Hello all, I will be spending 7 days in Oahu at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, i have read and heard different comments on whether a rental car is necessary. I understand that where I am there is plenty to do and tours take you to places you want to go and a car may not be worth it especially considering the parking charges. Can anyone provide advice? Thanks!

I think a car is absolutely necessary on Oahu. You can see the island much better.

By the time you pay for shuttles, cabs, buses & tours that you can do on your own, you will not save any $$ by not renting a car.

If you don't want to pay the $22 to park at HHV, you can park nearby at Hale Koa for $12 a day. Hale Koa has a garage & an open lot.

Lots of Oahu info:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=1

Good question and I address many of the pros and cons of getting a rental car here:
http://www.govisithawaii.com/2008/03...waikiki-beach/

The ideal situation might be renting a car for part of your stay...possibly the best of both worlds.

Just depends what you want to see and do. I spend my time in Waikiki, travel solo or with one friend, and we do just fine without a rental car (but have not been to North Shore, PCC, etc.)

I use the shuttle or taxi for getting from and back to the airport, then The Bus or on-foot for everything else.

I'd suggest renting a car for a portion of your stay (2 days or so) to allow you to explore the areas outside of Waikiki. The North Shore is so beautiful that you don't want to be stuck on a tour that you cannot control how much time you can spend watching the surfers or sitting just watching the waves.

You can take the bus to the AZ Memorial and other areas near Honolulu but having the freedom of exploring for a few days is priceless.

Thanks guys for the responses. Appreciate it!

I agree with those who advised you to rent a car for a day or two - especially if you're staying at the HHV - you're right in the middle of everything there! Parking is outrageously expensive and (IMHO) a huge hassle I'd rather not deal with - especially when I want to relax in paradise. The Bus on Oahu is very good - you can literally go anywhere on the island on it. But you can rent a car - on site at the HHV which makes it a lot easier than it is out at the airport - and then return it there as well. If you rent one for a day or two and then buy a 4 day bus pass at an ABC store you'll be covered.

While you're at the HHV, stop by the Paradise Lounge (in the Rainbow Tower)on Fri or Sat night and listen to Olomana - they are a really good local recording group. The Paradise Lounge is really nice - open air and laid back - like sitting in someone's living room listening to them talk story and play music. The leader of the group (Jerry Santos) wrote most of their songs and tells the story behind them before they sing them; mostly all of them are sung in Hawaiian. Other local entertainers and dancers often stop in and sit in with them - it's always a fun time and you can't beat the Mai Tai's!

jbassman: I agree with Dusty56438. There is so much to do/see on Oahu, that you need a car, unless you are spending your entire visit on the beach. Another reason for a car, is that it helps you get to reasonably priced restaurants (La Mariana, Asia Manoa, Tu Do Bom, Crouching Lion, etc.). We have our eighth stay at the Hilton coming up in a few weeks and I know for a fact that there are no inexpensive restaurants in the complex. In fact, there are hardly any cheap restaurants in Waikiki.

I strongly disagree!

Not about the car, but there most certainly are loads of fun, inexpensive restaurants scattered all over Waikiki.

Before I moved to Oahu, I visited a couple of times.

Once was without a car. I took public transportation & spent as much as I would have renting a car. I was limited in the things I could see & do.

The next time was with a car. I got to see & do far more things with a car & it didn't cost me a dime more.

If you're going to rent a car at all (regarding suggestion of 2 day rental), seems you might as well get it for the entire time and pick up the car right away at the airport (saving round-trip taxi fare right off the batt).

At first I was going to say that you only need a car for a couple of days, but if it's your first trip to Oahu, you may be so taken with the other parts of the island outside of Waikiki that you might need it every day. On subsequent trips, you can decide if you need it the whole time or not.

