Ferry from Papeete to Moorea

[crowpro]

We will be arriving in Papeete at 6:30am on Sunday January 31, 2016. Looking at the ferry schedule on a Sunday it shows one morning ferry at 8:30am. My question is, will we have time to get to the ferry terminal from the airport by 8:30am considering getting our luggauge and getting through customs. Any info would be helpful. We do realize Papeete is basically closed on Sundays.

[canuck.qc]

We will be arriving in Papeete at 6:30am on Sunday January 31, 2016. Looking at the ferry schedule on a Sunday it shows one morning ferry at 8:30am. My question is, will we have time to get to the ferry terminal from the airport by 8:30am considering getting our luggauge and getting through customs. Any info would be helpful. We do realize Papeete is basically closed on Sundays.

 

I think so, unless there are unforeseen flight delays. Book your transfer online to avoid waiting for a cab..

[TERRIER1]

We will be arriving in Papeete at 6:30am on Sunday January 31, 2016. Looking at the ferry schedule on a Sunday it shows one morning ferry at 8:30am. My question is, will we have time to get to the ferry terminal from the airport by 8:30am considering getting our luggauge and getting through customs. Any info would be helpful. We do realize Papeete is basically closed on Sundays.

 

The timing is tight. It depends on several factors: is your flight early or late and where you are on the line to clear customs and immigration. We arrived on Air Tahiti Nui towards midnight and the flight was early. We were about 2/3 of the way in on the line and it took about an hour. The luggage was waiting for us at that point.

 

There are cabs available and the trip from the airport to the ferry dock is only about 3 to 4 miles - 15 minutes with no traffic. There are only 3 Aremeti ferries on a Sunday. You can buy your ticket on line before your leave and print it out. The ticket is good for either the fast or the slow ferry and for any time.

 

The other ferry company is Terevau. They only have a facebook page in French and unfortunately the schedule is almost identical to Aremiti.

 

https://www.facebook.com/TerevauTahiti/app_208195102528120

 

 

The other alternative is to fly Air Tahiti (not Nui). They have a 8:45 am and 10:30 am flight on Sunday. The cost is 6765xpf or about $65USD for a bag up to 50 lbs. If your luggage is more than that than the fare is 8165xpf.

 

Good luck.

Edited June 8, 2015 by TERRIER1

[vaitape]

If everything is on time and you are in the first half of the passport control line, you will probably make it to the ferry in time, especially if you've pre-purchased your ticket. There will be cabs. Fares to the port are about 1500 xpf with a 100-150 xpf charge for each bag. Not sure if the fare is more on Sunday. My info is a year old.

 

Another way as suggested by TERRIER1, though a bit more costly, would be to take a flight to MOZ. You'll probably make the 8:45 am flight and most certainly will make the 10:30 am one.

 

If $$ doesn't factor into your equation, I'd take the flight over and the ferry back to Papeete. You might be a little foggy and tired after taking the redeye and if you are, it will be way easier logistically to take the flight.....the inter-island check-in counter is only a 2 minute walk from the international baggage claim area.

 

If you do decide to take the ferry to MOZ, don't worry about putting your luggage in the baggage cages on the dock. We've done it many times and our bags have never been tampered with or stolen. Feels weird the first time you do it but it does work!

 

Another suggestion: arrange for a pick-up from your hotel from either the airport or dock. Much easier and quicker. The dock in Moorea can be chaotic, and again, you will be a little fuzzy after your redeye so getting a cab there may be tricky (and there aren't many cabs to begin with!).

Edited June 8, 2015 by vaitape

[TERRIER1]

Excellent suggestion to prebook the cab on the Moorea side to pick you up at the ferry or airport. We use Torea Nui and it was 1000cpf pp. There aren't a lot of cabs in Moorea.

[crowpro]

Thanks for the info, you guys are the best. I think we might investigate the flights to Moorea. I hope they run on Sunday. The problem with the ferry was the shorter schedule on Sunday.

