MUST we have a car in Kauai and Honolulu? (Hilo: rental car, rentals)

[Ultimatetruth]

hello,
as some of you know, we are traveling to Kauai (6 nights) and Honolulu (2 nights) in November.

we would like to explore the island...hike, find nice beaches, etc.

MUST we rent a car or can we get around via taxi/bus fairly easily?
Car rentals are ridiculously expensive for some reason (400 for 6 days!)!!! Any recommendations?

[jmlowman]

A couple of summers ago my wife had a conference in Honolulu at UH. It was pretty much a necessity to have a rental car because there are no hotels near campus. We rented a high-rise condo a few blocks off Waikiki Beach and the car sat in its assigned parking place most of the time because we could walk to shopping, restaurants, etc. If we hadn't planned to leave the immediate area, there was a constant parade of buses going to the east toward the zoo and to the west toward the big mall.

If you want to get out and see the island, as we did, you will probably find having a car more convenient. One day in Honolulu that my wife had lunch catered in, I drove out as far to the west as I could. Then on the day before we flew home we drove the counter-clockwise route up the east side of Oahu to the North Shore and back down the valley to Honolulu. Other than taking my wife to campus, picking her up for lunch and then picking her up at the end of the day, except for the two day trips the car sat - at probably $60/day.

I'd say that you'd definitely want a car to see Kauai. Our resort was a bit removed from the city of Lihue, which isn't that large anyway. We took trips up to Princeville and over to Poipu Beach where we stayed the first time there. The old Koloa Town was really interesting. I don't know about bus service on Kauai, but I'd think that you'd need a car to get to places like Kokee State Park.

[islandboo]

I would say a car is pretty necessary for Kaua'i, but I have always done well with TheBus on
O'ahu, particularly for the Waikiki/Honolulu area. You might want a car to see the rest of the island, but with only 2 days you will find plenty to keep you busy in Honolulu: Bishop
Museum, 'Iolani Palace and Pearl Harbor are all wonderful places to visit and very easily accessible by bus.

[Mar0]

You need a car for Kauai- no questions about it!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

If you check around, you may find some better prices. Try Discount Hawaii Car Rental Maui Car Rentals Honolulu Kona Kauai Hilo Waikiki -- they make the reservation for you and you don't pay until you pick up the car. And they don't charge for a second driver. Also check out the rates through Costco and Priceline. I've heard people say to keep checking back because prices seem to change frequently.

[Ultimatetruth]

thanks everyone :-)