag. Toiletries, a change of clothes and your swimsuit, easy to grab. If you land early in the morning, most hotels will let you use the pool while your room gets ready, or you can stop at the beach for a quick breakfast before heading to your accommodation. No digging through your suitcase in a parking lot.
Quick answers: flying from the US to Reunion Island
Are there direct flights from the US to Reunion Island?
No. There are no direct flights from the US to Reunion Island. You need at least one stop, most often in Paris (with French bee or Air France), or in Mauritius after flying through the Middle East.
How long does it take to fly from the US to Reunion Island?
From the East Coast, count roughly 20 to 26 hours in total including the connection. The Paris to Reunion leg alone is about 11 hours. From the West Coast it takes longer.
How much does a flight from the US to Reunion Island cost?
In recent searches, the cheapest round trips from Newark started around $1,150 to $1,250 in low season. $1,500 to $2,000 or more is common with full-service airlines, from other cities, or during French school holidays.
Do US citizens need a visa for Reunion Island?
No visa is needed for tourist stays of up to 90 days. Your passport should be valid for at least 3 months after the date you leave. Check the status of ETIAS, Europe's new travel authorization, before flying, especially if you stop over in Paris.
What is the main airport on Reunion Island?
Roland Garros Airport (code RUN), in Sainte-Marie in the north of the island, about 15 minutes from Saint-Denis. All flights from Paris land there.
Flights booked? Then I've got the rest. Where to stay, which hikes fit your level, where to eat like a local, what to do when it rains on your beach day. That's what I do. Send me a message on WhatsApp and let's plan your island.