Thanks

[vaitape]

Yes, as Terrier1 stated, there are flights on Sunday. Not sure when you are going but plugged in 21 Feb 2016 and this is what came up on Air Tahiti's website:

 

Departure flights

 

Flight N° Departure date Departure Arrival Validity

0456 DIM 21/02/2016 8:45 AM 9:00 AM

0260 DIM 21/02/2016 10:30 AM 10:45 AM

0462 DIM 21/02/2016 4:30 PM 4:45 PM 5,12,19,26jul ; 2,9,16,23,30aug ; 6,13,20,27sep

 

These times are subject to modification, even after you have received your booking confirmation and ticket.

[sbhtax]

Having just done the ferry from Papeete to Moorea and return a week ago, one of the issues is that the schedules change from the web site. You won't know the actual ferry schedule for 2016 until December at the earliest. Some days there are 5 ferries and some days there are none. Keep a watch on the Aremiti web site and see when the schedules are posted. The trip from the airport is about 20 to 25 minutes. Ferry cost is $15 per person each way. No discount for a round trip.

[TERRIER1]

Having just done the ferry from Papeete to Moorea and return a week ago, one of the issues is that the schedules change from the web site. You won't know the actual ferry schedule for 2016 until December at the earliest. Some days there are 5 ferries and some days there are none. Keep a watch on the Aremiti web site and see when the schedules are posted. The trip from the airport is about 20 to 25 minutes. Ferry cost is $15 per person each way. No discount for a round trip.

 

There is always a ferry traveling but on Sundays there are fewer. Also, on Sundays, the slow ferry is in use versus both the slow and the fast. The slow ferry take about 45 minutes.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I had this same dilemma last September and chose to take a flight to Moorea, and then ferry back a few days later. It worked out fine, although we did have a couple of hours hanging around the airport. Turned out we *could* have made that ferry, but didn't want to risk it.

 

Plane flight is straightforward, but think about how much luggage you have with you when you book your tickets--there are two prices depending on how much luggage you have. Or, if you're flying back, you could check some luggage at the airport.

 

And as Vaitape says, arrange a pickup in advance from the air terminal in Moorea to your hotel. We had a car rented from Albert's, and they were there with a shuttle to take us to the rental office.

 

You must be coming in on the same AF flight that we took!

Edited June 11, 2015 by Wendy The Wanderer

[cbb]

We're on the RTW16 and will be in Papeete on a Saturday in late May from 6am-11pm.

 

We aim to take the ferry to Moorea on a diy (no car). In doing my research there have been several mentions, especially on tripadvisor, that the signage is very confusing, is in French, and several travelers complained they got "turned around" in the terminal.

 

For those of you who have been there recently, did you have any problems figuring out where to go?

 

I know there are 2 ferries but I understand they are virtually next to each other. Do both have a "fast" and a "slow"?

 

thanks!!

[TERRIER1]

We're on the RTW16 and will be in Papeete on a Saturday in late May from 6am-11pm.

 

We aim to take the ferry to Moorea on a diy (no car). In doing my research there have been several mentions, especially on tripadvisor, that the signage is very confusing, is in French, and several travelers complained they got "turned around" in the terminal.

 

For those of you who have been there recently, did you have any problems figuring out where to go?

 

I know there are 2 ferries but I understand they are virtually next to each other. Do both have a "fast" and a "slow"?thanks!!

 

Aremeti has a fast and slow. The time it takes to cross is very similar and they have different schedules. The ferry terminal on the Papeete side is a very close walk to the ship. You can see the ferry dock from the ship. I never noticed any confusion in the terminal. The signage is pretty clear and the ticket agent will direct you. You can buy your ticket on the first floor and then you board on the second floor on the terminal.

 

You mention DIY. Once on the Moorea side you will need to have a tour operator pick you up or rent a car. I wouldn't count on any buses taking you around the island. I have no idea where the car rental place is. We used Torea Nui to pick us up and take us to our hotel.

[vaitape]

Avis has a place near the ferry dock but the car should be pre-booked. Even though Moorea is more developed than most of the other islands, it's not easy to completely "travel by the seat of your pants". So even if you're having a DIY adventure, booking a car would make better use of your time. OR, as TERRIER1 suggests, booking a taxi for the day.

 

There are no regularly scheduled buses that we know of. Le Truck is at the ferry dock sometimes but we wouldn't depend on it. Besides, the best you'd do is go around the island. You need a car to go to the Belvedere, Tamae Beach, the Juice Factory, just to name a few.

