Scooter Hire in Samoa: Where to Rent, Cost & More 🛵 [2024]

© SamoaPocketGuide.com

Where to Rent a Scooter in Samoa

Scooters can be hired on both the islands of Upolu and Savai’i, with transport on the ferry not only being permitted by scooter rental companies but affordable. See what makes each company different (or pretty much the same, in some cases) in our scooter hire comparison below!

AA Rent-a-Car

About: Certainly one of the most prominent vehicle rental companies in Samoa, AA Rent-a-Car boasts a wide range of vehicles including Yamaha Mio scooters with helmets included. With a price-beat guarantee plus discounted weekly rates, they’re worth considering if you’re on a tight budget.

Pick-up and drop-off locations: Main West Coast Road, Lepea, Apia; Lotopa, Apia; and Faleolo International Airport on the west side of Upolu.
Free delivery/drop-off is available anywhere in Apia.

Scooters available include: Yamaha Mio 125cc scooter.

Insurance: A bond is taken for all rentals via pre-authorised Visa or MasterCard or cash of around ST$500 until the vehicle is returned. Liability insurance is included in all vehicle hires with an excess of ST$2,000 plus third-party bodily injury of ST$50,000 in the aggregate.

Jetz Rentz

About: Offering the largest fleet of vehicles on Savai’i, and with a convenient location just a short walk from the ferry terminal (not to mention, free delivery to Salelologa Wharf), Jetz Rentz is an obvious go-to for scooter rentals on Savai’i. Your Temporary Driver’s License is sorted with the ability to complete applications at their office. What’s more, they offer some of the cheapest daily rates for scooters in Samoa!

Pick-up and drop-off locations: Jet Over Hotel, Salelologa, Savai’i (approximately a 10-minute walk north of the ferry terminal).
Delivery/drop-off is available anywhere on Savai’i for a fee or free to Salelologa Wharf.

Scooters available include: Yamaha Mio 125cc scooter.

Insurance: A bond is taken for all vehicle rentals via pre-authorised MasterCard/Visa or cash of around ST$500 until the vehicle is returned. Liability insurance is included in all hires.

Saletoga Sands Resort & Spa

An easy option only for those staying at Saletoga Sands Resort & Spa, the resort on the southeast coast of Upolu offers its own snazzy yellow scooter rentals with helmets and unlimited kilometres included.

Pick-up and drop-off locations: Reception of the Saletoga Sands Resort & Spa, Matatufu on the southeast coast of Upolu.

Scooters available include: Suzuki Let’s 110cc scooter.

MotoSamoa

Boasting two types of scooters for rent, plus helmets and under-seat storage, MotoSamoa‘s scooters are very capable of taking two adults around the main roads of Samoa. MotoSamoa can organise your Temporary Driver’s License upon booking or on arrival, making the transition to the road effortless. While they’re not the cheapest for short-term hires, hiring for 7 or 10 days works out to be a reasonable rate.

Pick-up and drop-off locations: Beach Road, Apia Marina, Matautu-tai, Apia. Scooter delivery is available elsewhere for a fee.

Scooters available include: Suzuki Address 110cc scooter and Cub Style 110cc motorcycle.

Insurance: A bond is taken for all rentals via pre-authorised Visa or MasterCard, cash of around ST$1,000, or holding the driver’s passport until the vehicle is returned. Insurance is included in scooter rentals with a crash damage waiver excess of ST$4,000. The excess rate can be reduced by purchasing an excess reducer.

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The Cost of Renting a Scooter in Samoa

How much does scooter hire cost in Samoa? Of course, prices vary slightly from company to company, but below, 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 – ST$50-$60
• Helmet/day – FREE
• Petrol/litre – ST$3.30-$4.20
• Temporary Driver’s License/month – ST$21
• Airport delivery – ST$60-$85
• Ferry + Passenger/return – ST$80
• Accommodation delivery/Apia – ST$0-$10
• Accommodation delivery/Lefaga – ST$60-$100
• Accommodation delivery/Si’umu – ST$50-$70
• Accommodation delivery/Lalomanu – ST$60-$150
• Additional driver/day – ST$10
• Insurance/day – ST$0-$6
• Unlimited kilometres – FREE
• Bond (refundable) – ST$500-$1,000
• Credit card fee – 3-5% of the payment total.

