Research your trip, including the time of year in which you would like to travel, visa information, currency exchange rates, transportation and accommodations. These fundamental steps will determine how and what you need to pack. Once you have thoroughly researched your destination, you can make educated booking decisions.
Be sure to have a valid passport when traveling to Tahiti. Only French citizens can travel to Tahiti without a passport. American citizens are allowed one month's stay without a visa. Other visa requirements vary from country to country.
Tahiti is about an 8-hour flight from LAX. Flights into Tahiti arrive at the major hub of Papeete and are furnished by Air France and Air Tahiti Nui airlines. It is best to book air travel to Tahiti well in advance, both because it's less expensive and because flights into Tahiti tend to book quickly. If you wish to explore alternatives to air travel, it is also possible to travel by boat to Tahiti. All modes of travel to Tahiti can be secured and paid for online. Be sure to print multiple copies of travel confirmations to have on your person, as well as in your luggage.
Traveling between the islands of French Polynesia is best done by boat. Flights between islands, although frequent, are time-consuming and expensive.
