As an archipelago,

Guadeloupe Guadeloupe (; ; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwadloup, ) is an archipelago and overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Désirade, and the ...

depends on several systems of public transport. The two islands that make up Guadeloupe proper -

Grande-Terre Grande-Terre Island (french: île de Grande-Terre / île de la Grande-Terre; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Gwantè) is the name of the eastern-half of Guadeloupe proper, in the Lesser Antilles. It is separated from the other half of Guadeloupe ...

and Basse-Terre - have an extensive road network, while water and air transportation connects to the outer islands as well as international destinations.

Road transport

Guadeloupe uses right-hand traffic. Of the 2,082 km of roads in the region, the majority (1,742 km) are paved and are well-maintained. As Guadeloupe is a French-administered territory, road signs and directions are written in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

. The two main islands of

and Basse-Terre are connected by the N1 and N11 highways. Winding roads are common, and in Basse-Terre, the mountain roads have especially sharp turns. Karu'lis operates several bus routes across Grande-Terre (including direct services to and around Basse-Terre), and a small route runs on the north-eastern island of La Désirade.

Rail transport

There are no public railways in Guadeloupe. A public railway line between Pointe-à-Pitre and Le Moule (Grande-Terre) was proposed but was later scrapped. Some plantations operate private railways. There exists a tourist railway that is operational(as of 2014) from Beauport, Port Louis to de Poyen. The construction of a tramway was planned with two lines: one between the Abymes and the Memorial in Pointe-à-Pître; the other between Baie-Mahault and Gosier. This project was later abandoned due to High-service buses being preferred over the tramway.

Water transport

The

container terminal A container port or container terminal is a facility where cargo containers are transshipped between different transport vehicles, for onward transportation. The transshipment may be between container ships and land vehicles, for example train ...

Port de Jarry, in

Pointe-à-Pitre Pointe-à-Pitre (; gcf, label=Guadeloupean Creole, Pwentapit, , or simply , ) is the second largest (most populous) city of Guadeloupe after Les Abymes. Guadeloupe is an overseas region and Overseas department, department of France located in the ...

, is Guadeloupe's primary port for cargo and cruise ship passengers. It handles more than 95% of Guadeloupe's trade. Basse-Terre city contains a smaller sea port which also handles passengers. Ferries connect Guadeloupe proper to the outer islands of La Désirade, Marie-Galante, and Îles des Saintes, as well as other

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

ports.

Air transport

Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport or Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet Airport (french: link=no, Aérodrome de Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet or ''Aéroport Guadeloupe Pôle Caraïbes'' "Caribbean Hub") is an international airport serving Pointe-à-Pitr ...

is the primary gateway for international travel into and out of Guadeloupe. It offers direct and chartered/seasonal flights to South America, the Caribbean,

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

and Europe. It is a hub airport for Air Caraïbes.

References

{{Americas topic, Transport in