September 14th, 2007
Do I need to rent a car for my Oahu vacation?
If you are planning a trip to Oahu and can’t quite make the budget stretch far enough, you can consider bypassing the rental car.
The reason is, Oahu has fantastic public transportation systems:
1) TheBus. TheBus was named America’s Best Transit System by the American Public Transit System. You can tour the entire island for only a few dollars, or you could buy a 4 day pass. TheBus stops at practically every tourist attraction on the island, and another comes along every 10 minutes. www.thebus.org
2) Waikiki Trolley - Visit historic sites, beautiful sceneries, and world-class shops and restaurants through three different lines: the Honolulu City Line (Red Line), the Ocean Coast Line (Blue Line) and the Ala Moana Shopping Shuttle Line (Pink Line). http://www.waikikitrolley.com/
3) Moped Rentals – some of the best prices can be found at http://www.mopedsdirect.net/
4) Taxi – if you’re not going to rent a car or take an airport shuttle. Getting a taxi from the airport to Waikiki will cost you about $35 for the one way ride.
Still that being said, my personal recommendation is to rent a car in Oahu. Moreso than any other Hawaiian Island, Oahu is easy to navigate. If not for your entire trip, then for a day at the least. This way you can drive around and see places like Diamond Head, the North Shore, the East coastline, etc… and tour at your own pace. If you ask me, Hawaii is not a place to see from your car window. You have to get out to smell the sweet perfume of plumeria, to feel the warm rain on your face, to hear the sound of the wind through a bamboo forest, and to plunge into the gentle waters of the Pacific! J
Every major car rental company resides at the airport and there are also Waikiki locations where pickup and/or drop-offs can be arranged.
Keep in mind that most all the hotels in Hawaii charge for parking, as there is very little available in Honolulu so be prepared.
*Please note that for travel to all other islands – Maui, Kauai, The Big Island, Molokai, & Lanai – having a rental car is necessary to explore the islands.