Now that we are both retired, we are no longer stuck with having to travel during specific times, and I am wondering about scheduling our next trip to Hawaii. It will be the Big Island this time.

We're thinking of going some time in February, for around two weeks. We're planning on renting a house for one week at a time, on the Kona side and the Hilo side, more or less.

It seems to me that flights are usually cheaper when you fly mid-week, but houses usually rent Sunday to Saturday, no? So if securing the housing is the priority, you're pretty much boxed in with the flight dates you need to book. And if you do the flights first, and they're mid-week, the odds of getting the housing you want are, I'd guess, pretty bad. Hmm.

I'd appreciate any thoughts about how to deal with this.

Hilo in February? You must like rain.

We plan our trip out, scan the available dates, reserve the rental date without deposit, then book the air, then confirm the rental.

I'm with TravelTess. Why February? We've been to the Big Island in April and May--much nicer and warmer, but our favorite time is October, when the water temperature is perfect for snorkeling.

Book the rental first to get best selection. I don't think a lot of them require a Saturday to Saturday thing anymore. I've rented in Kauai a couple of times and have never had that requirement foisted on me. Check with the renter or agent before making that assumption. The only time I've been to the BI was in February and I LOVED it. Have a great time whenever you are able to go!

-Bill

Doesn't HAVE to be February, but we're going to be in Europe in October, figure a while to recover from that, and the holidays at home . . . and February seems to suggest itself as a good time to leave Pennsylvania for milder climes. April-May is gorgeous here, and prime gardening time, so we don't want to leave then, and we don't really want to wait till next October . . .

Spent a fair number of Christmas-New Years vacations at Anini, on Kauai, and loved it -- got totally rained out only once, a couple winters ago, so we figured we'd chance it on the BI in Feb.

We're open to suggestions, tho -- and thanks for your thoughts. I'll concentrate on housing first, then plane tix.

Ckwald,

February is fine, but for the Hilo side, suggest looking on line at Kapoho, it will be a bit drier than Hilo itself. (I am from Hilo, born and raised).
On the Kona side, consider a condo, check out Konaawesomecondo.com

In February you should be able to see the whales, especially on the North and West sides of the island.

I would say try and book them at the same time. Airfare will vary more in prices than rentals so, book the rental as soon as you decide on one, then chase the airfare. Don’t forget to at least try Priceline for airfare, since it sounds like you don’t have a hard and fast schedule.

Sounds like you will have a great time, let me know if you have any other questions.

Good luck and happy travels!

echolynch, thanks for your suggestions. Kapoho is looking really good to us-- especially Lagoon House. Maybe we can get our grown kids in LA to join us there, too.

We're thinking about maybe staying somewhere in the highlands above Kona. Kind of put off by what we've read about Kona-area crowds & traffic. Maybe five days around there somewhere, then a couple days at Cliff House, then down to the Country Goose while we visit Volcano, and Kapoho for five days. How does that sound as a plan?