 

It's easy to drive around the island and trust us, there's no way to get lost. Car rentals are expensive at about $100 per day but it's so worth it to amble along on this beautiful island. We've spent literally months there and love it.

 

Also, there's no problem at the ferry dock. The fares and timetables at the cashiers' booth are listed in both English as well as French. You go to the 2nd level to board....just follow the people. There's a barup there with COLD Hinanos if you're in the mood and of course bottled water, etc and baguette sandwiches. Food and drink are on the ferry as well but if it's not raining, we always sit outside....the view is amazing!

 

Have a great time!

[cbb]

terrier1...thanks for the info...you've really eased my mind about the ferry. I had read in a couple of sources that we would need to rent a car to do a real diy....and Mr. Wonderful is hesitant to do that

 

He did it in the US constantly for work but in other countries there was usually someone who picked him up or he took the metros.

 

Not quite sure what we'll do but we have some time to consider it. Perhaps someone on our roll call will come up with something.

 

thanks again for the great info!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

terrier1...thanks for the info...you've really eased my mind about the ferry. I had read in a couple of sources that we would need to rent a car to do a real diy....and Mr. Wonderful is hesitant to do that

 

He did it in the US constantly for work but in other countries there was usually someone who picked him up or he took the metros.

 

Not quite sure what we'll do but we have some time to consider it. Perhaps someone on our roll call will come up with something.

 

thanks again for the great info!

 

If you really don't want to rent a car, you will need a car service to pick you up at the ferry or airport and take you to your hotel. There are no hotel shuttles, as such. Where are you staying?

[TERRIER1]

terrier1...thanks for the info...you've really eased my mind about the ferry. I had read in a couple of sources that we would need to rent a car to do a real diy....and Mr. Wonderful is hesitant to do that

 

He did it in the US constantly for work but in other countries there was usually someone who picked him up or he took the metros.

 

Not quite sure what we'll do but we have some time to consider it. Perhaps someone on our roll call will come up with something.

 

thanks again for the great info!

 

If you will only be there for the day try a tour service to pick you up, tour the island and bring you back to the ferry. I think Albert's and Torea Nui does guided tours.

[cbb]

We're on the entire Around the World '16 so we only have the 1 day in port. I believe it is the end/beginning of a segment for others.

 

I had read about Albert's on tripadvisor. Some of O's cruises have an excursion, pricey, that takes one to the hotel for an overnight but that isn't an option, obviously, for us.

 

I'll do further research on tripadvisor since we can't use the Hilton Hotel pick-up.

 

thanks!

[wr2next]

We will be arriving in Papeete at 6:30am on Sunday January 31, 2016. Looking at the ferry schedule on a Sunday it shows one morning ferry at 8:30am. My question is, will we have time to get to the ferry terminal from the airport by 8:30am considering getting our luggauge and getting through customs. Any info would be helpful. We do realize Papeete is basically closed on Sundays.

 

Last year we arrived on an air france flight from LAX which landed around 6:30am. We booked airport transfer to ferry, the ferry and the transfer from the ferry to the hotel on Moorea through the TA. I believe we were booked on the later ferry, but we cleared customs, had our bags and got to the early ferry which they were happy to put us on and we were sitting on the beach in Moorea by 8:30. We could have probably just grabbed a cab to the ferry but everything worked awesome having pre booked. Not sure who the TA even booked us on since we were whisked away so quickly. We did book Alberts Shark and Ray excursion which was a highlight. Don't know if that helps. It's a great cruise. Enjoy

[canuck.qc]

We're on the entire Around the World '16 so we only have the 1 day in port. I believe it is the end/beginning of a segment for others.

 

I had read about Albert's on tripadvisor. Some of O's cruises have an excursion, pricey, that takes one to the hotel for an overnight but that isn't an option, obviously, for us.

 

I'll do further research on tripadvisor since we can't use the Hilton Hotel pick-up.

 

thanks!

 

The ferry dock is within eyesight of the cruise dock. The ticket counter will let you know were to go, it is a small terminal so you can't get lost. You must arrange a car or taxi, or excursion for Moorea. Albert has many types of tours ex: 4X4, snorkel, jetski etc...good price compared to an O tour.. There is an Avis across the street as you get off the ferry. You can pick up a rental (book online) You can't get lost- Moorea is basically a circle drive. Give yourself extra time when you return the car, gets busy. You could share the driving & cost with another couple (give Mr.W a break from driving) If you have other ports in FP plan some water activities...the lagoons are beautiful.

