Public transportation in Oahu, Hilo, Kona and Lahaina

[MTL=CRUISEFAMILY]

we will be cruising these islands in March and wanted to do some self tour sightseeing preferable by public transportation, or rent a car in each port, or lastly private tour

 

We wanted to do a few hrs beachtime and some sights on our way back to the ship

 

Would love some pros and cons,tips, and suggestions on must see points for each

 

Thanks in advance

[CruiserBruce]

There are many threads about using TheBus on Oahu. Very simple and easy, $2.50pp each way.

 

There is also several comments about getting to Kaanapali from Lahaina, where the best beaches close to where you come ashore are. In this case, the bus is less than user friendly, due to heavy use and relatively infrequent schedules. A taxi will be your best bet here.

 

Can't answer about Kona or Hilo, but some reading will probably get you some info.

[Susan-M]

Driving on the islands is very easy, so a rental car will give you the most flexibility at an affordable cost. But....the information that you are asking for would almost fill a book, so as Bruce mentions, reading through the forums here, especially trip reports, will provide lots of helpful information.

 

The ports review section provides a good overview- here's the link for Honolulu - part way down that page, you'll find links to overviews for the other stops on your cruise : http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport.cfm?ID=96

 

You might want to browse through information on Tripadvisor as well ... here are a couple of links that might be of help: http://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowForum-g28932-i36-Hawaii.html ( the Top Questions at the top right of that page has some helpful links) and http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Tourism-g28932-Hawaii-Vacations.html

 

I would also recommend getting a guidebook to help with your planning.

 

Enjoy!

[Astro Flyer]

Good info already posted for you to consider & I can only add the recommendation of using The Bus on O'ahu & renting cars on the other islands. Traffic on O'ahu can be very bad so if you can see the things you want on The Bus that's what I'd suggest to do.

[Emme26]

On Maui, you can pick up the bus ($1.00) behind the Wharf every hour on the half hour. It will take you from Lahaina (a couple stops like the Cannery Mall) all the way up to Ka'anapali where it will drop you off at Whaler's Village http://www.whalersvillage.com From Whalers Village, you can take a bus further up Ka'anapali through Napili and Kahana with several stops along the way, many local stops. The bus is air conditioned, full of locals and tourists and cheap with a lovely drive if you have the time.

 

Or you can just rent a car and get a map and enjoy the ride :)