Tahiti to Moorea Ferry: 6 Things to Know for Seamless Travel
Going to Moorea? Fantastic choice! Moorea is one of our favorite French Polynesia islands! It offers plenty of fun things to do, which easily filled our epic 2-week itinerary to French Polynesia! My husband and I discovered there are two ways to get there. One is the ferry, which is a fun and affordable experience. Discover the 6 things to know to make your ferry experience easy breezy.
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01- How to Get to the Ferry Dock
Tahiti Ferry Terminal as seen from our Air Tahiti flight from Rangiroa
Once you land at Faa’a International Airport, walk outside and cross the street at the crosswalk to the next sidewalk.
Walk to the right down to the taxi stand for the next available taxi. See the map below.
Finding a taxi at Faa’a International Airport
We landed at 12:50 pm on a plane from Rangiroa and were in a taxi at 1:04 pm according to my iPhone timestamp on my photos
That’s the fastest I have ever deboarded a plane and been on my way to a destination!
The cost of the taxi was around 2300 xpf ($20 USD) to get to the Tahiti Ferry Terminal. Cash only. Our taxi was super friendly and spoke English.
Your taxi driver will ask you which ferry you are taking. If you haven’t booked your ferry ticket already, it helps to know which companies are available and the ferry times. That way the taxi driver knows which station to drop you off at.
There are four lanes at the Tahiti Ferry Terminal labeled 1-4, each number corresponding to a ferry company.
We were taking the Aremiti Express Ferry, so we were dropped off in lane 4. This lane is farthest to the left when you are facing the Tahiti Ferry Terminal.
Our taxi ride was 15 minutes.
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02- Tahiti to Moorea Ferry Schedule
Tahiti to Moorea Aremiti Express Ferry Schedule
There are two main passenger ferry companies: Terevau Ferry (can’t miss the big red ferry!) and Aremiti Express Ferry. Their ferry schedules from Tahiti to Moorea can be found below (always check the official website for current schedules):
- Terevau Ferry: click here for ferry schedule
- Aremiti Express Ferry: click here for ferry schedule
We took the Aremiti Express and had a great experience!
UPDATE: A kind reader pointed out the Terevau Ferry is temporarily out of operation. According to their Facebook page:
“Our boat will be having an extended technical break in the coming weeks. This decision, although difficult, is necessary to ensure the safety and proper functioning of our engines in order to serve you better in the future.
We are deeply grateful for your understanding and support during this time. We look forward to welcoming you on board soon, with an even better experience to share together.”
03- How to Buy Ferry Tickets
Buying a ferry ticket for Aremiti Express
You can buy the tickets in two ways;
My husband and I were flying in from another French Polynesian island, Rangiroa.
We decided to hold off on buying our ferry tickets in advance because we weren’t quite sure how long it would take to get our bags after we landed and taxi to the ferry dock.
Buying tickets the same day at the ferry terminal was a breeze.
04- Airplane Ticket vs. Ferry Price to Moorea
Aremiti Express Ferry
Here’s a quick price comparison between a one-way Tahiti to Moorea airline ticket and a ferry ticket:
- A one-way ferry ticket from Tahiti to Moorea with Aremiti costs 2030 xpf ($18 USD).
- A one-way ferry ticket from Tahiti to Moorea with Terevau costs 1350 xpf ($12 USD).
- A one-way plane ticket from Tahiti to Moorea with Air Tahiti costs around 6700 xpf ($60 USD).
Clearly, the ferry ticket is cheaper!
05- Passenger vs. Car Ferry
Cars getting ready to get on to the Aremiti Express Ferry
Aremiti and Terevau also offer the option of driving your rental car from Tahiti to Moorea. We did not do this, but it is an option.
I heard you should buy tickets in advance though if you go with the car ferry option since there are only so many car slots.
06- The Moorea Ferry Experience
I was surprised at how relaxed and smooth our ferry experience went! I wish more of our travel was this easy!
Once we paid for our tickets, we loaded our luggage on the cart next to the ticketing station. Then we walked up the stairs to wait for departure.
The upstairs level of the Tahiti Ferry Terminal
There is a central area with plenty of seating that offers food and drinks. Here is the menu:
The Tahiti Ferry Terminal Food & Drink Menu
In addition, there are specific open-air waiting areas for each ferry service. The Aremeti Express lounge area opened up about 20 minutes prior to our departure.
Prior to entry to the lounge area, the attendant scanned our tickets.
Scanning our Aremiti ticket prior to departure
Then we relaxed in the shaded lounge area. When it was time, we walked along the walkway to hop on the ferry.
Aremiti Express Lounge Area
The ferry had plenty of room to spread out with seating on both sides. We veered left, which was next to the food and drink station.
Inside the Aremiti Express Ferry
Before the ferry departed (and it left right on time!), my hubby grabbed a ham & cheese baguette and a beer.
Nice snack because it was going to be awhile before dinner. Bathrooms are on board.
Having a baguette and beer on the Aremiti Express to Moorea
There’s also a rooftop with additional seating. Make sure you have your sunscreen and hat if you choose that section. There’s no shade.
Gorgeous views though as the ferry moved closer and closer to Moorea!
Upstairs seating on Aremiti Express Ferry
The ferry ride was smooth and uneventful and only took about 30 minutes!
