Papeete,
Tahiti is the main hub from which all Island vacations in Tahiti Polynesia
begin.
Having the only international airport in all of French Polynesia, it's the starting point for your Tahitian experience. So unless you own your own yacht or jet, you'll need to make arrangements to get to Papeete first, no matter what your other island plans may include. The main island of Tahiti is of course a major destination by itself. The common travel scenario is to first arrive in Tahiti and explore the island, and from there begin to explore the other islands comprising French Polynesia. This webpage is designed to help you make those plans. Contact the airlines and charter services direct and make the decisions yourself by using the information below as your guide or consult one of our PARTICIPATING TRAVEL AGENTS.
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INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS TO PAPEETE, TAHITI-NUI
Arrivals
fly into the capital city of Papeete on the main island of Tahiti-Nui in
French Polynesia.
The airport there is called the Tahiti-Faaa
International Airport.
Click here for airport details and amenities.
International
airlines regulary scheduling flights to Papeete:
You'll most likely need to get to a good sized city or a Tahiti flight "hub" to fly direct to Papeete on these airlines. Los Angeles is probably the biggest and most commonly used airhub or stopover used by all these airlines. E-mail them or call to see if they can offer you the connections you need, or consult with a travel agent.
CHARTER
FLIGHTS/ SMALL PLANES
There are a number of small planes and charter companies regularly flying from Tahiti to the rest of the Society Islands and beyond. Air Tahiti is the largest of them with the most regularly scheduled flights, but check the listings below for details.
Main office is in Tahiti Faaa Airport, P.O. Box 314, Papeete- TAHITI General Manager: Marcel GALENO, Telephone Standard: (689) 86.40.00, RESERVATIONS: (689) 86.42.42, or fax (689) 86.40.69, Moorea Office: (689) 56.10.34 Fleet: 5 ATR72's (capacity 66), and 3 ATR42's (capacity 48) * SEVERAL DAILY FLIGHTS FROM PAPEETE, TAHITI TO THE SOCIETY ISLANDS AND BEYOND... ALSO, INTER ISLAND FLIGHTS WITHIN THE SOCIETY ISLANDS: Moorea- DAILY, Huahine- DAILY, Bora Bora- DAILY, Raiatea- DAILY Air Tahiti flies to 39 Polynesian islands including all Society Islands, the Tuamotus, the Marquesas, and Australs. Scheduled flights or charter flights available. Contact Air Tahiti direct for exact information regarding questions, flight details, and reserving or purchasing tickets. |
BY HELICOPTER
These
birds are the ultimate island hoppers! The ONLY helicopter service in French
Polynesia providing inter-island travel and flightseeing is Polynesia Helicopteres
(formerly known as Heli-Inter).This company has been doing business in French
Polynesia for years and caters to the more... shall we say... "influental"
of travelers.

TST says "If you can afford it, go for it!"
POLYNESIA HELICOPTERES
Based out of the Tahiti- Faa'a International Airport
Flights upon request to ALL Polynesian destinations,
specializing in the Society Islands of Bora Bora, Moorea, Tupai and the Marquesan
island of Nuku Hiva.
P.O. Box 6109- 98 702, Faaa- TAHITI
Tahiti Contact: Mr. Marc KOSKA, Tel.(689) 54.87.20, Fax (689) 54.87.21
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TST
Comment: They DID, in fact, receive a bunch of emails from people booking flights, asking travel questions, etc, throughout the year, but NEVER ONCE DID THE COMPANY GIVE US THE RESPECT OF EVEN ANSWERING OUR MANY EMAILS! (we tried to contact them to see if they were getting their emails.) We confirmed their email was correct, and after much banter, they finally told us they didn't want to do business with us. This company has some serious attitude! |
Ferrys and large capacity boats regularly traveling to the Society Islands and beyond:
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TAPORO
VI Office hours in Papeete: |
VAEANU
Office hours in Papeete: |
STIM-
The "HAWAIKI- NUI" - Papeetes
newest transport boat! |
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*** Don't forget about the various cruiselines that go to Tahiti and her islands regularly. See our special CRUISELINES & TOUR PACKAGES section for details... *** |
| *** Access to Tahiti and Papeete can also be achieved via various sailing and private boat charters. Papeete is a world renowned international port and sailing destination for many people touring the South Seas. See our special SAILING AND CHARTERS section for details... *** |
When you first arrive to Tahiti by plane (that includes most of you...), you will be arriving at the Faaa International Airport in the district of Faaa. If you have pre-planned your trip, many of you will be greeted by your hotel or pension.
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Le'
Truck- Always classic... |
For those of you who haven't made those arrangements,
you will have various choices
of transportation available to you- either from the airport, or from other
points on the island. This page is here to help you figure out your options:
Rental cars are perhaps the most popular form of
getting around Tahiti, because they offer the most freedom. They are a great
way of seeing Tahiti, but not necessarily the most economical. See the basic
price guide in the rental car section on this page to give you some ideas
on pricing. If you haven't pre- arranged a rental car with your hotel, (recommended),
you will most likely be able to book one direct from the airport, provided
they have cars available. (See TST note below)
There are a few other forms of transportation
worthy of taking advantage of on Tahiti, depending on your schedule or personality:
One of the BEST WAYS TO GET AROUND THE ISLAND, and by far the most economical,
is the famous "Le Truck" service... For
Papeete and the nearby hotels, it's virtually unbeatable for convenience.
Scooters and bicycles are also decent and economical
ways of getting around Tahiti, but limiting in some ways. And of course, there
are always Taxis around to help you when you need them.
