Hiring a car is one of the best ways to explore the breathtaking scenery on Reunion Island. The roads here are generally in good condition. Unlike its neighbour Mauritius, you drive on the right, as you do in France. Reunion is a French department set in the Indian Ocean with a verdant mountainous centre, impressive active volcano in the east and lovely coralline beaches on the west coast. The mountainous roads can be steep and winding in parts but you are more than repaid by the spectacular views. Traffic can get a little busy at rush hour in the capital and in some of the smaller towns along the road that circumvents the island, but in the main driving is pleasure.