Transportion from Honolulu Airport to hotel
 

What is the most reasonable transfer (by taxi, shuttle or otherwise) from the airport to a Waikiki hotel? Can we take a bus with three pieces of luggage?

You can take an airport shuttle. But the last time I was there(1 year ago) we tried the city bus when returning from an overnighter to the Big Island. We only had one bag each. Cost was $1 and the trip took about 45 minutes. I can tell you that it was one of the most fun experiences that we had. The whole trip we were engaged in conversation with other tourists and locals including a spa manager at the Hilton. I learned more about night life, clubs, restauants, shopping, what to do...than form any tour guide. We didn't want to get off the bus when we got to our stop(one block from our hotel).<BR>While shutttle and cab would be easier and faster to get to our hotel, it sure was fun.<BR>City buses aren't bad in Honolulu.<BR><BR>Gerry

City bus is not suppose to let you take luggage on. IT IS A LONG RIDE. And those buses are packed with people standing all around you, wouldn’t you feel uncomfortable blocking space with your luggage, standing. Picture it Hot Crowded and your luggage in the way. I would not do it. Meet people on the plane a cab is about $30. and swift exit to your hotel. You could also rent a limo for $55. You really want a car on Oahu the best bit is outside of Waikiki.

I recommend that you do not rent a car if staying in Waikiki. Parking is expensive. Traffic is terrible. Everything in Waikiki is in walking distance. As Gerry says, public trasportation is exellent and cheap to get around. There are plenty of tour buses and even limo's to take you to other places on the island. I agree that I wouldn't want to take a lot of luggage on a city bus, but I've seen a lot of people carrying bags since both locals and tourists use the busses when going shopping.

The official policy is only one bag that fits on your lap, and bus drivers often enforce it, much to tourists dismay. The problem is the empty bus may fill up as it heads toward town. bus fare is $1.50 though, so maybe you can pack less! Taxis are about $30, which is about what a small car will cost per day. I see a shuttle there often, but don't know the details. Sharing a taxi with another couple is a good idea.

The shuttles are wonderful. You can arrange for one after you get there - you'll see their signs and drivers. It's very reasonable, and if you will use them to get back to the airport in Honolulu, you get a discount. I think ours was about $13 per person, round trip. The drivers are fun and friendly, and you learn a lot from them. I think it's a good idea to rent a car for at least a couple of days, to drive around the rest of the island of Oahu, when you're staying in Waikiki for a week or so. You can rent a car easily in Waikiki when you need one - car rental stands/offices all over the place. But I wouldn't want to bother with the bus when I had just gotten off a long flight from the Mainland! And you can't ride it with a normal amount of luggage anyway. Go for the shuttle!

If you can manage it definitely book the limo. Our travel agent recommended and arranged ours. After flying for seven hours and jet lagged it was heaven to see driver ready for us when we got off the plane. The other dazed passengers were trying to find their way around and our driver whisked us off. He claimed our luggage and we were off in no time. The drive across town to Waikiki is murder, especially during rush hours. The driver was promptly back the day we checked out and returned us to the airport. A limo may not be the most reasonably priced trans, but it is definitely worth every penny, From what I understand it is not a whole lot more than a taxi ride.