Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [487]
Pacific Wings (888-575-4546; www.pacificwings.com) Charter single-engine Cessnas between all the islands except for Kaua’i.
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BICYCLE
Realistically, cycling as the primary mode of transportation can be challenging. All islands have narrow highways with dangerous traffic and changeable weather. Long-distance cycling is best done with the support of a tour group, but if you’re adventurous and in good shape, it can be done on your own. Some islands are better for this than others, so turn to the opening Activities section of island chapters for specifics.
If you want to travel among islands, remember that interisland flights charge $35 (or more) to transport your bike.
Bringing your own bike to Hawaii costs $100 (or more) on flights from the US mainland. The bicycle can be checked at the airline counter, the same as any baggage, but you’ll need to box it or prepare the bike by wrapping the handlebars and pedals in foam or by fixing the handlebars to the side and removing the pedals. For more on flying your bike, see the International Bicycle Fund (www.ibike.org).
In general, bicycles are required to follow the same state laws and rules of the road as cars. For more cycling information, as well as maps of current and proposed bike lanes by island, see the state Department of Transportation (www.state.hi.us/dot/highways/bike/bikeplan). See also the Getting Around sections of island chapters, and for a list of great rides, p83.
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BOAT
Interisland ferry service is surprisingly limited in Hawaii. Currently, only Moloka’i (Click here) and Lana’i (Click here) have regular, passenger-only public ferry service, and both are served only from Lahaina, Maui. In addition, Norwegian Cruise Line (866-234-0292; www.ncl.com) is the only company that operates a cruise between the Hawaiian Islands that starts and ends in Hawaii. Seven-day interisland cruises make round-trips from Honolulu and visit the four main islands.
From 2007 to early 2009, Hawaii Superferry (www.hawaiisuperferry.com) ran a high-speed, passenger-and-car ferry service between Honolulu and Maui (with planned service between Honolulu and the Big Island). However, it was forced to shut down in March 2009 when the State Supreme Court ruled that it had violated the state constitution by not first completing an environmental impact statement; for the complete story, Click here. Whether Superferry or a similar ferry service will ever sail again is anyone’s guess, but it’s unlikely in the near future.
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BUS
O’ahu’s excellent islandwide public system, called The Bus (Click here), makes O’ahu the easiest island to navigate without a car. Schedules are frequent, service is reliable and fares are $2 per ride regardless of your destination.
Public bus systems that run on the Neighbor Islands are geared solely to resident commuters; service is infrequent and limited to main towns, sometimes bypassing tourist destinations entirely. After O’ahu’s, the next best system is the Maui Bus (Click here), but it doesn’t stop at West Maui beaches or Haleakalā National Park.
The Big Island’s Hele-On Bus (Click here) is free and will get you around to most island towns (and includes Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park), but service is still too limited for sightseeing.
The limited Kaua‘i Bus (Click here) can take visitors between the major island towns and as far north as Hanalei, but doesn’t include Waimea Canyon.
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CAR
The majority of visitors to Hawaii rent their own vehicles, particularly US visitors to Neighbor Islands. So to most of you, we say: read on.
The minimum age for driving in Hawaii is 18 years, though car-rental companies usually have higher age restrictions. If you’re under 25 years, you should call the car-rental agencies in advance to check their policies regarding restrictions and surcharges.
Automobile Associations
The American Automobile Association