Scooter Hire in Tonga: Where to Rent, Cost & More

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What Do You Need to Hire a Scooter in Tonga?

Not just anyone can pick up a scooter in Tonga. There are a few conditions you’ll need to meet, including a license and rental bond.

A Full Valid Driving License from Certain Countries or a Visitor’s Driving License

To legally drive a scooter in Tonga, you need to either have a full valid driving license from a visitor-visa-exempt country or a Visitor’s Driving License. Learn more about the latter in How to Get a Tonga Visitor’s Driving License.

Driver’s Age

Although the minimum driving age in Tonga is 18 years old, most rental companies in Tonga will only hire to those aged 21 years and over.

Rental Bond

A bond is also expected to hire a scooter as insurance to the rental company, not only as an incentive for you to look after the vehicle but so funds are available in case you damage the vehicle. Different scooter rental companies ask for the bond in different ways, the most common being cash (expect around TOP$200), while other methods could be preauthorising your credit card or holding your passport.

Day Rate

Finally, you will need money to pay for the day rate of the rental itself plus fuel. Scooter rentals in Tonga typically cost around TOP$50-$55 a day.

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What’s Included in Scooter Rentals?

With scooter rentals in Tonga, there are a few typical inclusions:

• A full tank of fuel
• A helmet
• Unlimited kilometres

Insurance for Scooter Hire?

Very few vehicle rental companies in Tonga have insurance policies. If you damage a vehicle, you will be charged an amount decided by the rental company. You may want to take out your own travel insurance that covers vehicles.

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Where to Rent a Scooter in Tonga

Currently, scooters are only available to rent in Vava’u.

Scooter Rentals in Vava’u

The only scooter rental company in Vava’u (and Tonga) is Cafe Tropicana, also known as Tropo Rentals. They have two 90 cc scooters available complete with helmets. Find the cafe, which also has car, mountain bike and kayak hire, on the main road in Neiafu. Learn more about their car rentals in the 10 Best Car Rentals in Tonga.

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The Cost of Renting a Scooter in Tonga

How much does scooter hire cost in Tonga? We’ve listed the average prices for all of the expenses involved in hiring a scooter. Note that prices are approximate and are subject to change (especially fuel)!

• Scooter/day – TOP$50-$55
• Helmet/day – FREE
• Petrol/litre – TOP$3.60-$3.80
• Unlimited kilometres – FREE
• Bond (refundable) – TOP$200
• Credit card fee – 3-5% of the payment total.

How Much is it to Hire a Scooter for a Day in Tonga?

Scooter rental for just one day in Tonga is approximately ST$50-$55 per day.

Additional mandatory costs to take into consideration:

• Fuel tank top-up at the end of your trip – Our experience shows that this roughly comes to TOP$11-$12 if travelling approximately 100 km (60 mi), such as a loop around Vava’u.

Total: Combining all the costs above, you can expect to pay TOP$61-$67 for your transportation in Tonga for one day on a scooter. This does not include any additional fees, like paying with a credit card, etc.

How Much is it to Hire a Scooter for Five Days in Tonga?

Scooter rental in Tonga is approximately TOP$250-$275 for five days (that’s TOP$50-$55 per day)

Additional mandatory costs to take into consideration:

• Fuel tank top-up at the end of your trip – Our experience shows that this roughly comes to TOP$22-$24 if travelling approximately 200 km (120 mi) around Vava’u.

Total: Combining all the costs above, you can expect to pay TOP$275-$300 for your transportation in Tonga for 5 days on a scooter. This does not include any additional fees, like paying with a credit card, etc.

How Much is it to Hire a Scooter for a Week in Tonga?

Scooter rental in Tonga is approximately TOP$350-$385 for seven days.

Additional mandatory costs to take into consideration:

• Fuel tank top-up at the end of your trip – Our experience shows that this roughly comes to TOP$33-$36 if travelling approximately 300 km (180 mi) around Vava’u.

Total: Combining all the costs above, you can expect to pay TOP$385-$425 for your transportation in Tonga for seven days on a scooter. This does not include any additional fees, like paying with a credit card, etc.

© Ally McFarlane

How to Ride a Scooter in Tonga

Scooters are so easy to ride and that’s one of the reasons why they are favoured by many visitors to the South Pacific Islands. However, if you haven’t ridden a scooter before, then let’s relieve some of the unknown; how do you ride a scooter?

Your rental scooter will have a side stand or a centre stand to, you know, stop the bike from toppling over. Hold onto the handlebars, relieve the pressure from the side stand and kick the side stand up. If it’s on a centre stand, simply sit on the bike and roll the bike forward until the bike is off the stand.

Get to grips with where the controls are. You should have the indicators within reach of one thumb: flick left to indicate left, right to indicate right and press to stop the indicators. Within reach of your other thumb, you should have a button or switch for your hazard lights.

Behind the handlebars are your brakes, just like a pushbike, to pull in order to slow down. One of your handlebars will twist, which is your throttle and gets your scooter moving!

Your scooter rental company will show you how to start the engine, depending on the model you have. Usually, it’s just a key-in-and-twist sort of job. They will also show you how to refuel your scooter – if they don’t, just ask if you’re unsure! You can find the gas stations listed in Information, Shops & Services in Vava’u.

And it’s that simple!

The Road Rules of Tonga

It’s all well and good knowing how to ride a scooter, but you will also need to know the basic road rules of Tonga in order to keep yourself and others safe. The main rules you need to know are:

• Drive on the left side of the road
• The speed limit in urban areas/villages is 50 kph
• The speed limit outside of urban areas is 70 kph
• At roundabouts, give way to vehicles approaching from the right
• Give way to vehicles turning right
• You can park on the side of the road only on the leftmost side
• You can’t park on footpaths, bus stops, in front of an access road, within 6 m (20 ft) of a pedestrian crossing, or within 10 m (30 ft) of an intersection
• You can’t overtake within 10 m (30 ft) of an intersection
• You can’t overtake if a vehicle has stopped/slowed down to give way
• Observe road signage.

For more advice, check out How to Drive in Tonga + 10 Road Rules to Know.

Scooters in Tonga and Dogs

It’s also worth mentioning that there are plenty of dogs roaming the roadsides in Tonga and some chase vehicles; which is understandably much scarier on a scooter than it is in an enclosed vehicle. If you seize up at even the thought of this happening to you and you think it will impair your ability to ride a scooter, then perhaps rent a car instead.

For more tips like this, head to the 10 Tips for Riding a Scooter in Tonga.

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Alternatives to Hiring a Scooter in Tonga

Due to the limited choice of scooter rentals in Tonga, you might want to consider your other vehicle options. Here are some other ways you can enjoy a self-drive tour of Tonga:

Car Rental

Car rentals can be found across the four main island groups in Tonga. While some fleets are small, typically offering a compact car, SUV and minivan, rental companies, especially on Tongatapu, have a wider choice of vehicles. Check out your car rental options in The 10 Best Car Rentals in Tonga and get tips from What You Need to Hire a Car in Tonga.

Bicycle Hire

While you might not be able to get quite as far as with a car or scooter, you’ll be surprised just how far you can go when hiring a bicycle on the small islands of Tonga. Bicycle hire is available in Tongatapu, Ha’apai and Vava’u and is significantly cheaper than hiring a car. Find out more about renting a bike in The Guide to Cycling in Tonga.