French Overseas Territories

A collection of French overseas departments and territories beyond mainland France, scattered across the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Pacific, each of which must be planned separately by archipelago.

This block groups together France's official 'Outre-mer' (overseas) territories; it is not a single geographic region that can be visited in one trip. It includes Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthélemy and the French part of Saint Martin in the Caribbean; French Guiana in South America; Saint-Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic; Réunion, Mayotte and the French Southern and Antarctic Lands in the Indian Ocean; and French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna and Clipperton Island in the Pacific. It sits alongside the eight mainland French regions (Paris, Northern, Northeastern, Western, Southwestern, Southern, East-Central and Corsica), and detailed travel zones are covered by the regions of the relevant continents. There are three main groups of popular destinations. In French Polynesia: Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Huahine, Raiatea and Taha'a, known for overwater bungalows and diving. In New Caledonia: Nouméa, the Isle of Pines, Ouvéa and the heart-shaped mangrove, with a World Heritage-listed coral reef lagoon. In the Indian Ocean: Réunion has the active Piton de la Fournaise volcano and cirque landscapes, ideal for hiking. In the Caribbean: Martinique and Guadeloupe are known for Creole culture, rum and volcanic rainforest. Plan each archipelago separately: French Polynesia typically takes 7–10 days of island-hopping, New Caledonia 5–7 days, Réunion about 7 days, and each of the two Caribbean islands 4–6 days. Most require long-haul flights via Paris, or connections through Los Angeles, Tokyo, Sydney, Mauritius or the Americas. Entry and visa rules for each territory are not the same as for the Schengen Area and must be checked separately. The Caribbean hurricane season runs June–November, and the cyclone season in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean is roughly November–April.

Destinations

Itineraries