Or can we get by riding TheBus, trolley, and other public transportation? We will be staying at a B & B in Kailua, and want to get around the island to Hanauma Bay, Polynesian cultural center, Waikiki. Anyone have experience NOT having a car on Oahu?

THE BUS will take you to most all of the major attractions such as Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Flea Market and Pearl Harbor etc. I'm not sure about The Polynesian Culture Center. I personally would not drive daily because of the traffic and also because of difficulty findig parking spaces. We have rented a car for 1 day to go to the Polynesian Culture Center also there are plenty of tours there (could be pricy)

Keep in mind that having your own car is a plus. You go where you want, when you want. You would be able to drive all over the island and see whatever you feel like seeing. I highly recommend renting a car on any Hawaiian island because there is way too much to see that a bus/trolley might keep you from seeing. In other words, you're kind of limited as to where you can go if you don't rent a car. You won't regret it.

Parking is difficult to find and comes at a premium price. I usually recommend to my clients that they rent a car for one or two days to do their exploring and then use public transportation the rest of the time.

Beyond those concerns, some attractions are actually easier to get in if you're part of a bus group.

Good Luck,

Bobbi

We rented a car for a day once, but other than that I've always used the bus. Then again, I've always stayed in Waikiki. Is your B&B on one of the major bus routes in Kailua? I know one year I went to Kailua beach park and the bus that goes right by the beach only runs every hour and a half.

To me it's worth it to have my own car so I don't need to plan my day around the bus routes and schedules especially since you're going to be staying in Kailua.

I have the same question. We are in the fortunate position of spending the first 4 nights of our 9 day trip staying **free** at a dear friend's apt (Army stationed in HI) on the North Shore. Will then stay 4 nights at a B&B on Kauai. Because I have a rental car for Kauai and I have read several Kauai guidebooks, I feel that we'll be able to see a lot of natural beauty on that island (hiking, waterfalls, snorkelling) which is key for us, and with a rental car have freedom and can go at our own pace.

However...I have left the Oahu portion rather unplanned (this is a last minute internet airfare deal). So, now I finally realize that the "North Shore" is not just "down the beach" from Waikiki and Honolulu as I thought, and that Oahu, like Kauai, is very spread out. It seems the North shore is maybe TOO away from it all. The guidebooks (now I am finally reading the Oahu portion) do say that "The BUS" runs from North Shore through the middle of the Oahu to Waikiki/Honolulu. There is another route around the perimeter of the island, but it takes 1 1/2 two 2 1/2 hours -- that's a lot of time on public transportation! I would like to spend at least one day in Honolulu: I enjoy history and museums. Probably will spend an afternoon at Pearl Harbor. Another good friend swears I should not miss snorkeling in Haunana (sp?) Bay.

Should I rent a car for just 1 or 2 days?
Rely on the BUS? Is there enough at just North Shore that I could hang out there for 3 of my 4 Oahu days and be content? I am a native of a CA "Surf City" and grew up with surf friends and surf culture, so I spent my whole life listening to surfers' glowing praise of Oahu's North Shore -- but it is now occuring to me that maybe it is a great place for a 21 year old beach bum from my town to shack up for one week, but as an adult with varied interests, maybe just staying exclusively at my friend's apt on the North Shore for 4 straight days (as I originally intended) will lack variety.

I do not feel a need to "do it all." Being in Calif, there are reg airfare deals,& I have friends on the islands. This is my first trip to the state of Hawaii (went once as a surly 13 year old -- doesn't count) and my foreign born husband's 1st time also (I include the foreign bit to let you know he might be more interested in Hawaiin culture than a US native-- it is sooo diferent than is homeland and so famous internationally). We'd like to relax, aren't really drinkers, see a bit of touristy sights. Are very interested in botanical gardens, history, and love beaches and nature hikes. As we live in a tourist city ourselves, aren't really into preplanned stuff like a laua for tourists (but respect that other people enjoy that).

PS My guide book said some tourists waiting at the North Shore The BUS bus stop were robbed in broad daylight recently!! Is this a real danger? Should we forget about public trnasport?

Rent a car all 4 days or just 1 or 2? I have spent most of my budget on Kauai, and would like to economize for the Oahu portion.

OCLocal - We based our Oahu vacation last August on the North Shore, and I gotta recommend getting a car, especially considering how you list your interests and that it's really your first trip there. There is simply too much to see and do to be at the mercy of pubtrans. And to help w/your concerns of robbery, we felt absolutely safe the entire 10-day trip - never had a moment of concern for such things - just used our common sense "precautionary mode" - the North Shore felt to us like any Smalltown USA. I think you'll love it, but cannot imagine getting to see much of the island (at your own relaxing pace) without having a car at your disposal.....

I live in Kailua and highly recommend you get a car. Otherwise you will have to transfer a lot and be at the whim of the bus schedule. The circle island bus which you would have to take to get to Hanuma Bay and the Polynesian Cultural Center comes once an hour, so if you were in that part of Kailua serviced by another once a hour bus, you could be spending a lot of time waiting by the side of the road. Rental cars are pretty cheap in Hawaii and there is an Enterprise office in Kailua by the post office if you decide to rent after you get here.

Get a car for the day you spend on the North Shore so you can control you own schedule. It will take about two hours on the bus from Ala Moana to Laie where the Polynesian Cultural Center is located vs. an hour if you drive yourself. Rental cars are inexpensive and the drive from Kaneohe to Laie is one of the most scenic on the island. With your own car you can stop for sites along the way - Japanese Byodo-in Temple, China Man's Hat. Sunset Beach and Haleiwa if you go the other way. A stop at Pali lookout is worth it.

The Polynesian Cultural Center runs their own buses from Waikiki. See their website "www.polynesia.com". Most Hawaiian trans companies also run buses - SuperStar, Poly Adventure, Roberts Hawaii. If you have good transportation from Kailua to Waikiki you can avoid a rental car and take one of those buses. However, you will be backtracking. Kailua and Laie are both on the windward side of the island.

arada--it all depends on what you want to do. We stayed on Waikiki beach for 2 and a half days and did not rent a car. We used our feet and TheBus to get around. We went to Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head. However, we decided we did not have enough time for Hanauma Bay and Polynesian Culture Center (maybe next time). That was one of the main factors in deciding NOT to get a car. I will say that we met some really nice people on TheBus, both tourists and locals. We even ran into one of the locals down at the International Market the next day and continued our conversation. We had fun using TheBus, but it may not be for everyone.

PS--We had our 2 kids with us.

Not one to pass judgement on others choices but did want to add if you are taking all this touble to go to the polynesian cultural center you might be very disappointed we were. Plenty of authentic historical sights in and around honolulu.

Just returned from the islands. Swam with the dolphins, saw whales, toured Pearl Harbor, hiked up volcanoes, jumped off waterfalls into pools, saw Tiger Woods play golf. The most enjoyable day of our vacation was the day at the polynesian cultural center. Definitely worth the trouble for us.