Should You Rent a Car or Use a Taxi in Fiji?

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Car Rental: The Pros and Cons

An easy way to see if car rental is right for your holiday is to simply weigh the pros and cons of renting a car in Fiji.

Car Rental Pros

• Ultimate freedom; go where you want when you want
• Privacy; it’s just you, your loved ones/friends and the road
• Cost-effective for road trips; it can be cheaper to hire a car if driving between towns every day
• Good for families; baby seats are either included or available to hire.

Car Rental Cons

• Driving can be stressful; Fiji has a few road hazards that you might not be used to
• Navigation can be hard; GPS navigation systems are good in Fiji’s larger towns but less so for rural areas
• Not cost-effective for short trips; car rental in Fiji’s isn’t super cheap, so it might not be worth it if you’re not using your vehicle daily
• Availability; car hire isn’t as available as taxis.

For more information on hiring a car, head to The Guide to Renting a Car in Fiji.

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Taxis: The Pros and Cons

And on the taxi side of the argument, here are the pros and cons of using a taxi in Fiji.

Taxi Pros

• Stress-free; someone else drives the foreign roads and navigates for you
• Availability; taxis tend to be more readily available than car rentals
• Cheap in town; taxis are very cheap for inner-city travel
• Driver hire; some taxis can be hired for the day, providing good value for sightseeing.

Taxi Cons

• Longer trips are expensive; inter-town travel is usually expensive and can make your travel costs higher than car rental if used often
• Fiji time drivers; some taxi drivers are on “Fiji time” and can show up late for bookings
• Suva taxis; some taxis in Suva don’t have seatbelts in the back
• No baby seats; taxis typically don’t have baby seats available
• Not convenient for large groups; larger groups will have to book minivans rather than be able to hail down a taxi.

For more information on using taxis, check out The Guide to Taxis in Fiji.

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When to Rent a Car

If the pros and cons don’t help you make up your mind, then there are certain situations where it might make more sense to hire a car rather than use taxis.

One such circumstance is if you plan on doing a road trip around Viti Levu. For instance, travelling around Fiji’s main island makes a fun three to five-day trip, staying in various resorts or lodges along the way. Other than hiring a car, the only other way to enjoy a road trip around the island is with a bus tour company. Get inspired for your road trip with our Fiji Honeymoon Itinerary: 7 Days or Fiji Foodie Itinerary: 7 Days or Fiji Budget Itinerary: 7 Days.

Alternatively, you might want to rent a car if you plan on staying in one accommodation but visiting surrounding towns multiple times. You’ll then have the added benefit of being able to make short trips to the supermarket, for example.

Finally, if you are staying somewhere quite remote, then hiring a car from the nearest town or airport for a few days is likely to be more reliable and cheaper than using taxis.

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When to Use a Taxi

There are certain situations where using a taxi makes more sense than hiring a car in Fiji. For instance, if you’re staying in a town like Nadi, Lautoka or Suva, then using a taxi to get around the town is incredibly cheap; cheaper than hiring a car.

Additionally, if you plan to do perhaps just one or two longer sightseeing trips in Fiji, then it is likely to be more cost-effective to hire a driver for the day. Alternatively, day tours for sightseeing shared with other travellers may cut the costs further – take a look at the 10 Best Sightseeing Tours in Fiji.