From the airport to the city centre French Polynesia

Welcome to Polynesia! As soon as you disembark from your international plane at Fa'a'ā international airport (www.tahiti-aeroport.pf), you're greeted by the sound of ukulele music, and magic: the twenty-hour flight already seems a long way off! One more effort, however, and you're on your way to your accommodation.

Some accommodations provide round-trip transfers (for an extra charge, of course); if this isn't the case with your hotel or guesthouse, you'll have to rely on the relatively expensive cab: for example, count 1,310 XPF to 1,550 XPF to get to the nearby Intercontinental... If you're planning to spend a few days on the island of Tahiti, it's best to rent a car.

Inter-island connections are quick and easy in Polynesia, thanks to the domestic airline Air Tahiti (www.airtahiti.com), which regularly serves almost 50 islands and atolls in the 5 archipelagos. The most popular tourist destinations, such as Bora Bora, are served several times a day, while some atolls in the Eastern Tuamotu are served only once or three times a week. You can choose between two fare formulas (Flex or Full Flex), and if you want to visit several islands, several Air Tahiti Passes are available to take advantage of more attractive fares.

Arrival by boat French Polynesia

Of course, you can't reach Polynesia by boat! However, the latter can be an economical way to travel from island to island. In particular, the Tahiti-Moorea link, with the Aremiti (www.aremiti.pf) or Terevau (www.terevau.pf) ferries, is really convenient: fast (30 minutes between Papeete and Moorea), practical and much cheaper than flying. Price: 4,060 XPF round trip, a book of 10 tickets 13,500 XPF with Aremiti, tickets are valid for one year on Aremiti 6, 2,700 XPF round trip, 11,100 XPF for 10 passages with Terevau. For the rest, long crossings can still be made with supply freighters; however, don't be in a hurry, nor too demanding in terms of comfort: it's all very rootsy.

Public transport French Polynesia

Bus. They roughly boil down to the island of Tahiti and Moorea, but unless you've got a lot of time on your hands, we'd advise you not to rely on them too much. On weekdays only, Tahiti is served by three lines (West Coast, East Coast and Peninsula); Moorea by two (West Coast and East Coast), and the corresponding buses generally leave their departure point as soon as they are 80% full! Buses run from 5 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (4:45 p.m. on Moorea), and the average fare is 340 XPF per adult and 150 XPF per child (for timetable information, visit www.teretahiti.pf)

Elsewhere, you'll have to rely on cabs, private public transport, hitchhiking or, more simply, renting your own vehicle. It's worth noting, however, that on most islands, restaurants and tour operators provide transfers, with or without a supplement.

As for trucks - those colorful old truck-buses once used for public transport - they are now reserved for school transport. A few still exist on the more touristy islands, offering tours of the island to visitors, but they are operated by private service providers as part of excursions.

Bike, scooters & co French Polynesia

If traffic in Tahiti is too heavy to enjoy it fully and safely, two-wheeling is an excellent option on many islands. Distances are generally short, the temperature is ideal, traffic flows smoothly and the roads are relatively flat, winding along the lagoons. On the smaller islands and atolls, it's best to go by bike: expect to pay between XPF 1,500 and XPF 2,500 for a day's hire; most guesthouses rent or even lend bikes. On the larger atolls, such as Moorea, Raiatea, Taha'a, Huahine and Rangiroa, scooters are more appropriate, costing between XPF 4,000 and XPF 6,000 per day. Most scooters can be booked through a service provider (www.helloscoot.com, electric scooters, 100% green energy). Electric bicycles have also made their appearance in Polynesia in recent years (on average, you can expect to pay 4,000 XPF per day).

In the Marquesas, however, unless you're an off-road specialist, there's no need to think about two-wheelers: a 4x4 will be much more useful, and a horse is much better company! For the latter (a change of scenery guaranteed), expect to pay around 3,000 XPF or 9,000 XPF per day.

Last but not least, although it's more difficult in Tahiti than on the islands, hitchhiking works quite well in French Polynesia.

With a driver French Polynesia

Cab fares in Polynesia are among the highest in the world, and even more so on the islands (when there are any!). Count 1,000 XPF for pick-up, then 160 XPF per kilometer during the day - a little more at night (260 XPF). Add 100 XPF for each piece of luggage weighing more than 5 kg in the trunk, and 500 XPF for each bulky item (a surfboard, for example). You can also expect to pay 1,250 XPF for a 15-minute wait, and up to 2,500 XPF for an hour... In short, while it may occasionally prove practical, it's generally better to rent your own vehicle.

In Papeete, as in mainland France, cabs are taken from the stations (the central cab rank is located in front of the Rétro bar in the town center). On the other islands, if there is no taxi rank, you will be given their contact details directly.

By car French Polynesia

Car rental agencies can be found on most of French Polynesia's tourist islands. Once again, rates are higher than in mainland France, but it's a real treat to explore these sublime landscapes on your own! Prices range from 6,000 XPF to 10,000 XPF per day minimum, with discounts for longer stays. The rates quoted are for unlimited mileage, but most rental companies also offer packages with daily rates and mileage.

Apart from the cost of living on the islands, the other reason for these high rates is the obligation for rental companies to offer vehicles less than three years old. Here, you'll benefit from a vehicle that's almost new and always well-maintained. Insurance and assistance are included. On some islands, you'll also find fun-cars and Twizzys, with their pleasant open skies.

Don't forget your driving license! You'll need one to rent a vehicle. You must also be over 21 years of age and have held your license for more than a year. Finally, you'll be asked to pay a deposit of around 100,000 XPF for a car (up to 350,000 XPF for some vehicles), and 50,000 XPF for a two-wheeler (at least in the case of larger structures such as Avis), usually in the form of a credit card imprint.

If you're planning to visit Tahiti and Moorea, it's more convenient to rent a vehicle on each island than to keep the same one for the crossing - although it's not certain that your rental company will accept this. In the Marquesas, the driving is rather dangerous, so rentals are sometimes offered with a driver.

Don't think you're immune from road checks: while they don't exist on the islands, they are quite frequent in Tahiti. So watch your speed, and your blood-alcohol level.

To fill up your tank, you'll find gas stations in Tahiti, as well as on most of the islands where car rental is available. If not, you'll be billed for the fuel at the same time as the vehicle, so you don't have to worry about filling up. A special feature of French Polynesia is that all service stations in the territory are supposed to charge the same rates, set by decree. This is why they are never displayed. It's also worth noting that you don't have to help yourself, as a pump attendant is always on hand.

As for parking, the only paying parking lots in the area are in Papeete: you can expect to pay from 100-150 XPF per hour.

Last but not least, if you want to find your way around, you'll need to get to grips with the concept of "PK", for "kilometre point". In fact, addresses don't exist in Fenua, and as everyone lives along the road, all you have to do is set a point of origin and give your distance from this point. Thus, addresses are all like "PK 4.5 mountain side", or "PK 35.8 sea side". In Tahiti, for example, the point of origin of the PK is the cathedral in downtown Papeete; the address "Punaauia PK 18 côté mer" therefore corresponds to the houses near the white sand beach in the commune of Punaauia, 18 km from the center of Papeete. A word of caution: what about atolls without mountains? In this case, the two sides of the road are referred to as "lagoon side" and "ocean side". Why look any further, after all?