Oceania > 🇵🇳The Pitcairn Islands
Should You Hire a Car in The Pitcairn Islands ? This can be broken down into two similar questions - do you need a car in The Pitcairn Islands (in other words, will your holiday be ruined without one), and is it worth hiring a car in The Pitcairn Islands - i.e. is a car better value than using public transport? We'll weigh up both questions and give you a response generated by Chat GPT, together with our own curated opinion before finally giving a yes or no verdict at the end.
The Pitcairn Islands — one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth — lie deep in the South Pacific between New Zealand and South America. With a total population of barely 50 people and only one island (Pitcairn itself) permanently inhabited, this is not a place where traditional transport choices like “car or no car” really apply. But for the sake of completeness, let’s answer the question: should you rent a car in the Pitcairn Islands?
🚗 Car Rental in the Pitcairn Islands — Not an Option
There are no car rental services on Pitcairn Island. The island is small (just 3.2 km long and 1.6 km wide), steep, and mostly reached on foot or by quad bike. Locals use all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and small motorbikes to handle the narrow, rugged tracks that link Adamstown (the main settlement) to the island’s few other points of interest, such as St Paul’s Pool, Down Rope, and Tedside Landing.
If you visit, you’ll most likely travel as part of a small group tour or cruise stop, and the local community often provides transport by quad or 4×4 truck as part of the arrangements.
🚢 Getting There — The Real Journey
Reaching Pitcairn is the hardest part of the adventure. There’s no airport and no regular ferry service. Travellers must fly to Mangareva in French Polynesia, then take a 36-hour supply ship or passenger vessel across the open Pacific to Pitcairn. Ships operate roughly once every few weeks, depending on sea conditions and cargo schedules.
Because the harbour at Bounty Bay is too small for large vessels, visitors usually transfer to shore by longboat, weather permitting.
🥾 Getting Around the Island
Once on the island, walking is the main mode of transport. The hilly terrain and forested paths make it a great place for hiking and exploring nature. Visitors can expect challenging climbs, spectacular coastal views, and complete isolation from modern infrastructure.
For longer excursions, locals may offer rides on quad bikes or small trucks — often arranged in advance through the island’s tourism coordinator. There are no public buses or taxis, and roads are little more than dirt tracks carved into volcanic slopes.
🏝️ What to See and Do
Despite its isolation, Pitcairn offers a fascinating mix of history and natural beauty:
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Bounty Bay – where the HMS Bounty mutineers landed in 1790.
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Adamstown – the island’s only settlement, with the post office and the museum.
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Down Rope – famous for its ancient Polynesian petroglyphs, reached by a steep trail.
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St Paul’s Pool – a natural rock pool filled by the sea, perfect for a safe swim when conditions allow.
The experience is about connection with the islanders, who are direct descendants of the Bounty mutineers, and about living without most modern conveniences.
🧭 Summary — Should You Rent a Car in the Pitcairn Islands?
Why you can’t:
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No rental cars or conventional roads.
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Steep, narrow terrain suited only to quads and small off-road vehicles.
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Extremely limited infrastructure and total isolation.
How to get around instead:
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On foot for most of your visit.
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By quad bike or truck with local guides for longer trips.
🚫 Conclusion:
You cannot rent a car in the Pitcairn Islands, and you wouldn’t want to. The island’s charm lies in its remoteness, community spirit, and rugged terrain. Getting around on foot or with local help is part of what makes visiting Pitcairn so unforgettable — it’s truly a journey to the end of the world 🌋🚶♂️🌊
