Car hire in Tonga

mardiajoan22:45 UTC28 Jan 2015

Hi people

Does anyone have any experiences or advice for hiring a car in Tonga? I have made a reservation with AVIS, as a) the brand is reliable, b) they have a website and c) we can pick up & drop off at the airport.

We are staying at Ha'atafu Beach on Tongatapu for 7 days. We have one day trip to Fafa Island arranged , and no other plans. We are not divers or sailors or fishermen, just beach bums.

My question is: Is the TOP$700+ price tag worth it to have a car the whole time? Are there any cheaper options that are as reliable as AVIS?

Thanks all!

budgetkiwi01:34 UTC01 Feb 2015

we went to savaii ( samoa) last year and hired a car for 7 days ( including 1 free day) but agreed that next holiday we would only rent for 2 or 3 days as it sat unused for most of the time while we enjoyed swimming, snorkelling, kayaking , relaxing at the beach where we stayed.
we couldve caught a taxi there , then a taxi to town to rent a car and explore for the last couple of days and dropped it off on departure day and saved some money, of course it depends if the weather is nice, if you want to swim where you are and the cost of taxis but worth checking out the price of taxis/transfers and thinking about how much you will use the rental car

mardiajoan20:54 UTC22 Jun 2015

Update: We decided to wait until we got to Tonga before hiring a car. Our accommodation arranged the airport pick up, and we spent the first three days on the beach (Ha'atafu - beautiful). On the third day we caught the bus to Nukualofa and walked to Avis to hire a car for 24 hours (overnight), which came to about NZ$120 incl. insurance and gas. We all but circumnavigated the island that afternoon. The potholes made driving quite stressful, but driving through the small villages, especially when the kids are spilling out of school at 3pm was a highlight. A real insight into Tongan life. The next day we returned the car, and one of the staff from Avis dropped us at the ferry terminal for our next destination. Well worth it.

Thorn Tree01:00 UTC23 Jun 2016

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Car hire in Tonga Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Tonga
mardiajoan22:45 UTC28 Jan 2015	Hi people Does anyone have any experiences or advice for hiring a car in Tonga? I have made a reservation with AVIS, as a) the brand is reliable, b) they have a website and c) we can pick up & drop off at the airport. We are staying at Ha'atafu Beach on Tongatapu for 7 days. We have one day trip to Fafa Island arranged , and no other plans. We are not divers or sailors or fishermen, just beach bums. My question is: Is the TOP$700+ price tag worth it to have a car the whole time? Are there any cheaper options that are as reliable as AVIS? Thanks all!
budgetkiwi01:34 UTC01 Feb 2015	we went to savaii ( samoa) last year and hired a car for 7 days ( including 1 free day) but agreed that next holiday we would only rent for 2 or 3 days as it sat unused for most of the time while we enjoyed swimming, snorkelling, kayaking , relaxing at the beach where we stayed. we couldve caught a taxi there , then a taxi to town to rent a car and explore for the last couple of days and dropped it off on departure day and saved some money, of course it depends if the weather is nice, if you want to swim where you are and the cost of taxis but worth checking out the price of taxis/transfers and thinking about how much you will use the rental car	1
mardiajoan20:54 UTC22 Jun 2015	Update: We decided to wait until we got to Tonga before hiring a car. Our accommodation arranged the airport pick up, and we spent the first three days on the beach (Ha'atafu - beautiful). On the third day we caught the bus to Nukualofa and walked to Avis to hire a car for 24 hours (overnight), which came to about NZ$120 incl. insurance and gas. We all but circumnavigated the island that afternoon. The potholes made driving quite stressful, but driving through the small villages, especially when the kids are spilling out of school at 3pm was a highlight. A real insight into Tongan life. The next day we returned the car, and one of the staff from Avis dropped us at the ferry terminal for our next destination. Well worth it.	2
Thorn Tree01:00 UTC23 Jun 2016	This topic has been automatically locked due to inactivity. Email community@lonelyplanet.com if you would like to add to this topic and we'll unlock it for you.	3