15 Tips to Save Money in Wallis & Futuna

Hotels in Wallis and Futuna can be expensive for what you actually get; we're talking serious money for pretty basic facilities.

That's where homestays come to the rescue! Not only are they much easier on your wallet, but you'll also get access to brilliant money-saving extras like full cooking facilities and washing machines.

But the real bonus is that staying with local families gives you an authentic cultural experience. This is hands down the best way to truly understand Wallis and Futuna whilst keeping your budget in check.

We've compiled all our favourite budget-friendly options in The Best Budget Accommodations in Wallis and Futuna.

Here's one of our favourite budget hacks: camping on the uninhabited motu of Wallis or Alofi Island just off Futuna's coast. You'll need permission from the village chief who looks after each island, but don't worry about navigating this yourself.

Your taxi boat operator can sort this out for you (and you'll need them to get there anyway). According to locals, camping on Alofi costs just a bottle of wine for the village chief of Vele. And apparently, he never says no!

Add your taxi boat fee and you're all set for an incredibly affordable island escape. For more details, check out our Budget Accommodations in Wallis and Futuna and our Guide to Taxi Boats.

If you're staying at one of the guesthouses or homestays with kitchen facilities, you can save so much by cooking your own meals. We've found that buying groceries locally costs a fraction of what you'd spend dining out for every meal.

The French food items in the supermarkets are good quality too. Get to the shops early for fresh baguettes, then stock up on French cheeses, cured meats and pâtés. It's quite the treat, even from a supermarket shelf!

So, look out for listings with kitchen facilities in our guide, Where to Stay in Wallis and Futuna: Best Accommodations, and follow the advice in A Guide to Supermarkets & Food Shopping in Wallis and Futuna to learn about where to shop.

Trust us when we say the local phone network provider in Wallis and Futuna has some of the most expensive data rates we've seen anywhere in the world. You'll want to check out The Best SIM Card in Wallis and Futuna for Travellers to see just how eye-watering those rates can be!

Our advice? Stick to roaming with your home provider if possible, or better yet, rely on your accommodation's WiFi. The good news is that almost all accommodations across the islands offer complimentary WiFi, so you can stay connected without breaking the bank.

Learn more about getting connected with our complete guide, The Best SIM Card in Wallis and Futuna for Travellers.

When it comes to paying your way in Wallis and Futuna, we not only recommend paying with cash, as it's often the only accepted form of payment, but also to avoid card fees.

Vendors charge an extra 3 to 6% on all purchases made by foreign bank cards, which certainly adds up after a few purchases!

Bring enough cash to Wallis and Futuna for your entire stay (we'll get into more reasons why later).

Learn more about paying your way through the islands using What is the Best Way to Pay in Wallis and Futuna? and keep your cash safe following our Wallis and Futuna Safety Tips.

That's right, you can't exchange money in Wallis and Futuna, not even at the bank. The local currency is South Pacific Francs (XPF), and while there are ATMs, they're frustratingly unreliable (especially Futuna's single ATM that "work three times per month" as locals have told us).

We recommend bringing all the cash you'll need for your trip. But the next challenge is finding good XPF exchange rates.

Take it from our own painful experience: we lost around NZ$300 exchanging New Zealand dollars at Nadi Airport in Fiji. In short, airports offer terrible rates.

Instead, shop around multiple currency exchange bureaus before you travel to find the best rate. If you're travelling through New Caledonia, which uses the same currency, you're likely to find better exchange rates there.

Work out your budget first using our What is the Cost of a Trip to Wallis and Futuna? guide.

For the very few cruises that make it to Wallis and Futuna, let's be honest, they have a reputation for charging eye-watering prices for shore excursions, and we've seen markups of up to 300%!

That's why we always recommend booking your activities independently. You'll save a considerable amount whilst having much more flexibility with your time.

For cruise passengers looking to make the most of their time ashore, we recommend checking out our 5 Best Sightseeing Tours in Wallis & Futuna. Better yet, book all your Wallis and Futuna tours directly through book.wallisandfutunapocketguide.com and skip those hefty cruise line fees entirely!

Baggage allowances for flights between Wallis and Futuna are surprisingly strict, and they can hit your wallet if you're not careful.

