Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020

getting around

Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Tahiti & French Polynesia

Going to the society Islands in November. Usually I'm backpacking but this time I''m on a cruise. Looking for info how to get around these Islands public transportation, if there is any. IF not what is the cheapest way to get around. the Islands are Rarotonga, cook Is. Raiatea, bora bora, papeete, moorea, rangiroa and Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Island. Any and all help on how to get around and maybe some things to do, that we won't find out about on the ship. Thanks

Car/scooter rental on Rarotonga is quite reasonable or you could opt to use the excellent bus service - it circles the island in an hour or so - a pass would let you jump on and off at various spots. For Raiatea, Bora Bora and Moorea there are car/scooter rentals but they are pricey - you can get a 4 or 8 hour rental. If you are into biking this is a good option for these islands - the roads are generally flat but some hilly areas can be challenging. I believe Moorea now has some public bus(le truck) transportation that was not available when we were there. Papeete has car rental and bus service available. I understand they are phasing out their le truck(most are going to Moorea) service. I would not recommend biking as traffic is quite heavy in the city. Can't help with Rangirora or Nuku Hiva.

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