You need to rent a car.

[Lilsia]

I just want to put this out there for anyone planning a trip to Hawaii. RENT A CAR. And book well in advance. If you are staying at Aulani, it is located in a small, resort community. There is a small store across the street, but if you have anything big to buy, like diapers and groceries, you will want to go to Target or Walmart. For that, you will most definitely need a car. Not to mention that you will need one for exploring the Island, which you most definitely want to do. The reason for this reminder is that I saw a post on an Aulani group today about someone not renting a car and wanting to go to the closest target(4 miles away and a 10 minute drive), and was going to Uber there. The rate was $40 each way! Ride share is not a reliable, cheap mode of transportation on the Island like it is on the mainland. Aulani is a beautiful resort hotel but it is not an all inclusive type, like you get in Mexico and the Caribbean, where you just stay at the hotel. You are in Hawaii, go out, explore, eat the food. There is no place else on the planet that has the beautiful landscape that the Islands do.

 

[alohamom]

100 percent!
Oahu has many gorgeous beaches, great nightlife, hiking trails and an abundance of unique things to see and do.
RENT THAT CAR! Even if it is only for a portion of your stay.

 

[monsterkitty]

I can't imagine flying to Hawaii and not exploring the island you're visiting, whether it's Oahu or any of the other amazing islands.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I can't imagine flying to Hawaii and not exploring the island you're visiting, whether it's Oahu or any of the other amazing islands.

Yep, and it doesn't matter if you're staying in "middle of nowhere Ko Olina," or smack on Waikiki beach. There are must-do spots on all four corners of the island.

 

[corgi_monster]

Yup, ride share prices can be insane right now!!! I couldn’t drive to my dental appointment and Uber quoted me almost $40 to drive three blocks. I walked. (It’s summer in Hawaii, uphill, and I didn’t want to get sweaty/stinky - I’m not normally that lazy )

 

[Great3]

Wow, that's some crazy prices for Uber jut to get to Target/Walmart in Kapolei. While I 100% agree Hawaii it beautiful, there's plenty of places on earth with just as much beauty, but I digress. Back on topic, I agree that rental car is a must for some portion of the trip, especially at Ko Olina. I even rent a car when I am in Waikiki, but that's just me.

Great3

 

[Lilsia]

Wow, that's some crazy prices for Uber jut to get to Target/Walmart in Kapolei. While I 100% agree Hawaii it beautiful, there's plenty of places on earth with just as much beauty, but I digress. Back on topic, I agree that rental car is a must for some portion of the trip, especially at Ko Olina. I even rent a car when I am in Waikiki, but that's just me.

Great3

Yes, there are beautiful places all over the world, but the landscape of the Island is unique.

 

[Great3]

Yes, there are beautiful places all over the world, but the landscape of the Island is unique.

Yes, if you put it that way, of course I can agree LOL!!!

And rent that car to go see the Islands, if possible.

Great3

 

[nkereina]

Sage advice, OP! If someone wants to enjoy the beach and a nice resort for their vacation, they should really save themselves the time, money, and travel costs and go to the gulf coast of Florida or the Caribbean. Same experience and nicer beaches in some cases!

Yep, and it doesn't matter if you're staying in "middle of nowhere Ko Olina," or smack on Waikiki beach. There are must-do spots on all four corners of the island.

True, but I would add that its easier to get by without a car in Waikiki than it is in Ko Olina. Waikiki offers a trolley service that is inexpensive, and there is a plethora of organized bus tours that can be booked which offer transportation to and from Waikiki area hotels. There are very limited options for tours that offer transportation to and from Ko Olina.

 

[pjacobi]

Yep, and it doesn't matter if you're staying in "middle of nowhere Ko Olina," or smack on Waikiki beach. There are must-do spots on all four corners of the island.

Yes, I agree that there is lots to see all over the island.

If staying at Waikiki area, you can see a lot by just walking down the street!

You can also use the local bus service to get around the island.


-Paul

 

[Lilsia]

True, but I would add that its easier to get by without a car in Waikiki than it is in Ko Olina. Waikiki offers a trolley service that is inexpensive, and there is a plethora of organized bus tours that can be booked which offer transportation to and from Waikiki area hotels. There are very limited options for tours that offer transportation to and from Ko Olina.

We were there a few weeks ago and many of the trolleys are not back in service. Neither are a bunch of tour companies. I hope they come back soon but I imagine that without the Japanese tourists, it is not worth it for them yet. I still highly recommend getting a car, no matter what part of the Island you are staying. Why rely on a crowded tour bus when you can just hop in your car, on your schedule, and go do what you want? Plus many on these forums, like me, are DVC and stay at Aulani because it is "free". I would also like to add that for those who have not been, please do your research and then research some more. I have seen so many that assume that Aulani is like WDW in that it is some kind of amusement/all inclusive property and just plan on staying at the hotel the whole time. What I like to tell everyone is to think of it as a vacation to Hawaii, not Aulani.

 

[nkereina]

Why rely on a crowded tour bus when you can just hop in your car, on your schedule, and go do what you want?

We chose not to have a car during our stay in Waikiki for several reasons. For one, we live in Buffalo and are not used to intense city traffic. We didn't want to contend with that and parking challenges in Waikiki. We also wanted to avoid the parking fees at our hotel in Waikiki. Our time there was focused on the Waikiki area which is walkable (and we used the trolley), and also Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor was a focus during that portion of our stay. I knew there were parking challenges at both Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor, so a bus tour was the better option for us. At Diamond Head, they dropped us off nearly at the start of the trail so we didn't have to walk a mile before even getting there. At Pearl Harbor, they facilitated getting our Arizona tickets for us so we could plan our day accordingly without the variable of what time our tour would be at. We also had a secure place to leave bags if we wanted to.

