We are leaving from our 8-night stay in Hawaii (3 nights BI and 5 nights Kauai) on Saturday Nov 6. Our flight back to the continent does not leave HNL until 6:45 PM so we want to fly in early from Kauai to go see Pearl Harbour. I have read several posts but haven't quite answered all of my questions.

1.) the question of luggage - I called Aloha Airlines and they said we could check our bags all the way to the mainland (on Delta) in Kauai, so then we would not have to worry about storing our luggage once we got to HNL. I am skeptical of this because I read several posts where you couldn't check in luggage any earlier than 4 hours. If we can't check our bags, I also heard that HNL did not have any lockers for this purpose.

2.) Is there a shuttle to take us to (and from) Pearl Harbour from the airport, or should we just take a taxi? I really don't want to rent a car.

3.) I read an earlier post that you absolutely cannot have any handbags or other types of bags on the Arizona - what do we do with our carry-ons?

4.) What time do we need to get to PH to get tickets - I'm worried they will already be gone. What are Saturdays in November like - still busy? By the time we check out of our rental in Kauai, drive 45 min to the airport arriving 2 hours (recommemded by Hawaiian Airlines) prior to our flight and fly to HNL, I can't imagine getting there much earlier than noon. Also getting to the airport 2 hours before departure seems absurd - is this true?

I really would like to see Pearl Harbour since we have most a of day to play with, but I'm trying to determine if it is feasible or not. I suppose we could get to Pearl Harbour as early as we can and if the tickets are gone just visit the museum, Missouri and Bowfin.

The only thing I can help you with is how to get to Pearl Harbor. There is a city bus that only takes about 15 minutes from the airport, but a taxi would certainly be more comfortable. The carryons will be a problem as I think the airport lockers are gone. I'm not sure what you can do about them.

Aloha Metcarl,

There are lockers at Pearl Harbor for your carry on bags. No problem. Take a taxi there. It's really not that far from the airport.

Have a great trip!

Metcarl, when push comes to shove, you don't really have all that much time for Pearl Harbor. I assume you will need to be at the airport in Honolulu for departure to the mainland by 4:45 p.m., right? If you don't get to Pearl Harbor until noon, your tickets, if there are any left, would be for later in the afternoon, I would think. Sounds awfully tight to me. I might just enjoy my morning in Kauai, getting the latest connection that I could to connect through Honolulu for home.

It amazes me when I read that people want to visit Pearl Harbor in a hurry up mode. The place is so reverential that a rush-rush visit there does it an injustice. Why go at all if you're going to run through the place just to say you've seen it? The Arizona Memorial is a spot that one must take in with time to really let the event of that day of infamy sink in. Do yourself a favor and wait until your next visit to see the Arizona. TAKE YOUR TIME!!

My son flew from Kauai to the mainland on Saturday. He stopped for 12 hours in Honolulu to visit his sister; his bags were check all the way thru to the mainland from Lihue to LAX so he did not have to claim them in Honolulu and then re-check. This was on Aloha/United. There are always varying reports on who will and who won't check bags all the way through. After 40+ round trips to the mainland from Hawaii I can honestly say it depends on the moods and whims of the agent at the airport, LOL.

Waldo - Our options are to see Pearl Harbour in a shorter amount of time than we might like to devote to it or to not see it at all. There is no next time - at least that I can foresee in the next 10 years. Even though I plan on thoroughly enjoying our trip to Hawaii, there are other places in the world I will be travelling to in the future. I get 2 weeks vacation/year so, in my calculations I will not be returning to Hawaii for a while. I am trying to make this work as it may be our only opportunity - if it doesn't work, so be it. I actually have been to Pearl Harbour 8 years ago and would like to visit again, but more importantly, would like for my husband and in-laws to be able to share the experience as well. I don't understand why you are "amazed" that people would want to visit Pearl Harbour in a shorter amount of time - it may be their only opportunity to see it at all.