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

Scooter rental for just one day in Samoa is approximately ST$55-$60 per day.

Additional mandatory costs to take into consideration:

• Purchasing the Temporary Driver’s License – $21
• Fuel tank top-up at the end of your trip – Our experience shows that this roughly comes to ST$10-$13 if travelling approximately 125 km (78 mi), such as a loop on the east side of Upolu.

Total: Combining all the costs above, you can expect to pay ST$86-$95 for your transportation in Samoa for one day on a scooter. This does not include any additional services like vehicle delivery, insurance excess reduction, etc.

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

Scooter rental in Samoa is approximately ST$250-$300 for five days (that’s ST$50-$60 per day)

Additional mandatory costs to take into consideration:

• Purchasing the Temporary Driver’s License – $21
• Fuel tank top-up at the end of your trip – Our experience shows that this roughly comes to ST$23-$29 if travelling approximately 300 km (186 mi) around Upolu or Savai’i.

Total: Combining all the costs above, you can expect to pay ST$295-$350 for your transportation in Samoa for 5 days on a scooter. This does not include any additional services like vehicle delivery, insurance excess reduction, etc.

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

Scooter rental in Samoa is approximately ST$330-$385 for seven days (that’s ST$47-$55 per day minus the discount some rental companies apply to seven-day rentals).

Additional mandatory costs to take into consideration:

• Purchasing the Temporary Driver’s License – $21
• Fuel tank top-up at the end of your trip – Our experience shows that this roughly comes to ST$29-$37 if travelling approximately 400 km (249 mi) around Upolu or Savai’i.

Total: Combining all the costs above, you can expect to pay ST$380-$445 for your transportation in Samoa for seven days on a scooter.

Note that you may want to add the ST$80 return ferry (scooter + one person) to Savai’i to your budget if travelling Savai’i (a loop around both Upolu and Savai’i is approximately 400 km / 249 mi when planning fuel consumption). Learn more in How Much Do Ferries Cost in Samoa? 

© Samoa Tourism Authority

How to Ride a Scooter in Samoa

Scooters are so easy to ride and that’s one of the reasons why they are a favoured method to get around by visitors. 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 Samoa.

And it’s that simple!

The Road Rules of Samoa

It’s all well and good knowing how to ride a scooter, but you will also need to know the basic road rules of Samoa 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 maximum speed limit is 56 kmh (35mph) or slower in Apia and villages – signs usually indicate the speed limit in a given area
• Riders and pillion passengers on scooters must wear a safety helmet
• Only one pillion passenger may be carried at a time
• At roundabouts, give way to vehicles approaching from the right
• All vehicles are allowed to make a free left free turn at all intersections when clear, except where controlled by traffic lights with left turning lights
• When turning right, give way to an oncoming vehicle turning left
• At an uncontrolled T-intersection, all traffic from a terminating road (bottom of the T) should give way to all traffic on a continuing road (top of the T); remember “Top of the T goes before me!”
• If you are involved in an accident, whether directly or indirectly from the use of your motor vehicle, you must stop your vehicle unless it is unsafe for you to do so. In which case you must drive directly to the nearest Police Station and report the accident.

If you find any of these road rules confusing or just want to see the full list of road rules in Samoa, take a look at the Samoa National Road Code published by the Samoa Police.

Scooters in Samoa and Dogs

It’s also worth mentioning that going down any access roads, perhaps to some attractions and beaches, especially where there are villages, comes at the risk of dogs chasing after you; 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.

You can learn more about the state of the roads in Samoa in How to Drive in Samoa + 10 Road Rules You Need to Know, plus more tips for scooter riding in the 10 Tips for Riding a Scooter in Samoa.