Moorea Ferry Terminal
We rented a car with Albert Transport (highly recommend them!) in Moorea. They met us at the Moorea Ferry Terminal and drove us 12 minutes to their headquarters to pick up our car.
Seamless!
Final Thoughts
The Moorea ferry was a fun experience! Affordable, quick, and easy. You could fly but taking the ferry was much more enjoyable. I hope this mini guide helps in answering any questions you may have on how the ferry process works.
If you are still planning your Moorea trip, don’t miss all of my favorite things to do on this incredible island!
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Questions about our ferry experience?
Let me know in the comments below!
You should maybe warn people that the Terevau ferry has been out of service for several months due to an engine problem. It would be great if someone has any local info about when it will resume.
Thanks for the update.
Luckily, there’s another option. We had a great experience with Aremiti Express!
It looks like you can contact Terevau directly via phone or email if you want to see when they will be up and running again. Here’s their contact page:
Terevau Contact Page
Hi Nicole,
Thank you for this incredible guide!
How much did you pay for car rental, and how long did you book the car for?
Kind regards
Mathilde from Denmark
Thanks for reaching out. We used Albert Transport. Cost was 48,000 cfp for an automatic car for 6 days. Manual transmission is probably cheaper. I highly recommend them! Great experience.
After reading this guide and having yesterday travelled this very trip I can 100% endorse the suberb information here. I will add just one thing about the suitcases, as mentioned already by Nichole the meed to be put onto the trolley next to the ticket office, where the staff then load them onto the ferry just before departure. This is NOT OPTIONAL because if you take your suitcases upstairs to the checkin gate 4 the lady will refuse you access until you take your suitcases back downstairs to the official loading trolley. We seen at least eight people who had to do this. Other than that this article by Nichole is perfect. Have a great trip as Moorea is worth the visit.
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback. I’m so happy to hear my guide was helpful. Hope you enjoyed your time in Moorea!
Hi Nicole,
My husband and I love to snorkel and really enjoy all of your advice. We recently spent 3 weeks in Aruba and Bonaire and followed your advice for the best snorkeling spots and accommodations. We loved the place you recommended, (Boardwalk Boutique in Aruba) and had a wonderful time at your designated snorkeling locations. Now we are planning a trip to Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, and Taha’a and once again are seeking out your advice again before we book the trip! Do you have any suggestions for accommodations in any of these locations? Thanks for all your helpful suggestions, they really make the trip go much smoother. Thank you.
I apologize for the delayed response. My hubby and I are visiting my parents for the holidays.
So happy to hear the Aruba and Bonaire snorkeling guides were helpful! We love the Boardwalk!!! I’m glad you had a similar experience.
The snorkeling is incredible in French Polynesia. We’ve been to Bora Bora, Moorea, Taha’a, and Rangiroa.
We flew/took a ferry out of Tahiti to the neighboring islands but never spent any time in Tahiti.
The islands we visited either had big name resorts (like Hilton, Four Seasons, InterContinental, etc) or Airbnb/Vrbo rentals. I’m not aware of any smaller boutique properties (like Boardwalk) in Moorea, Bora Bora, and Taha’a.
It’s been several years since we’ve been to Bora Bora. We were there a few days as a stopover on our way to New Zealand. More expensive than Moorea, but it is gorgeous. We did a small group snorkel tour with Reef Discovery to snorkel with manta rays and eagle rays. I highly recommend them!
Here are the properties we stayed at:
– Bora Bora: Overwater bungalow at InterContinental Le Moana. The style is more “traditional Polynesian” than the sister property InterContinental Thalasso (which is more contemporary). I preferred the aesthetic of Thalasso over Le Moana but ultimately went with Le Moana because it’s located directly on the island. Thalasso is located on a motu, so you have to take a boat back and forth to the main island.
– Moorea: We’ve done the overwater bungalows in Bora Bora and the Maldives. This time we switched it up and stayed at this beautiful Vrbo rental in a local neighborhood. We absolutely loved it, but it may not be for everyone since it is self-catering. The rental sits on a lagoon, so it’s not directly beachfront. Gorgeous sunsets though, and it had a beautiful pool. Great for happy hours. It looks like there is an oceanfront property in that same area if you were with a larger group. Our rental gave us easy snorkeling access to the Sharks & Ray Sandbar and Coco Beach (will need a boat) and the hike up Magic Mountain. But you do have to drive to the opposite side of the island for the great shore snorkeling at the Sofitel.
– Taha’a: We stayed at an Airbnb and rented a car. As a heads up, Taha’a is quite rustic compared to Bora Bora and Moorea. Our purpose of visiting Taha’a was to experience the drift snorkel at the Coral Gardens, which is incredible! Like a giant adult slip ’n slide. You can access the Coral Gardens either by a boat tour or staying at the gorgeous Le Taha’a by Pearl Resorts. The Coral Gardens is right next to the resort, so if you stay there you can snorkel as many times as you want. We did the drift snorkel twice. Once by tour and once as a day trip to the Le Taha’a by Pearl Resorts (had lunch there first beachside and then snorkeled after). If you loved the Boardwalk, I would advise Le Taha’a over an Airbnb in this case.
Hope this helps! French Polynesia is a very special place. Happy planning and enjoy your trip! 😊