We will be on Oahu mid-Feb for a week. This will be our first visit to Hawaii and we've gotten some great ideas from everyone on what to do - thanks! Do we need to rent a car or can we get around and see the sights using public tranportation? Looking to hike, sightsee and hang out on the beach - we're staying at Celebrity Resorts Waikiki.

If you are staying in Waikiki, a car is more of a liability than a help. Parking at hotels is $$ and traffic is awful, plus Waikiki is a small, walkable area (the bus system is very good if you get tired of walking, and there are all sorts of shuttles, too). If you want to see other parts of the island it's easy to rent a car for the day to do that.

I agree, renting a car for a day or two might be the way to go. You can catch the bus to various spots for just $2 one way (www.thebus.org) but I wouldn't recommend the bus for everything, as not all routes are efficient.

Driving is not that bad, and you can't be afraid of getting lost since you will be on an island! No fear of ending up in Utah or anything.
http://www.driveguidemagazines.com/oahu_maps.html

Within Waikiki you don't need a car, it's easy to get around on foot, The Bus, trolley, or taxi.

But if you want to get out around the island you'd likely want to rent a car for a day or two (unless you want some kind of bus tour).

Most of the beauty of Oahu is located away from Waikiki, and it's possible but less convenient (the bus) to see it without a car. I agree, rent a car for a few days at least.

I used a website called www.DiscountHawaiiCarRental.com to make a reservation picking up a car in Waikiki and returning it to the HNL airport; they found me a pretty good rate (no charge) with Budget. I wound up just renting a car the whole time (Thrifty) but had I opted for the few-days route, this would have been quite convenient, eliminating the need to get a ride back to the airport.

I'll agree you don't need a car all the time. A couple of simple things are rush hour is the same time of day in Honolulu as the mainland. We haven't encountered this problem but it makes sense if you see broken glass on the ground don't park there. The only problem we've had is keeping the drivers eyes on the road. Enjoy you trip

Sounds like great advice. Thanks for all the help...can't wait to get there!!

Rent a car for the entire time. You can see Oahu muuch better with a car.

By the time you pay for airport shuttles, cabs, buses & tours that you can do on your own, you won't save any $$.

Driving on Oahu is fairly easy. There is only one main highway around the island. There are only a few main streets in Honolulu/Waikiki. There is a lot of traffic in Honolulu, but outside of Honolulu is not bad.

Lots to see & do on Oahu:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...1&tid=34812564

FYI, seniors (must show your Medicare card) can ride The Bus for $1.