FWIW, I'm not a proponent of staying in Waikiki for a whole trip - I think a split stay is a must. We did get a car during our Aulani and Kauai stays. And I would agree that if you want to go somewhere where a bus tour would be limiting or not available, a car makes more sense. And it certainly makes sense while tour companies are still shut down. But, my point was that if someone is super against renting a car, its easier to make do in Waikiki than it would be at Aulani, so that's another angle for someone to consider.

 

[Lilsia]

We chose not to have a car during our stay in Waikiki for several reasons. For one, we live in Buffalo and are not used to intense city traffic. We didn't want to contend with that and parking challenges in Waikiki. We also wanted to avoid the parking fees at our hotel in Waikiki. Our time there was focused on the Waikiki area which is walkable (and we used the trolley), and also Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor was a focus during that portion of our stay. I knew there were parking challenges at both Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor, so a bus tour was the better option for us. At Diamond Head, they dropped us off nearly at the start of the trail so we didn't have to walk a mile before even getting there. At Pearl Harbor, they facilitated getting our Arizona tickets for us so we could plan our day accordingly without the variable of what time our tour would be at. We also had a secure place to leave bags if we wanted to.

FWIW, I'm not a proponent of staying in Waikiki for a whole trip - I think a split stay is a must. We did get a car during our Aulani and Kauai stays. And I would agree that if you want to go somewhere where a bus tour would be limiting or not available, a car makes more sense. And it certainly makes sense while tour companies are still shut down. But, my point was that if someone is super against renting a car, its easier to make do in Waikiki than it would be at Aulani, so that's another angle for someone to consider.

I can see staying in Waikiki as easier, but not for Aulani. My point was many do not realize how far away Aulani is from everything. I have also seen many people post(on another forum), that they assume that there is transportation from the resort like it is WDW. They also feel like Aulani is something more then it is, again, with the mindset of WDW. I can not stress doing your research enough.

 

[nkereina]

I can see staying in Waikiki as easier, but not for Aulani. My point was many do not realize how far away Aulani is from everything. I have also seen many people post(on another forum), that they assume that there is transportation from the resort like it is WDW. They also feel like Aulani is something more then it is, again, with the mindset of WDW. I can not stress doing your research enough.

I absolutely agree. That's also what I was getting at - they should reconsider their stay at Aulani for a stay in Waikiki, if they can't have or don't want a car. They'd have more flexibility to do stuff, at the very least. But I definitely agree about the research!

 

[Peis2167]

We had a rental car while there and it was worth it. Just book ahead of time!

 

[pamelaj]

I agree (we've been there multiple times), but just saw the incredible rental fees and wow. $1200+ for a week is a lot. Did you find a good deal? Would love any tips. Hoping this is improved before we go in December, but not counting on it.

 

[monsterkitty]

If you have a Costco membership check their prices. If you don't have a Costco membership, check their prices and then get a membership because the discount will pay for the price of the membership.

Search all of the rental prices and find the cheapest price you can right now. Reserve that car. Every few days do the same. If you find a cheaper car, reserve that and then cancel the first.

Reserve a car now because prices may just keep going up. If you decide you don't want a car, cancel closer to your arrival date or even the day before.

We went in March. We booked our trip in October or November. I immediately reserved a car through Costco. DH told me it was "stupid" to reserve that far ahead. I told him we can cancel if we find something cheaper. Prices just kept going up. When we were picking up the car the agent said, wow, that was a great price! I looked at DH and said, "you're welcome".

 

[jsmith]

I just booked a car for a mid November trip through my corporate travel discount. Hertz wants pre pay to insure car availability.

 

[Lilsia]

If you have a Costco membership check their prices. If you don't have a Costco membership, check their prices and then get a membership because the discount will pay for the price of the membership.

Search all of the rental prices and find the cheapest price you can right now. Reserve that car. Every few days do the same. If you find a cheaper car, reserve that and then cancel the first.

Reserve a car now because prices may just keep going up. If you decide you don't want a car, cancel closer to your arrival date or even the day before.

We went in March. We booked our trip in October or November. I immediately reserved a car through Costco. DH told me it was "stupid" to reserve that far ahead. I told him we can cancel if we find something cheaper. Prices just kept going up. When we were picking up the car the agent said, wow, that was a great price! I looked at DH and said, "you're welcome".

It is never "stupid" to reserve a car as far out as possible. It is so easy to just cancel and rebook if the price goes down. We went to Aulani mid May, and I booked months ahead of time and got a very decent price, especially since they skyrocketed. Years ago, it used to be that you got the best deal last minute, but that has not been the case for a long time.

 

[Great3]

We went in March. We booked our trip in October or November. I immediately reserved a car through Costco. DH told me it was "stupid" to reserve that far ahead. I told him we can cancel if we find something cheaper. Prices just kept going up. When we were picking up the car the agent said, wow, that was a great price! I looked at DH and said, "you're welcome".

Yeah, tell me about it. I went to Big Island for about 3 weeks in late May - early June. After booking my airfare in Dec (at height of COVID infection numbers), I immediately book the rental car for about $1200, but was asking myself why I even bother doing it, because all other times, I just end up rebooking at better rates, and cancelling my initial booking. I was expecting to normally pay about $650 - $800 for 3 weeks of car rental like before.

Well, come Jan/Feb, the same rental skyrocketed to like $2400, and never came down to below $1200. So, for the first time ever, I keep my initial booking that I fully expected I would be canceling. So glad I did it, even though I questioned myself why I even bother. Now I understand things can change drastically, so I will just do it now. I felt lucky to even be paying $1200, even though it higher than I normally paid before. Crazy times, this is for sure.

Great3