Flights to Tahiti: how to get to Moorea from the airport

To reach Moorea, your journey starts in Papeete (PPT): Tahiti Faa’a airport is the only international airport in French Polynesia. From France, allow 21 to 22 hours of flying from Paris, with a stopover in Los Angeles. Once you land in Tahiti, Moorea is a 30-minute ferry ride away.

How to get to Moorea by plane: a two-step journey

Moorea has no international airport. All flights from long-haul routes land in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia. Whatever your departure airport, the journey always works in two steps:

• International flight → Papeete Faa’a (PPT)
• Transfer → Moorea by ferry (30–45 min) or on an Air Tahiti domestic flight (10 min)

This applies to every traveller, whether flying from Paris, Lyon or Sydney.

Paris–Tahiti plane tickets: the three airlines

Three airlines sell plane tickets to Papeete (PPT) from France. Their fares, onboard service and departure airports differ.

Air Tahiti Nui — from Paris CDG

Air Tahiti Nui is French Polynesia’s airline. It flies from Paris Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) → Papeete via Los Angeles.

• Route: Paris CDG → Los Angeles → Papeete (PPT)

• Flight time: 21 to 22 hours in total, stopover included

• Frequency: 3 to 4 flights a week depending on the season

• Aircraft: Boeing 787 Dreamliner

• Baggage: 23 kg of checked baggage included per passenger in economy class

• Travel class: Economy · Poerava Business · Moana Business (lie-flat seat)

• Indicative fare: from €1,200 incl. taxes per adult in economy class

Moana Business is the most comfortable option on this long-haul route. The seats recline fully flat, a real advantage over the 8 hours of flying between Los Angeles and Papeete.

→ See current fares

Air France — from Paris CDG, via Los Angeles or Tokyo

Air France serves Papeete through codeshares or connections with its partners.

• Route: Paris CDG → Los Angeles → Papeete, or CDG → Tokyo → Papeete

• Flight time: 22 to 24 hours depending on the stopover

• Advantage: Flying Blue miles, connections from Lyon, Bordeaux or Marseille via CDG

• Indicative fare: from €1,300 incl. taxes in economy

French Bee — the so-called "low-cost" option from Paris Orly (ORY)

French Bee is the airline to look at first if you are after cheaper flights to Tahiti.

• Departure: Paris Orly (ORY) — not CDG

• Route: Paris Orly → Papeete via San Francisco

• Flight time: 22 to 24 hours

• Cabin: economy or comfort option (seat with extra space)

• Baggage: charged extra, allow €15 to €25 per bag depending on weight

• Indicative fare: from €700 incl. taxes per adult depending on travel dates

French Bee’s fares are generally lower. Why is it called low cost? Because the onboard service is reduced: paid meals, limited entertainment. Over 22 hours of flying, that matters as much as the ticket price.

Cheap flights to Tahiti: how to find the best deals

Plane tickets to French Polynesia can vary twofold depending on the dates. Here is what really moves the prices.

Book 4 to 6 months before departure

This is the ideal window for the best deals. Under 2 months, available seats become scarce and fares climb. Beyond 9 months, some travel dates are not yet on sale.

Avoid August and the school holidays

August is high season for Tahiti and her islands. Cheap flights for summer departures disappear as early as January. Outside the French school holidays, you will find plane tickets 30 to 40% cheaper on the same routes.

November and December: the underrated window

These two months combine low fares, fewer passengers and still pleasant weather on Moorea. Deals on flights to Papeete are often better in November than in September, and the beaches are just as beautiful.

Compare several departure airports

If you are flying from Lyon or Bordeaux, comparing flights via CDG and via Paris Orly (ORY) can change the total fare by €200 to €400 per person. Extra stopovers make the journey longer but bring the price of your plane tickets down in a very real way.

One-way or return flight?

A return ticket is almost always cheaper than two one-way tickets bought separately. Airlines use a fare structure that penalises one-way flights.

Exception: if you plan to fly home from Auckland or Los Angeles after a tour of the Pacific, a one-way flight makes sense. In that case, compare one-way tickets on the same travel dates before deciding.

From Tahiti to Moorea: the two ways to get there

Once you land in Papeete (PPT), there are two ways to reach Moorea.

The ferry — the most common route

• Departure: Papeete ferry terminal, 10 minutes by taxi from the airport (1,500 to 2,000 XPF, ~€12–17)

• Sea crossing: 30 to 45 minutes depending on the company

• Arrival: Vaiare port, on Moorea’s east coast

• Price: about 1,400 XPF (~€12) per passenger

• Timetable: several departures a day, from 6am until about 5–5:30pm

Key point: the last ferry to Moorea leaves between 5pm and 5:30pm. If your plane lands in Papeete after 3pm, you will not be able to reach Moorea the same evening. Plan a night in Papeete: in that case it is the only sensible option.

→ Full timetables, companies and ferry tickets: read our article Tahiti–Moorea Ferry.

The story that sums up this trap

Last year, a couple from Paris lived through this scenario almost word for word: delayed flight, landing at 4:45pm, last boat already gone. A simple call to our reception was enough to find them a room in Papeete in ten minutes. The next day, first ferry, arrival at Cook’s Bay by 9am, with a sunrise over the lagoon as a bonus.

The lesson to remember: a flight after 5pm does not mean a ruined stay in Moorea, just one night to plan for.

Papeete–Moorea flight with Air Tahiti — 10 minutes.

Air Tahiti (French Polynesia’s domestic airline, not to be confused with Air Tahiti Nui) flies from Papeete Faa’a → Temae airfield, on Moorea.

• Flight time: 10 minutes

• Price: 6,000 to 8,000 XPF per passenger (~€50–67)

• Advantage: no ferry timetable constraints, aerial view of the lagoon from your window

• Drawbacks: more expensive and, naturally, less chance of seeing dolphins or whales (in season) than from the ferry deck!

The ferry remains the best way to reach Moorea for the vast majority of travellers. The Air Tahiti domestic flight is only useful if you land too late for the last boat.

Preparing your arrival in Moorea: practical points

Baggage: 23 kg of checked baggage per passenger on Air Tahiti Nui and Air France in economy class. French Bee charges extra for baggage — include this cost in your budget before buying your plane tickets. On the ferry, there is no baggage limit.

Currency: the CFP franc (XPF). Fixed rate: €1 = 119.33 XPF. Bring cash for the taxi and the ferry. ATMs are available at Faa’a airport.

Time difference: 11 to 12 hours behind France depending on the time of year. Allow at least half a day to recover during the first days after you arrive.

French Polynesia is a French territory. French citizens still travel with their passport because there is a stopover in the United States. Nationals of the EU, the United States, Australia and New Zealand enter French Polynesia without a visa for stays of up to 90 days — a valid passport is required.

From Vaiare: the port is on Moorea’s east coast. If you have booked a rental car, the agencies are easy to reach from the port.

One guest told us she burst into tears when, from the deck of the boat, she saw the island’s peaks rising above the bay. After more than 22 hours of travel — endless flights, connections, jet lag — that landscape was enough to change everything.

It is not an isolated case. On arrival in Moorea, the same scene often plays out: shoulders relax, phones come out to capture the moment, and the journey finally makes sense. After so many hours spent getting to French Polynesia, those few minutes on deck are enough to make you forget the fatigue of the trip.

→ Arranging your transfer and services on arrival

FAQ: Flights to Tahiti