Renee

We plan to visit in August and would like to see all of the major sites on Oahu. I've been told that I can see all of them if I ride the Big Bus. However, I may want to get off the bus and see the sites and I feel public transportation would be limiting than if I had a car.

I guess my question is....Is it REALLY an absolute necessity to rent a car? I am on a budget, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot either if it turns out that renting is better. I'm thinking of possibly visiting another island like Maui....so I guess I will need the car then....right?

Decisions, Decisions..........

Waldo

If you're going to Maui, you definetly need a car. It's a long drive from Oahu to Maui.

TxTravelPro

You need a car on Oahu, unless you want to spend 1/2 your time dealing with public transport. Not worth it for us, we wanted to see too many things on OUR schedule and having a car allowed up to save $$$ by taking a cooler with food and drinks.

islandboy81

I also recommend renting a car in Oahu. While there is the bus, as the previous poster said, you'll be using up precious vacation time getting on and off buses. You'll also be able to stop anywhere you want with a rental car, something that is very hard to do on the bus. When we went this past summer, we rented a car for two days to visit sites on the North Shore and elsewhere on the island. The rest of the time there we spent around the Waikiki area, where walking and the occasional bus ride was sufficient.

By the way, we used Enterprise car rental (2003 Toyota Corolla) with a 20% off coupon we got from an Entertainment book. The total for the two days came out to $43, taxes included.

Renee

Thanks for confirming that I need the car, guys! I really appreciate it!

laurenashlock

Rental cars are awesome for Honolulu and for seeing what i consider to be truly hawaiian and thats also the rest of the island. Dont get me wrong i love the city and vibe of honolulu and waikiki, but see it all, and do it by car
the bus can rack up and while it's cool to ride it once to see some places and to figure your way around, its not as easy as just driving yourself. VIP rental agency is pretty cheap, if you rent over 3 days its only $12 the first day, $30 for a smaller car after that, enterprise has good deals as well.

epicureangirl

Grab a car -- you could do it for one or two days, certainly for about $20 a day with an Entertainment coupon (get one from a friend!).

Only thing to remember is that the hotels generally charge for parking too, which increases your cost (so check with your hotel to factor in the daily cost).

Also to note is that some places (like Hanauma Bay) are best to go to EARLY in the morning, before the bus can get you there. Or maybe you want to experience sunrise at a beautiful and secluded beach? You're not going to be able to pull that off riding the Big Bus.

Having a car for a day or so will make your trip your own and certainly be worth the money (IMO).

Enjoy.