My cousin visits at least once a year, and on her last trip she had a GPS device. She LOVED it! She was zipping all over the island, offering to pick me up to go places, etc.

p.s. You can also watch Jerry Santos play at Chai's Island Bistro on Monday nights.
www.chaisislandbistro.com

Thanks again for the info! I will rent the car for the week I will be there...I got a great deal I couldnt pass up for a convertible (I know, a very touristy car), ~$250 tax included. I figure the cost to get a taxi to and from the airport offsets some of the cost anyways, and the recommendations on some of the more affordable parking garages helps out too. I just don't know if I can wait 1 more month until my trip starts!

Dusty, I'm a little confused by those who say it costs as much to take public transportation as it does to rent a car and park it (and presumably pay for gas). You can get an unlimited transportation pass for $ 5 a day. Where do you rent these cars for $10 a day (assuming there are two of you) and it includes parking and gas? I want to find that place!

For 2 people:

Transportation to hotel: $65 roundtrip by cab. A little less if you take a shuttle, but takes longer.

Bus pass for 4 days $20 each or $40 total (7 days would be $80 total).

Commercial tours $50 each total $100. You could save a little by renting a car a day or two.

You are up to $200 already & that doesn't include any other tours like to Hanauma Bay or USS Arizona Memorial if you don't want to take a slow bus.

Rent a car $150 for a week. About 200 miles on a car is about $30 - $40 in gas. $180 - $190 total

You can find parking for free on many vrbo properties in Waikiki.

Places like Resortquest Waikiki Banyan is $8 a night. Or $56 for a week. (You can stay at Waikiki Banyan through vrbo & get free parking.)

There are some places, especially on or near the beach where parking is up to $25 a night. If you can afford a $300 a night room at these places, parking at $25 is a drop in the bucket.

So if you were to stay at Waikiki Banyan for a week it is almost the same cost renting a car for the week or taking public transportation.

If there is a difference, it is not worth the time you will spend taking public transportation.

Another problem with taking buses is that many times they drop you off much farther from the destination.

Examples:

Diamond Head - You can drive into the crater & start the hike to the top from the trailhead. If you take a bus, it will drop you off outside of the crater adding 1/2 mile each way to the hike.

National Cemetery of the Pacific - You can drive all around the inside of the crater. You can park close to the lookout that overlooks Honolulu. If you take a bus, it will drop you off outside of the National Cemetery. You will spend at least an additional hour walking to & in the cemetery & to the lookout.

If you take a city bus around the island, it will take 4 hours without getting off the bus. If you make any stops, add at least an hour per stop. With a car you can stop where you want & for as long as you want.

If you take a commercial tour of the island, it has a limited number of stops & the duration of the stops is up to the tour company.

Would I want to pay $25 to park at HHV or one of the other places on the beach. No, but then I cannot afford those places any way.

If you have 3 or more people, the cost to take public transportation would be higher as it would mean paying for additional bus passes, shuttles or tours. A cab would be the same if you can get everyone in one cab.

The bottom line is that taking public transportation will eat up much of your time & if you do save any $$ you won't notice it.

You mention unlimited transportation pass for $5 a day. I assume that it on the Waikiki trolley. Much the same problem with them in that their routes & stops are limited. Plus you still have to pay for airport transportation.

If I was from a foreign country where we drive on the opposite side of the road or for some other reason, I was afraid to drive on Oahu, then I would probably take public transportation.

I'm sure you've read my long list of things to do. You can easily do just about all of them in one week with a car.

Just FYI, I followed the advice of a fellow traveler and auctioned to get a car rental via PRICELINE. I asked for $13/day and got it! Granted it's an economy car-but with all the reported break-ins, I thought it would be safer bet... For six days it's running only $123 (includes all fees/tax). Might want to give them a try...

I'm curious how Priceline works. Your bid doesn't include the fees and taxes, right? At what point do you know exactly what the bottom line will be? Does it tell you before you confirm your bid or are those extras added on afterwards?

Priceline - Yes. Before you hit the button to confirm, you know the exact costs along with fees and taxes -- The bottom line.