By taxi
Taxis are expensive on Aitutaki. Rates are based on how far you are going, anywhere from $10 per person for short trips to $20 per person, booking ahead is highly recommended and you can confirm your price then. There two taxi companies on the island some restaurants & bars will have their own vehicles for pickups :
Pacifica Taxi
excellent service and reliable.Tropicool Tours
as the name suggests, does day tours around the island, transfers for Lagoon Cruises, and transfers for Cafe Tupuna. It is operated by Nane Herman who is a wonderful resource on island life and usually arrives with flowers for her guests, the only problem is that she can have limited availability for taxi services.
By Car/Scooter
Car and Scooter or Moped hire are the main forms of transport on Aitutaki. This can easily be arrange through any of the rental companies or better accommodations on the island. Prices tend to be higher and quality a bit lower than on Rarotonga.
A driver's licence is $2.50 and can be purchased at the police station in Arutanga also known as town. You will need to present your foreign driver's licence to obtain this. You are not required to have a motorcycle licence on your licence from your home country to obtain a licence for scooters & motorcycles in the Cook Islands; driving down to the police station is typically your practicum, although very rarely they do do short tests. The licence is paper with no photo identification and lasts for a year. An Aitutaki driver's licence is cheaper, easier to get, and faster than getting a licence in Rarotonga and your Aitutaki licence will cover you for the whole Cook Islands. Licences in Rarotonga cost $20 with an additional amount for a practical test. There are sometimes lines in Rarotonga at the licence office so if you can avoid it, and you don't want a laminated photo id, the Aitutaki licence is the way to go.
Prices for cars can vary on which model chosen and which company used but typically $65 to $85 a day is usual with a refundable $40 petrol deposit. Cars typically tend to be automatics and are pretty reliable under the hood but will usually have some superficial damage.
The Aitutaki Lagoon Resort & Spa offers a range of rental vehicles for hire. Please call 68231200 or Skype talr.manager or email [email protected]
Scooters are much more economical at $25 a day with a $10 petrol deposit. There is some competition with scooters so if you are not happy with yours you have other options. As with the cars, the scooters are typically in good condition and safe to drive, but will not be vespas or straight out of the box. Typically rentals are automatic, but ask and manuals should be available. Manual scooters can be in better condition because they are not rented as often.