rental car necessary? Oahu
 

I am leaving for Hawaii, tomorrow, the 24th! It is my first time and I wanted to know whether or not it is a good idea to rent a car for the entire 6 days I am there. Is parking difficult? On the flip side, are taxi's expensive on the island (like NYC?)?
I am debating whether to book one for the week or just a day or two! Any advice would be appreciated!

There is a decent bus service on Oahu, so you could see many of the sights using the bus.

Whether it's best to rent a car depends on what your daily itinerary is and your patience level. Personally, I do not like the Bus because I'm rather impatient and like to get to where I'm going immediately.

However, parking at Waikiki hotels will probably cost you a daily fee of $10-$15. Maybe more, depending on which hotel you're at.

Not sure about taxi costs. I'm a local resident, so I don't use cabs.

I usually rent one for just the day or two. You can rent from some of the hotels in Waikiki. Some hotels have the parking fee as chepar already told you.

Honolulu traffic during rush hour can be tough. Pay parking should be available.

For going to places like Pearl Harbor sometimes it is easier to have a tour pick you up at the hotel. The bus is fun to ride if you are sure you won't get lost.

I think 2 years ago the cab fare from the airport to the hotel in Waikiki was 20 dollars without tip.

I would take a cab from the hotel to places like Chinatown, Aloha Tower etc....it wasn't too steep.

Lots of people get a good weekly rental rate from the airport on a car. I hate driving so I usually try to do without a car.

Absolutely rent a car the entire time.

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

Plus you will have spent countless hours waiting for or on slow & sometimes confusing public transportation.

Plus, if you rent a car, you can go where you want, when you want & stay as long as you want anywhere.

A cab from airport to Waikiki is about $28. Shuttle one way $9. Shuttle roundtrip $15.

Lots of Oahu info:

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34812564

Taking the bus can take a lot of time. I would check the rates on Orbitz and then bid on Priceline. Also check www.ratecodes.com for discount rates on rental cars.

Just got back from a week in Oahu and rented a car, yes it was $15 a day to park at the hotel (such a ripoff!), but I loved having the car to take off and explore the island on a whim. We visited the North Shore, Lanikai beach, the Pali lookout, did a bunch of hiking, snorkeled Hanauma bay. I think we drove everyday. I guess it depends on how much exploring you want to do if you should book for the whole week or not.