Papeete is the largest city in and capital of French Polynesia on the island of Tahiti.Papeete is not a tropical paradise. It is a typical government center and industrial port with small doses of French and Polynesian charm. It has shopping, eating, and drinking, but very little sightseeing for a capital city and even fewer top-class hotels. The residents speak French and Tahitian, although English is spoken by many in the tourist trade. The people-watching is superb.Papeete International Airport (PPT) is located in the district of Faaa. Air Tahiti is located in the main building and Air Moorea about 100 m away. The following services are available at the airport: bar, self-service and gourmet restaurant, bank, ATM, post office, telephone, boutiques, newspaper stand, car rental agencies, baggage lockers and public restrooms. There is a taxi stand and a truck stop at the airport.Please consider the following minimum connecting times for Papeete Ariport:Papeete is a walking city. It’s really too small to bother with any other form of transport, unless you are going out to the fringes, or would simply like to experience the famous le truck for fun (hop-on, hop-off, anywhere in the city center for about XPF100!) Bring a water bottle: it can be quite hot and humid.Taxis are clean and efficient although relatively expensive and may be hard to find after 6pm. There are two dedicated taxi stands along the waterfront. Fares are prescribed by the government and are displayed inside Taxis. The fare is roughly XPF 1000 plus a charge for distance. Hotels will know exactly what the fare is to the city centre. As an example the fare from the Manava Suite Resort to the water front as at 17/4/2014 is XPF2300 before 8:00PM. The fee increases by XPF 1000 after 8:30PM. Meters are unheard of, so confirm the fare before getting into a taxi.Le Truck will take you to other parts of the island and around town quite cheaply. The service is infrequent or non-existent on weekends.Black pearls abound. There is just about every kind of store here, including some (particularly near the Marchí) who have no problem selling you imitation balls of black glass or fiberglass at market prices. Be sure to look for a certificate of authenticity on the wall of the shop, and trust your guidebook for recommendations.You can go broke eating in this town. There are some fine restaurants but expect to pay US$30 for a hamburger at a hotel restaurant or other proper sit-down establishment. There are a lot of midrange places where you can expect to pay US$20-30 for your whole meal. French and Chinese are well represented here. Look for the word “Snack” in the name of the restaurant. There is also a conveyor belt sushi place that’s very good, and the chefs are quite friendly there.The best deal in town is the Roulottes, the food trucks that set up shop every evening in the big square in the waterfront park. Every day they begin setting up around dusk. Chinese, French, and Tahitian cuisine are all well represented. You can get chow mein, poisson cru, crepes, pizza, ice cream, and because this is France, everything comes with bread. Expect to pay about XPF 1500 for your whole meal. Food trucks also set up further from town such as at others Marinas and near hotels.You can expect to pay upwards of US$10 for a pint of beer. A (small) jug of microbrew will run you US$35. Buy pitchers of Hinano to keep the costs down.Please consider the following minimum connecting times for Papeete Ariport:If you have the time, take the ferry over to Moorea.

Airport: PPT Faa’a International Airport Cities in France

Country: French Polynesia