I think my only problem now is luggage. If we get up early enough I think making it into HNL by 10:00 is feasible. Then, we would arrive at Pearl Harbour by 10:30 or so. We have to leave Pearl Harbour by 5:00pm (checked with Delta and have to check-in 1 hour before flight). That gives us 6 and 1/2 hours devoted to Pearl Harbour. BUT . . . We cannot check our bags all the way through if there is more than 4 hours between flights (called Aloha back and got an entirely different answer). Obviously 4 hrs b/t flights is not enough time. Are there any reasonable ways to handle are bags in Honolulu?? Any safer options than renting a car and keeping the luggage in the trunk?

metcarl, I'm with you go see Pearl Harbor, if only for a few hours. You are right, Hawaii is wonderful but there are tons of wonderful places to explore in this world. I would rent a full size car with big trunk, stow my luggage out of sight, take my carry-on with valuables with me and go. Statistically speaking what are the chances of your bags getting stolen in a large packed parking lot? My family did the same thing in Anchorage in May (they have the same problems there with rental car theft as HI)without a hitch. Even if you arrive too late for tickets the museaum is really interesting and informative and your right, your husband and in-laws will be glad they saw it. Enjoy!

Metcarl, back to say that if I could be at Pearl Harbor by 10:30, and you don't have to check in for your mainland flight until an hour before departure, I think you'd be okay, as November is almost certainly not going to be as busy as other months are. We've always had good luck getting the luggage checked through Honolulu, and if you can put your carry-ons in a locker at Pearl, I would go for it! Good luck with whatever you decide.

I would call the airline back to be sure that you can check your bags with that much time between flights if you are concerned. The other option would be to claim your bags and recheck them with Delta in the morning, if they will do that. If your bags are already checked, I don't see why you need to be at the airport 2 hours early. I would think 1 hour is more than enough time, but you can check with the airline.

Don't listen to Waldo. If you take the earliest flight from Kauai, which looks like it gets you in at 8:00 am, you will have more than enough time to visit Pearl Harbor.

Have a great trip.

Thanks all - I think we will get into HNL early and hopefully be able to check our bags from Kauai and take a taxi . If not, we will already have a rental car reserved and will take our chances with our bags in the trunk. I just have to clear all this with my mother-in-law. I think she'll want to do it. My husband isn't very happy about having to get up at 6:00am and thinks its too much hassle to deal with the car and luggage - but he'll come around. We can always sleep on the plane. We splurged for 1st class tickets so it should be a pleasant flight. Oh - by the way - I am not British. I have just been spelling Harbor wrong - as "Harbour".

I love problems like this! It's like untying the Gordian knot!

Here's my two cents' worth: why not leave Kauai the night before? Spend one evening in Honolulu, leave your luggage with the concierge when you check out, visit PH, then retrieve your luggage, and away you go!

We just did the exact thing this past Saturday 8/21. Took the 7:32 flight from Kauai (LIH) arriving 8 AM HNL on Hawaiian. Following are a few observations:
1.) We had a 3:35 PM flight out of HNL on Continental to Newark. Called Continental to make sure we could check our bags through to Newark. They said no problem, just let Hawaiian know. Arrived LIH Saturday morning and they said no way with more than 6 hour layover. Ended up renting a car from Dollar (only like $30.00) and driving. We had a lot of luggage as there were four of us and didn't know how else to deal with it.
2.) Arrived Pearl Harbor around 8:50 and got 10 AM tour tickets. Cannot bring bags of any kind including camera case on boat tour to Arizona. Don't have lockers, rather like a coat check. Located in the parking lot in the back of a semi trailer. Didn't use it, but think it was like $4.00 per bag. Spent the hour until 10 AM in the Arizona museum and on the grounds.
3.) After Arizona went to Bowfin then to Missouri battleship. Left around 1:45 PM arrived airport about 2 PM. While very tired also very glad we did it for both us and the kids.
4.) Arrive LIH airport around 6:20 AM and had plenty of time to get on 7:32 flight. Small airport and quiet in the morning. Left Princeville condo around 5:30.
5.) Got back from Arizona memorial boat around 11 AM and they were giving out tickets for 1:10 PM trip. It was a little drizzly so it may not have been as busy as on a clear day.
6.) Parking your car with luggage very safe at Pearl Harbor. Like 20 uniformed officers and security walking around watching everybody and everything.
Kind of mixed up and not in order, but how things popped into my head.

Dave: I didn't think about all the security that would be around at PH. I feel much better about leaving our luggage now. Sounds like a plan.

Metcarl - we had a similar situation to yours and easily solved it by parking our rental full of luggage right near the bag check trailer. The theft of items from the parking areas are more likely to be away from the security, so by putting the car by the trailer there was no need to check the bags... and to think my wife refuses to admit I'm a genius!!!!