rogerbruton

On the way from Japan to San Francisco next May (solo) I'm hoping to squeeze in a three day stop-over in Hawaii (Oahu). Never been there before.

Booking somewhere to stay with BOOKING.COM (or whoever) would be easy enough, but I would rather jump in a rental car when I arrive and stay somewhere that takes my fancy while touring the island.

Is early May busy in Hawaii? Would I find it difficult to get somewhere at a reasonable price? I would want somewhere nearer the budget end of the market than "deluxe".

Thanks for any thoughts.

suze

Most people stay right in Waikiki (after landing the Honolulu airport). And that's definintely where the concentration of budget accomodations are located.

I'm not sure where you are planning to go as far as "touring the island" and looking for a place to stay. Do you have some place specific in mind?

simpsonc510

You would probably be OK in May. I would not want to spend a lot of time, though, searching for my lodging. Traffic around Honolulu can be a problem, especially on the H1/2 freeway system.

I agree with looking around Waikiki, perhaps a block or two away from the beach, as it is cheaper than right on Waikiki. BTW, it is expensive to park a car in Waikiki (I'm doing it anyway, come August, for 5 nts). I always like having a car.

suze

<rather jump in a rental car when I arrive and stay somewhere that takes my fancy while touring the island.>

I'd personally want to have some ideas for specific places to stay around Oahu, that I'd researched in advance. I think just driving around the island without a plan could end up being kind of frustrating. Once you are outside tourist areas, it's not like there are places to stay on every corner.

Patty

May is not that busy. There might be a slight bump in Japanese visitors the first week due to Golden Week. What exactly is your budget? There really isn't much in terms of budget accommodations outside of Waikiki.