Car Rental

With as expensive as it is to visit Hawaii, one would hope that the public transportation system would at least allow you to get around an island without spending too much. Unfortunately, most of the islands do not have anything remotely close to good public transport, so you will usually be stuck with the need to rent a car in Hawaii.

On the island of Oahu, there is a great bus system - cleverly called TheBus - which will get you anywhere you want to go. On the other islands, you will need to rent a car for at least part of your visit, if not your whole stay, in order to really explore the attractions which are off the beaten path. If you will be staying mainly around Waikiki Beach, you will probably not need to have a car for your entire stay. In that case, you can just rent a car on the spot for the days you need it.

If, on the other hand, you want to have any freedom to see attractions or take part in activities that are not within walking distance, you will want to rent a car for your whole visit to Hawaii. In general, if you find a good deal on a car rental it’s a good idea to book it then as the prices can change frequently. Also keep in mind that people aren’t driving to Hawaii from another state in their rental cars, so there is a relatively limited number of cars available for rent. Visitors during the busy season are well-advised to book their rental car in advance to make sure they don’t have to go without one.

While gasoline in some other countries is far more expensive than that in Hawaii, Hawaii does have some of the most expensive fuel in the United States. Not only that, but the prices go up even higher once you leave the Honolulu area. Keep this in mind when deciding whether you’ll need a compact or gigantic car, as it could mean a huge difference in gasoline expenses.

You might want to consider renting a motor scooter instead of a car - the rates can be quite cheap, gas is significantly less costly in a scooter than in a car, and it’s always fun to have the wind whipping through your hair on a gorgeous sunny day. Of course, it’s much less fun if you don’t know what you’re doing on a scooter, but perhaps evaluating the quality of Hawaiian emergency rooms is something that will make a good story later. In other words, have fun and be careful.

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