sgk2000 Posted March 12, 2018 #1 Share Posted March 12, 2018 We will be on Transpacific cruise this September. Will be in Papeete on a Sunday and are thinking of renting a car for the day. Has anyone done this before? Just wondering how easy the drive is around the island. I know Avis rents there. There is a location in town but with limited Sunday hours so we would have to pickup at the airport. Not sure how far from port that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtn_couple Posted March 14, 2018 #2 Share Posted March 14, 2018 We are doing this next month. I will have to make a note to come back and report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgk2000 Posted March 14, 2018 Author #3 Share Posted March 14, 2018 We are doing this next month. I will have to make a note to come back and report. Please do and Thank You In advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sippican Posted March 17, 2018 #4 Share Posted March 17, 2018 I am interested as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtn_couple Posted May 11, 2018 #5 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Just back from our Transpacific on Solstice. We did rent a car in Papeete. We were picked up from the ship by an Avis shuttle bus and taken to the city office to do the paperwork and pick up the car (a reasonably new 4 door fiat). We returned the car to the same place and it was a short walk back to the ship. Getting out of Papeete was the hardest part of driving, there was some traffic and it was our first time driving on the other side of the road. The worst bit was a couple of roudabouts (it took lots of concentration to go around the opposite way than we were used to). Once out of the city, we did an island circle, it was very easy, all roads were tar with good surface. The places we stopped were beautiful and the locals friendly. Apart from lots of places to take photos, because the views were divine, we stopped and spent time at: Grotte de Maraa, Vaipahi Water Gardens, Faarumi Cascades, Arahoho blowhole, black sand beach, Venus Point. After we returned the car we walked to the market (Marche du Papeete) in town before going back to the ship. It was a great day and we saw a lot more than we would have if we'd done a ship tour. Most of the ship tours went to either the east or west side of the island, we got to see both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgk2000 Posted May 11, 2018 Author #6 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Thank you for coming back and posting your experience with renting a car. After reading your post, I think we will probably rent a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtn_couple Posted May 11, 2018 #7 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Thank you for coming back and posting your experience with renting a car. After reading your post, I think we will probably rent a car. No worries. Something else I just thought of that really helped us driving around - before you leave home, download an app called maps dot me. Then download the maps for the places you are going (you need to download each country/region separately). Once you’ve downloaded the maps you can then use the app on your phone or tablet the same as you would google maps but it works without data. You can even search the app and map routes from your current location all without having wifi access, it saved us several times! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted May 11, 2018 #8 Share Posted May 11, 2018 It is indeed easy to drive around, we did it counterclockwise. Another option would be to take the ferry over to Moorea, pick up a rental car there (must pre-order!) and circumnavigate Moorea including the very marvelous Belvedere view point above the two deep bays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgk2000 Posted May 11, 2018 Author #9 Share Posted May 11, 2018 No worries. Something else I just thought of that really helped us driving around - before you leave home, download an app called maps dot me. Then download the maps for the places you are going (you need to download each country/region separately). Once you’ve downloaded the maps you can then use the app on your phone or tablet the same as you would google maps but it works without data. You can even search the app and map routes from your current location all without having wifi access, it saved us several times! Thank you. How long was the drive? We are there on a Sunday. Avis in town is only open 800am- 1100 am. Airport Avis is open until 8 00 pm. Hopefully we can pick up car in town and drop it off at airport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgk2000 Posted May 11, 2018 Author #10 Share Posted May 11, 2018 It is indeed easy to drive around, we did it counterclockwise. Another option would be to take the ferry over to Moorea, pick up a rental car there (must pre-order!) and circumnavigate Moorea including the very marvelous Belvedere view point above the two deep bays. We are in Moorea the next day and are thinking we might rent a car there also. Thank you for the information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtn_couple Posted May 12, 2018 #11 Share Posted May 12, 2018 Thank you. How long was the drive? We are there on a Sunday. Avis in town is only open 800am- 1100 am. Airport Avis is open until 8 00 pm. Hopefully we can pick up car in town and drop it off at airport. It would depend on how many times you stop. I think we got the car at about 8-9am and got back on the ship about 3-4pm. We also hired a car in Moorea too, it’s much easier there as you don’t have Papeete town to deal with. They shuttled (only the driver) to the Intercontinental to pick up the car, then he drove back to the wharf to pick us up. Mount Belvedere was beautiful (go up there in the morning, as the sun block the view in the afternoon). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floridiana Posted May 12, 2018 #12 Share Posted May 12, 2018 On one trip we hired a car. On another trip, we took a land tour because he was permitted to drive into the farm school areas near the Belvedere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kellyclayt Posted July 26, 2018 #13 Share Posted July 26, 2018 It would depend on how many times you stop. I think we got the car at about 8-9am and got back on the ship about 3-4pm. We also hired a car in Moorea too, it’s much easier there as you don’t have Papeete town to deal with. They shuttled (only the driver) to the Intercontinental to pick up the car, then he drove back to the wharf to pick us up. Mount Belvedere was beautiful (go up there in the morning, as the sun block the view in the afternoon). May I ask you how you booked with Avis? Did you do it online, by phone, . . . Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtn_couple Posted July 27, 2018 #14 Share Posted July 27, 2018 May I ask you how you booked with Avis? Did you do it online, by phone, . . . Thanks! I booked via email - reservations@avispacificar.pf. They sent me a link to pay online and I emailed ID to them so the paperwork was completed when we arrived. It was much quicker to do in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea42 Posted August 4, 2018 #15 Share Posted August 4, 2018 We also hired a car in Moorea too, it’s much easier there as you don’t have Papeete town to deal with. They shuttled (only the driver) to the Intercontinental to pick up the car, then he drove back to the wharf to pick us up. Mount Belvedere was beautiful (go up there in the morning, as the sun block the view in the afternoon). Did you rent a 4x4 for the drive up Mount Belvedere? Was it needed and what was the road like? Thanks for any information! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtn_couple Posted August 4, 2018 #16 Share Posted August 4, 2018 Did you rent a 4x4 for the drive up Mount Belvedere? Was it needed and what was the road like? Thanks for any information! It was a small sedan. The road up was narrow and windy but tarred and in good condition (for a remote island). A standard car is fine to go up the main tourist road. Buses cannot go up to the top lookout (it’s too narrow/windy), so on a bus tour you won’t get to the main viewing platform. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sea42 Posted August 4, 2018 #17 Share Posted August 4, 2018 It was a small sedan. The road up was narrow and windy but tarred and in good condition (for a remote island). A standard car is fine to go up the main tourist road. Buses cannot go up to the top lookout (it’s too narrow/windy), so on a bus tour you won’t get to the main viewing platform. Great, thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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