Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
nerdlette - whereabouts in Europe are you/your family from out of interest? I can't imagine how expensive it would be to ship our car UK to HI - so I've asked for a quote from a company just out of curiosity hah!
Sherwoody - it is indeed, we love it. Perfect for fitting into the tiny available spaces here too. Relatives could sell it for us if needs be but my in-laws have a busy enough time running a guest house and looking after an adult disabled daughter part time - and my mother is a widow without the time, space, or inclination to do so!
I do wonder whether people's family ever stumble across posts like these where the whole family history is out there for all to see... hah!
I'd sell it. You can always buy another car when you get back, and you could get a pretty solid island car for $4-$5k. That is if you're planning to drive here. Honolulu may not be the best place to learn to drive on the other side of the road..
Mm I am leaning toward selling - if nothing else, to free up that cash. I don't actually drive - I have a bit of a phobia as (TMI feel free not to read further!) I lost my dad in a car accident when I was 18 - but my wife drove us round Cali, up to Yosemite (along those terrifying roads without gas for miles and miles), in a camper van so I trust she'd cope in Honolulu. ish.
Clothes - wasn't planning on buying any during the 10 months
From California here: I cannot imagine that the average UK citizen has appropriate clothes for Hawai'i unless you vacation in the tropics a lot! Leather shoes and bags rot, you don't need coats, boots, clothes made of synthetic fabrics will stick to you, and many other considerations
£6000 to ship a car from Southampton to Honolulu if anyone's ever considering it!
Uhh, the steering wheel would be on the wrong side. I expect there would be a whole lot of JDM cars driving around Honolulu, if it were legal to drive an RHD car...and I can't say I've seen any.
Uhh, the steering wheel would be on the wrong side. I expect there would be a whole lot of JDM cars driving around Honolulu, if it were legal to drive an RHD car...and I can't say I've seen any.
You can drive with RHD legally. But, you pay 2.5% of the cars value as duty, likely need a new emissions system, new bumpers, and possibly glass to meet US safety standards.
You can drive with RHD legally. But, you pay 2.5% of the cars value as duty, likely need a new emissions system, new bumpers, and possibly glass to meet US safety standards.
It looks to me that it would be more difficult than that for the OP's Citroen (not that the OP was asking). I am surprised to see that it is the feds who care about what vehicles are being brought into the country and not each individual state.
No need for the car, Oahu is small enough that most places are very close to each other. Since you'll be at the University in Manoa, catching the bus will be easy enough and then you won't have to find a parking spot for the car, either. Finding parking is always a problem in Honolulu and it's an expensive problem, too. So, if it were me, I'd move over and try living without a car for awhile and see if it works. You can always catch a cab if you get too many groceries at the store or rent a car for a day if you want to move furniture or something. If you get a bicycle or moped, get some really good locks for it and don't be surprised if it is stolen anyway. Bicycle and moped theft is a big problem on Oahu, especially around the university area, but violence is usually rare. Motorcycles are stolen less often, perhaps because they have licenses, although they still get stolen occasionally. But, get good locks and be aware of possible theft.
If you don't rent a furnished apartment, there's loads of yard sales (maybe they are called "boot sales" in your area?) each Saturday morning. Go to a busy street corner and look for signs that say "yard sale" and follow the arrows. You'll be able to get household stuff at a fraction of retail price. Folks are always moving to and away from the islands, so there's always household stuff changing hands. Plates, cups, linens, coffee makers, furniture, clothes, etc., etc.
For clothing, anything synthetic is miserable to wear due to our heat and humidity. So, natural materials and lighter materials. You'll maybe want a light jacket, but nothing much heavier. It usually rains rather a bit occasionally, but folks don't usually wear a raincoat. Sometimes there will be an umbrella, but that's about the only rain protection most folks use. It's a warm rain and doesn't usually last long, that might be why.
There's Elephant and Castle pub out in Aiea and O'Toole's Irish pub downtown where you may find a pint more to the flavors you may be used to, but maybe not. I'm not sure how authentic they are. There used to be a Rose and Crown in Waikiki, dunno if it's still there or not.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