If you book your domestic flights with your international flight, you're given the international allowance, which is a good way to save on excess baggage fees. Otherwise, if you're flying domestically within Wallis and Futuna without any international connections, you'll get 5 kg (11 lbs) for carry-on baggage and even 10 kg (22 lbs) check-in baggage if you book the cheapest ticket. Eek!

The good news is that if you book your flight through from New Caledonia to Futuna, you usually get 23 kg (51 lbs) of checked luggage.

Stick to these limits religiously. They're incredibly strict about enforcement, and you'll be looking at extra fees for an overweight bag or even more if you need to check an additional piece.

Our advice? Weigh your bags before you leave home and pack light.

The highlights of Wallis and Futuna are perfectly circular crater lakes, historical forts and cannibal oven sites, and viewpoints across the islands and lagoons: natural wonders and historical sites that showcase the archipelago's unique character.

Discovering these cultural and natural highlights doesn't demand too much from your wallet, only requiring the cost to get there. And since the islands are so small, you won't be travelling for long. Fill your time sightseeing instead of doing costly activities and you're sure to save big!

For a list of affordable attractions and experiences, in which we state what's free and what's not, take a look at 20 Free & Cheap Things to Do in Wallis and Futuna.

Whatever you do, don’t waste money (and kill the environment) by buying bottles of water throughout your trip, no matter how ingrained in the culture it is to drink bottled water in this French territory.

Wallis is one of the rare Pacific Islands where the tap water is safe to drink, so have a few reusable water bottles to refill at the resort before you head out.

If you're flying to Futuna, however, we highly recommend using a water purification bottle, such as Lifestraw, which removes 99.999999% of bacteria and 99.999% of parasites from water. That way, you can refill the bottle from any tap water you come across.

We’ve used ours right across the South Pacific with no issues!

For more tips on having access to water, check out Is the Water Safe to Drink in Wallis & Futuna?

The more people you travel with, the more savings you’re likely to make!

Whether it’s splitting the cost of a car rental or catching a taxi boat to the motu, there are certainly more savings to be made as a tribe.

Speaking for car rental, find more ways to save with The Cost of Renting a Car in Wallis & Futuna: Full Car Rental Cost Breakdown.

Not all car rental companies are created equal in Wallis and Futuna, and we've learned this the hard way. Some providers have surprisingly strict cleaning fees and hidden charges that can quickly add up.

We always recommend reading the terms and conditions carefully before signing anything. During the car inspection, take your own photos of any existing damage, as we've encountered situations where companies tried to charge us for pre-existing scratches.

Here's something we've discovered from our own experience: avoid small cars entirely. The roads in Wallis and Futuna can be challenging, and you'll want proper ground clearance. A small SUV like a Suzuki Jimny is often cheaper to rent and much better suited for the terrain.

For more tips, check out the 5 Best Car Rentals in Wallis & Futuna.

That's right, hitchhiking is actually quite common in Wallis and Futuna.

With no public transport system on the islands, locals and visitors alike rely on the kindness of strangers for lifts. It's part of the island culture, and you'll find people are generally happy to help.

If someone does give you a ride, it's always appreciated (and polite) to offer a small contribution towards petrol money. From our experience, most locals won't expect it, but they'll certainly appreciate the gesture.

That said, hitchhiking isn't the most reliable way to explore the islands if you're on a tight schedule. But if you need a quick ride to the next village and you're not in a rush, why not give it a go?

For more tips and safety advice, check out A Traveller's Guide to Hitchhiking in Wallis & Futuna.

Before we conclude this list of money-saving tips, we can't forget to mention how you can save money on your trip to Wallis and Futuna by saving on your flight to Wallis and Futuna!

Although Wallis and Futuna doesn't have the luxury of having multiple airlines that serve the islands to compare flights, one way you can save money is for those parking at the airport before departing for Wallis and Futuna.

Be sure to compare third-party park-and-ride companies rather than just paying at the official airport car park. They are usually significantly cheaper!

If you've made it all the way to this point on this list of tips to save money in Wallis and Futuna, then you probably don't need this tip but we'll tell you anyway… Doing your research about Wallis and Futuna before you travel ensures that you're staying in the best-value accommodation, getting the best deals on activities, and making your dollars stretch further thanks to the money-saving tips we offer here at Wallis and Futuna Pocket Guide!

Head to The Backpacking & Budget Travel Guide to Wallis and Futuna for more ways to shave the costs.