French Polynesia Getting Around

Getting Around

The territory of French Polynesia has about the same surface as the European Union but the combined land area (all islands and atolls) is just about the size of Mallorca. Most people live on the two islands Tahiti and Moorea. These islands have street networks and public transport (including good touristic infrastructure). Getting around the islands of French Polynesia can be done by boat or air though access to some of the remote islands can be difficult and unreliable. The French government kicks in some financial support so domestic air travel is not as expensive as you might expect but distances between some island groups are great and these flights are costly. Apart from some small charter operators domestic flights are handled by Air Tahiti and Air Moorea. Inter-island boats run regular routes between all of the island groups and can be a great way to travel within the region. Huge catamarans ply between Tahiti and Moorea and the very modern Ono-Ono services the rest of the Society group. Luxury cruises are available on vessels like the Wind Song the Arunai and the Club Med 2. Tahiti and the developed islands operate a local-bus service known as le truck which is cheap and reliable. Taxis are available for hire but they are horribly expensive. Rental cars scooters and bicycles are good ways to explore and 4WDs can be hired if you want to head inland on some of the tracks. In the Marquesas many locals and tourists choose to get around on horseback.