Jungle and over 30 degrees. These exotic islands belong to the European Union
These tropical islands tempt you with perfect weather and exotic beaches. We don’t need a passport to fly here.
Even though they belong to the European Union, we need up to several hours to get here from Poland by the fastest flight. These islands scattered around the world have several common features: we can pay in euro everywhere and we can certainly easily communicate in French everywhere. Martinique, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Saint-Martin and Réunion are overseas departments or communities of France where we can travel with ease as EU citizens.
Jungle in Europe? It’s possible
Travel to the end of the world only with ID? This is possible, provided that we go to one of the overseas French departments in the Caribbean or the coast of Africa. We are talking about several islands and one territory in South America that constitute an integral part of France. Like the country located on the Old Continent, they are members of the European Union. These are Martinique, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin and Reunion, as well as French Guiana, bordering with Brazil and Suriname. Apart from Guyana, Réunion, which is located in the Indian Ocean, about 700 km east of Madagascar, and Mayotte, located in the Mozambique Channel, all the others can be found in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean.
The only place where we can expect to need a passport is Mayotte. In other cases, proof is enough (provided that during our trip we do not change trains in countries that do not belong to the community). Before traveling to the indicated places, it is worth checking the currently applicable rules on government websites.
High temperature all year round
All these places are characterized by a hot, tropical climate and high temperatures (above 30 degrees Celsius) 365 days a year. If we want to fly to Reunion, an ideal alternative to Mauritius or Seychelles located in this region, the perfect time for a visit is coming to an end.
This place, like Mayotte, is best visited during the dry season, from May to the end of November. A lot of tourists also come there in December. What does it look like in the case of the Caribbean islands? The best time to visit is between December and April. During the rest of the year, however, rain does not have to be a reason to give up your dream vacation. However, from August to October (and sometimes a little longer) there is a hurricane season in this part of the world – then it is better to think about choosing a different direction.
