Wondering how to pay for metro and bus rides in Mauritius - cash only, or do cards work too?
Mauritius transport was straightforward for me. From my hostel in Rose Hill, I used the Metro Express daily, tapping my Revolut card without issues. Even the ticket machines accepted card payments. When I took buses to Pereybere Beach, I paid cash in MUR coins, and conductors were polite. I liked that ATMs from Barclays and MCB were everywhere, so getting change was easy. Honestly, combining metro for city travel and buses for beaches made the whole island simple to explore.
The only hassle in Mauritius was figuring out payment on buses. Staying in Mahebourg, I constantly had to break notes at SBM ATMs because the bus conductors wouldn’t accept big bills. Once I tried asking about card use, and the guy laughed. Metro Express was better - I tapped my card at the Quatre Bornes station - but outside that, it’s an all-cash system. For tourists, it’s a bit inconvenient. Keep coins handy or risk delays when drivers can’t give change.
I was based near Flic en Flac and took local buses run by National Transport to Curepipe. The bus conductor came around with a ticket book, and I paid 34 rupees in cash. On another day, I tried the Metro Express at Phoenix Mall - I was able to tap my Mastercard at the turnstile, no problem. At Port Louis Victoria Station, I saw locals using prepaid cards as well. Cash is king on buses, but the metro is modern and card-friendly.
Mauritius has both buses and a new metro (the Metro Express). I stayed in Quatre Bornes and took buses into Port Louis - the conductors only accepted cash in MUR, usually small notes or coins. The Metro Express from Rose Hill to Port Louis was much easier: I used my Visa card directly at the gate, and it worked like in Europe. MCB and SBM bank cards are widely accepted. So: buses are cash, metro allows cards, though cash also works if you want paper tickets.