Four adults to Grand Baie runs around MUR 2000 from the rank
The official Airport Taxi Rank at MRU sits just outside arrivals in T1, and walk-up rides to resort areas like Grand Baie usually get quoted around MUR 2000 for 4 adults with luggage. Daytime runs into the north or west take about 45–60 minutes depending on traffic on the M2 and coastal roads.
Most cars at the rank are standard sedans, fine for 2–3 people with two 23 kg checked bags, and they line up directly opposite the main exit from baggage reclaim in Terminal 1. Drivers typically quote fixed prices by destination, not by meter, and you pay the driver in cash at the end of the 45–60 minute ride rather than at a kiosk.
Expect first quotes from the desk or the nearest driver to be high: people report MRU–Grand Baie offers starting above MUR 2000 and MRU–Flic-en-Flac dropping to about MUR 1800 after a bit of back-and-forth. Use round numbers like MUR 1800 or 2000 as your counter and be ready to walk 10–20 metres down the rank to the next car if the first driver will not move.
Several travellers mention paying in euros at the rank, with drivers accepting €20, €50 and sometimes €100 notes for trips that cost around MUR 2000–2500. Change almost always comes back in Mauritian rupees, so if you hand over a €50 for a short 45-minute ride, you will walk away with a stack of notes and coins in MUR rather than euros.
Locals on Mauritius forums point out that official rank prices to Grand Baie often sit a few hundred rupees higher than what independent drivers on WhatsApp quote for the same 45–60 minute route. The trade-off is clear: the walk-up line outside T1 doors is quick and requires zero prep, while pre-arranged cars meet you with a name board and undercut the rank by MUR 200–400.
Regular visitors say they now collect WhatsApp numbers from a reliable driver and skip the rank entirely on later trips, walking straight through the taxi crowd to meet their contact outside T1 arrivals. One frequent flyer also recommends emailing your hotel before arrival, asking for the usual rate for your specific area (for example MRU–Grand Baie or MRU–Flic-en-Flac), and using that figure as your hard ceiling in any haggling at the official line.
Watch out for drivers trying to tack on extras at drop-off: some reports mention surprise add-ons of a few hundred rupees for luggage or late-night arrivals even when the main fare was agreed as MUR 1800–2000 at the airport. Nail down a single all-in price in MUR before doors close, and repeat “tout compris, pas supplément bagages, pas supplément nuit” so there is less room for debate when you reach your resort 45–60 minutes later.
One practical tip: hit the ATM in T1 arrivals and pull at least MUR 2500–3000 before you walk out to the rank, so you can pay a pre-agreed fare in local currency and avoid using large euro notes for a ride that should cost around MUR 1800–2000.