MARTINIQUE (FRANCE) TRAVEL REPORT.

  

To reach Fort de France (Martinique) from Dominica, the cheapest solution is to take the ferry of the company L'Express Des Iles, which leaves from the Roseau ferry terminal a few times a week at 10.30 am for a minimum cost of 49 Euros. . Reservations can also be made via the internet. The trip takes about 2 hours.

Before embarking, you must pay a fee of 59 EC $, and then go through the security check (metal detector).

 

I therefore arrive at 12.30, at the ferry terminal of Fort de France (Martinique), located in the center of the capital. There are 5 hours of time zone, compared to Italy.

 

A visa is not required to enter Martinique (France) for tourism purposes and for a period not exceeding 90 days. It is enough to be in possession of a passport, or a valid identity card for expatriation.

 

To change money there is an exchange office in Fort de France on Rue Ernest Deproge. It is possible to obtain USD, EC $, TT $, Barbados dollars, ect. Bad exchange taxis, however: 1 Euro = 6 TT $

1 Euro = 1.9 Barbadian dollars.

 

The currency of Martinique (France) is the Euro.

 

In Martinique (France) the official language is French. English is not very widespread.

 

In Martinique (France), driving is on the right and is driven by minivans or collective taxis, which have written on the windshield containing the route number and the final destination, from 6.00 to 19.00. You pay the driver before getting off. All minivans and shared taxis depart from the Gare Multimodale de la Pointe Simon, near the Fort de France tourist ferry dock. Keep in mind that most of the inhabitants own a car and therefore the aforementioned public service is only good in the morning and late afternoon, poor for the rest of the day and even absent on Sunday.

 

The busiest route, i.e. the one in which you have to wait less for a minivan to fill up and leave, is the one that connects Fort de France and St Pierre, the second largest city, located on the west coast, 30 km north of the capital. Journey time: about 45 minutes. Cost: 4.5 Euros. You pay the driver before getting off.

 

In Martinique (France) I slept in the cheapest accommodation on the island, the Apartment Losat, located in Chemin rural de Saint-Aroman 77 Rrue du Temple Saint Aroman Morne des Esses, Bézaudin, about 25 km north-east of Fort de France, at a cost of 15.26 Euros per night for an apartment consisting of 1 double room, a bathroom, living room and kitchen (booking via the booking.com website). It is difficult to reach it by public transport, especially in the afternoon and by private taxi from Fort de France (Martinique) the costs exceed 30 Euros.

I took a collective taxi to Sainte Marie at a cost of 6 Euros and then I asked some local boys for a costly ride at a cost of 17 Euros.

 

Early in the morning, on the other hand, to return to Fort de France from my hotel, I took a collective taxi for the price of Euro 6.

 

It is difficult to visit Martinique by public transport for the reasons described above.

 

On the other hand, it is very easy to set foot in Anse à l'Ane, Anse Mitan, Pointe du Bout and Bourge des Trois - Ilets, as there are ferries every half hour, every day, leaving from the Fort de France tourist pier ( Martinique). Ticket price: 5 Euro single journey and 7 Euro return.

My complete travel report with map, photographs and videos is available at this link:

http://vivendosalendo.blogspot.com/2017/11/traversata-dei-caraibi-da-nord-sud.html