Overland French Guiana Travel
Pan American Highway > French Guiana
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Contents
- 1 Visiting French Guiana
- 2 Entering French Guiana with a Car or Motorbike
- 3 Driving in French Guiana
- 4 Gas price in French Guiana and Diesel price in French Guiana
- 5 Safety and Security Considerations
- 6 Camping in French Guiana
- 7 Navigation
- 8 Special Overland Travel interests
- 9 Vehicle Maintenance
- 10 Buy or sell a car or motorbike in French Guiana
- 11 References
- 12 Helpful External links
Visiting French Guiana
French Guiana is part of France (European Union). Expect to find French road rules, French policing, Euros and French language. The common Overland route is from Brazil (Oiapoque to St Georges) to Suriname (Albina to St Laurent du Maroni), there are very few roads to the interior.
Entering French Guiana with a Car or Motorbike
Correct as of: November 2014
As of November 2014 the bridge between French Guiana and Brazil is complete but not open, and it doesn't seem likely to open soon. Motorbikes can take the passenger boats but other vehicles must take a vehicle ferry. It is operated by Brazilian company Lunay: Email: balsalunay@hotmail.com (might be worth emailing them in advance to try to coincide your journey with others as this will significantly reduce the price).
Open hours: 8.00-12.00 and 14.00-18.00. GPS: N 03•50.644, W051•50.351
Required Paperwork
(To check if you need a travel Visa for French Guiana, application instructions and fees see: French Guiana Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)
- Passport of registered owner.
- Drivers license of registered owner.
- Original vehicle registration.
- Proof of vehicle insurance.
- Visa if from a country requiring a visa to enter France.
Process at border
- Entering the other side of the river with the ferry, you first go to immigration.
- EU passport holders will not need to do anything (not even get a entry stamp), people of other passports will need to complete appropriate paperwork/ get officially entered into France.
- You should have vehicle insurance. We were only asked to show proof of insurance on exit. Insurance can be purchased in Albina (Suriname), but we didn't find any in Oiapoque (Brazil).
Cost of entry
European vehicles are free to enter French Guiana (France).
Permitted length of stay
- Europeans unlimited.
- Other countries will vary.
Extension of stay
Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.
Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country
Some EU citizens leave their vehicles for unlimited periods, while they return to their home country or Metropolitan France.
Exiting with a vehicle
- In St Laurent du Maroni the immigration and Aduanas is conveniently at the same port as the vehicle ferry. In St Georges immigration is in Rue du Commandant Kodij, Aduana is on the river front.
- If you are traveling to (or from) Brazil (Oiapoque) the bridge is not open (November 2014) and you will need to take a vehicle ferry. It is operated privately by Lunay, details as follows:
Email: balsalunay@hotmail.com (might be worth emailing them in advance to try to coincide your journey with others, as this makes the price significantly less).
Open hours: 8.00-12.00 and 14.00-18.00.
Driving in French Guiana
Recommended books for Overlanding in French Guiana
Insurance requirements
Yes or No if insurance is mandatory, and what kind is acceptable.
Cost of insurance
State the price of insurance and a time period.
Where to purchase insurance
Describe where insurance can be purchased.
Driving license
State the kind of driving licenses required. i.e. International Driving Permit.
Driving side of road
State the side of the road to drive on. i.e. Left or Right.
(also state if a vehicle with a steering wheel on the opposite side can be legally driven)
Mandatory items in vehicle
State any mandatory items that must be carried in the vehicle. (i.e. safety triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.)
Roads
General Road quality
Give a brief description of the general road quality. Mention if one way streets are common.
Road signs
Briefly describe the overall quality & existence of road signs for directions and hazards.
Toll roads
List the frequency and approximate price of toll roads.
Bribery in French Guiana
Briefly describe how common bribery is and whether it should be expected, and the best way to deal with it.
Checkpoints
describe the frequency of checkpoints (police or military and what to expect.
Traveling with pets
List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.
Gas price in French Guiana and Diesel price in French Guiana
Last updated: (last updated date)
Gasoil = diesel Essance = Gasoline
Currency and unit to display:
| Gasoline Grade | Price |
|---|---|
| Unleaded | $0.00 USD per Gallon (US) |
| Diesel | $0.00 USD per Gallon (US) |
Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency
Briefly describe if gas shortages are known to occur.
Also state the approximate average distance between gas stations. This is a very rough estimate.
Gas and Diesel Quality
Discuss if gasoline / diesel considered "clean" or "dirty", and generally high or low quality.
State the sulfur content of diesel, if known.
Safety and Security Considerations
Driving at night
Discuss driving at night and if it should it be avoided. Mention why.
Vehicle parking
Discuss if vehicles can be parked on the street, if they are considered "safe" at night. If vehicles can not be parked on the street, list the other options that exist.
Special driving considerations
A List of special things to be careful of (i.e. Unsigned speed bumps, abnormal road rules, people or animals on the road, etc.).
List any roads that are not recommended to drive for safety or other security reasons.
Security advisories and information
- Country Specific Information - U.S. Department of State
- Travel Reports and Warnings - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- Travel advice by country - Foreign and Commonwealth office (U.K.)
- Travel Advice for French Guiana - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Camping in French Guiana
Describe if organized "pay" camping is common. List the facilities commonly found at these campsites.
List the approximate average price range of camping in organized campgrounds.
Also discuss the possibility of "wild" or "roadside" camping. How common is it? Is it considered safe, or a bad idea.
Camping guide books
List and link to books specifically for camping.
Drinking water
Describe if the regular tap water is safe to drink. If not, describe where safe water can be purchased and the approximate average price range.
Paper maps
Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in French Guiana
GPS Maps of French Guiana
Review different GPS companies, quality and coverage (Tomtom, Garmin, OSM, Tracks4Africa). (with links to each).
GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in French Guiana
Link to sites that have a list of GPS co-ordinates (or directions) for camping locations (including "wild" campsites), propane filling, gas stations, repair shops, places of interest, etc.
Special Overland Travel interests
List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders
Vehicle Maintenance
Dealers
4x4s / Trucks
- Toyota Global Dealer Locator
- Land Rover International Dealer Locator
- Mercedes Benz International (select country on bottom right)
- Jeep International site locator
Motorbikes
Local Garages
Add known good mechanics here.
Buy or sell a car or motorbike in French Guiana
Buy
Describe how a foreigner can buy a vehicle.
List any difficulties or limitations on where the vehicle can be driven.
Sell
Describe how a foreigner can sell a foreign-plated vehicle, or list not possible.'
References
Links to the source of any information - blogs or discussion forums, etc.
Helpful External links
Add any helpful external links here.
- French Guiana: Visa and Passport requirements | World Travel Guide
- Health Information for Travelers to French Guiana - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- French Guiana travel guides at wikivoyage
- French Guiana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
