What is the best way to get around Honolulu, where to park and how does public transportation work?

By car

It's only worth renting a car if you want to visit the whole island of Oahu in addition to Honolulu. Expect prices around 50 usd per day, all the big car rental companies are located right at the airport.

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While traffic in the city itself is not as dense as in cities in the continental US, it is still a foreign big city and therefore driving can be rather stressful for some.

Traffic signs to the most important places are clear and plentiful. However, the problem arises when parking. Hotels always offer free parking to their clients, but if you stay through the airbnb portal, choose accommodation outside the centre where there are paid parking zones everywhere and if the owner does not own a parking space, you may have a problem.

There are basically only 2 places along Waikiki beach where you can leave your car for free: Ala Wai Canal Drive and the Ala Moana Beach Park parking lot.

Buses

Honolulu is the only city in Hawaii with a dense and frequent bus service, and if you really want to make a short stop just in the city and Pearl Harbor, you can get by without a car altogether.

However, always plan your bus trip in advance according to the official website, where you can find maps and schedules. The bus stops do not show any such information, you will only find out the number of the line that runs along the route. If you have purchased a local sim card with data, the DaBus app will come in handy and show you the current departure times from the nearest stops in the area.

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Ticket prices and where to buy them?

The fare system is really quite simple. The same price applies to all connections on the island, whether you're going one stop around Honolulu or 50 miles across the island.

• 3 usd The ticket costs for 1 trip without a change and can only be bought from the driver in cash

It is much more convenient to buy a HOLO card, which can be loaded with any amount. You always attach the card to the reader at the driver only when boarding, you don't load the card at the exit. The fare for 1 ride is also charged 3 usd, but unlike a paper ticket, you can change buses at will for 2.5 hours. You always beep your card at the reader and if you are within the 2.5 hour limit, no extra amount is charged.

The HOLO card has a so-called "Daily cap" function, which effectively acts as a day ticket. In practice, it works so that no more than the HOLO card is ever debited in a calendar day. 7,50 usdno matter how often or where you go.

The only drawback of the HOLO card is that it cannot be bought at the airport. So for your first trip from the airport to the city centre, you need to buy a paper ticket from the driver and buy the HOLO card at one of the many places in the city.

• List of places to buy HOLO Card (holocard.net)
• up-to-date information on ticket prices (thebus.org)

Useful links:

• 19, 20 - running from the centre to the airport,
• E, 2, 8, 13, 19, 20, 22, 23 - passes Waikiki Beach,
• 20, 42 - go directly to the entrance of Pearl Harbor.