TAXI
SERVICE/ MINIBUS
Local
Taxi service is also good, but can be quite spendy depending on your destination.
A simple 10 minute ride from the airport to your nearby hotel can run you
$20.00 or more. Nevertheless, taxis are numerous and quite dependable and
a common form of transportation, especially in Papeete.
TAHITI
SUN TRAVEL RECOMMENDS:
CARL'S
TRANSPORTS & TOURSUndoubtably
the most economical way to travel throughout Tahiti...
Prices are around $1.25 francs for any location on the island! This is cheap, cheap,
cheap! Perhaps the best deal you'll get in all of French Polynesia...
The trucks- "Le truck" (easily recognizable
by their green, blue green, and other spiffy blue paintjobs) offers TOTAL ISLAND
CIRCUMNAVIGATION, including getting to and around the Tahiti- Iti peninsula.
The way it works is simple: You board the
trucks at pre-determined and common road pickup points. (In Papeete, the
main station is located on General De Gaulle Street, near the big white church.)
The closer you are to the city of Papeete, the more common the scheduled stops
are but they are flexible! If you want to get on Le' Truck, and you're not
at a pre-determined pickup point, just get to a wide spot in the road, (somewhere
they can pull over), and wave your arms like you're a madman! If they see
you, they'll pull over... Conversely, if you're already on the bus, and you
see a spot you want to disembark, simply grab the "bell wire" on
the bus and pull.... "Ding, ding"... they'll stop!
Le' Truck is extremely common with the locals
too! For any travelers, a "Le' Truck" experience is a must,
as you will most likely certainly have your first interactions with the local
and quite friendly Polynesians here!
Try and get Le' Truck schedules at the airport, or
ask your hotel or pension about the Truck schedules once you've settled in.
RENTAL
CARS, SCOOTERS, BICYCLES
Some
places that provide rental cars on Tahiti are listed below. You can make
arrangements yourself or know that MOST hotels and Pensions will be able
to make them for you. (Depending on your chosen accomodations, some
will charge a nominal fee for this service. For most, your hotel or pension
is the easiest and fastest way to get your rental going.) For those penny
pinchers and self arrangers, you may save a buck or two, but you'll definately
have to work for it.
Many rent-a-vehicle agencies
are located in downtown Papeete. As with all other Polynesian islands,
the ever present EUROPCAR is here, along with a few other local competitors.
They all are fairly competitive with each other on price, so it's really
a matter of where you end up locationwise or who has available cars on the
day you need them as to which one you will choose. Many of the places listed
below who rent cars also rent motorscooters and bicycles by the day or week.
TSTN EZ Print Internet Coupon Participant. Print the Coupon Now to receive 10% off any car rental! |
RESERVE YOUR CAR ONLINE USING THE DIRECT LINKING WEBSITE OR SEND US AN EMAIL.
| EUROPCAR
INTER-RENT (Papeete) Avenue du Prince Hinoi, Papeete P.O. Box 4366, Papeete - TAHITI Tel. (689) 45.24.24, Fax (689) 41.93.41,( 24 Hour service) Tahiti International airport: (689) 86.60.61 Hotel Sofitel Maeva Beach- (689) 42.80.42 |
AVIS
PACIFICAR (Papeete) Rue des Remparts, Papeete P.O. Box 4466, Papeete - TAHITI Tel. (689) 41.93.93, Fax (689) 42.19.11 24 hour service- Tahiti Int'l. Airport -(689) 85.02.84 |
| DANIEL
RENT- A - CAR (Tahiti, PK 5) Pk 5, 5, next to Tahiti Int'l Airport P.O. Box 1445, Papeete - TAHITI Tel. (689) 82.30.84, Fax (689) 85.62.64 Tahiti Int'l. Airport -(689) 81.96.32 |
TAHITI
RENT-A-CAR, / CHEZ PIERROT & JACQUELINE (TAHITI, Fare-Ute) P.O. Box 1855, Papeete - TAHITI Tel. (689) 42.74.49, Fax (689) 81.07.77 24 hour service- Tahiti Int'l. Airport, -(689) 85.02.84 Tahiti Int'l. Airport -(689) 81.94.00 |
| ROBERT
RENT-A- CAR (Papeete) Boulevard Pomare, Papeete, P.O. Box 1047, Papeete - TAHITI, Tel. (689) 42.97.20, Fax (689) 42.63.00 |
A general pricing guide is the same on Tahiti as with her outlying islands: Fiat "Pandas", or other low grade cars without air conditioning begin around US $ 65-75.00/day, and prices go on up to around US $ 100.00 - 175.00/day for the more lavish cars w /air and extras... Hondas, 4x4's, Volvos, Renaults, minivans, Peugots, and Toyotas are among the local favorites, and there are even luxurious Mercedes available.
LIMOUSINE
SERVICE
There is one limousine service for Papeete: They have a nice airport greeting. They will greet you at the Tahiti- Faaa International airport with a traditional flower lei and, during your transfer to your hotel, offer you a welcoming "maitai" on board!
| TIARE LIMOUSINE P.O. Box 13 722 Punaauia- TAHITI, Contact: Mr. Rene HOFFER, Telephone- (689) 77.71.70, Fax- (689) 45.58.45 A la Carte- 24 hour transfers upon request. Excursions to the Gauguin Museum and other points of interest, including covering all of Papeete. |
GETTING
TO AND AROUND THE OTHER ISLANDS
See your choices
of TRIP and TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS on the other Islands of

An Internetwork of
Travel and Tourism Guides for the Main Islands of Tahiti Polynesia.
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