RTW!!! .... the planning must be thrilling.

[cbb]

"RTW!!! .... the planning must be thrilling."

 

I'm @ +500 pages in what we call "the briefing book" and have thought about going to one of the big book stores to get it printed!!

 

It might be cheaper though to just buy the ink cartridges and a couple of reams of paper; we've always printed it ourselves before, but the longest we've done is about +30 days on b2b so we're talking about a much larger order of magnitude here.

 

I've created a certain form I use for each port; 'where we dock", intro, history, shopping/cafes, things to see, tips/warnings, diy tours, shorex info, etc.

 

I've even tried to locate supermarkets or pharmacies for most ports for snacks, local wines, & bandaids (for the blisters!!!!! :)

 

thanks for the info!!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We're on the entire Around the World '16 so we only have the 1 day in port. I believe it is the end/beginning of a segment for others.

 

I had read about Albert's on tripadvisor. Some of O's cruises have an excursion, pricey, that takes one to the hotel for an overnight but that isn't an option, obviously, for us.

 

I'll do further research on tripadvisor since we can't use the Hilton Hotel pick-up.

 

thanks!

 

Okay, so you just want to hop the ferry from Papeete for the day. I would strongly recommend renting a car for the day, it would be so much simpler. Albert's rents cars as well as Avis, and Albert's will pick you up at the ferry and take you to their office.

 

If you really don't want to do that, I would suggest a tour of some kind, because getting around without a car is problematic. Then again, if you just want to spend the day relaxing in the water, some of the hotels have day-use passes I believe, so you could get a taxi to take you there. Not sure which hotels provide this--closest to the ferry is the Sofitel I believe. Some have suggested you could take a cab to Les Tipaniers and just relax on their beach--they do have a nice beach-side restaurant and bar--don't know if they have an official day-use policy or not. This hotel is small and casual, but also not close to the ferry.

 

What do you really want to do? Does your cruise stop at Moorea as well for the day before/after Papeete? You really should make sure to get up to the Belvedere--the view is spectacular.

[cbb]

Moorea does not have its own stop. The 2 days following Papeete are Huahine and Rangiroa.

 

I am researching private guides for Moorea. I've also found a diy walking tour of Papeete that we might do instead.

 

thanks everyone!!

[hondorner]

Wendy, the cruise goes from Bora Bora to Papeete for just one day, no Moorea stop, then on the Huahine. I'm thinking the same as Cynthia because I've heard there is not much to see in Papeete itself, and we're there longer than most ports because it's a segment turnover day. I'll get in touch with Cynthia, driving doesn't bother me, and I'd like to share.

[TERRIER1]

You may want to consider renting a car in Papeete and driving the island on a circle tour. I forgot who we rented from but they picked us up at our hotel and brought us to the airport car rental. Upon return of the car to the airport, they took us to the cruise ship dock. Just be cognizant of the closing time of the car rental since they close at 5 pm on Sunday.

 

We drove around the island and made the touristy pit stops. If we had more time we would have made a stop at Tahiti Iti as well. Also make sure there have been no road closures due to mud slides from heavy rain.

Edited June 18, 2015 by TERRIER1

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Moorea does not have its own stop. The 2 days following Papeete are Huahine and Rangiroa.

 

I am researching private guides for Moorea. I've also found a diy walking tour of Papeete that we might do instead.

 

thanks everyone!!

 

If I had to choose, I would not choose a walking tour of Papeete. Unless you just want to kick back and not be on the go. Papeete is a somewhat rundown tropical town that's hot and full of traffic. Of course, if you're there on most days when the large municipal market is open, that can be great fun and good place to buy souvenirs. And of course, Papeete is full of pearl shops!

 

Hope it works out with Don for you to share the driving--Moorea is a great spot. If you ask on the Pacific Islands board (or even the Paul Gauguin board), you can get more tips about hotel facilities, restaurants, beaches, etc. We were there in September, for four days, and had a car the entire time. Drove it all around the island, but mostly stuck fairly close to our hotel, Les Tipaniers.