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Questions on going to Hawaii in December: hotel/car
Old 08-29-2008, 07:40 AM   #1
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Questions on going to Hawaii in December: hotel/car

We're going to Oahu in early December, first time ever in Hawaii. Looking at the Waikiki Beach Marriott - I saw a deal on Orbitz for 7 nights there plus a rental car for $1150 (including taxes & fees). Is this a good value? I noticed that the hotel charges an outrageous $24/day for self parking (this is as much as the rental car itself). Do I need to have the car the entire time or can we get around on the bus? I don't know if it's realistic to take the bus outside of Waikiki, e.g. to the north shore and polynesian cultural center. If I do have the car, are there any cheaper places to park it in that area and just walk a few blocks? Or will it get broken into?

Any other tips or recommendations for a visit to Oahu? Appreciate your info!
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Old 08-29-2008, 08:28 AM   #2
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Having a car in Waikiki is a pain! Most tourist never leave Waikiki except to go to the Ala Moana Shopping Center just outside of Waikiki and that is easily reached on foot or by bus. Free parking in Waikiki can be accomplished if that is your vacation "mission" but I'd rather be on the beach.

Most people with cars only use them 1 or two days max. One day to leave early and do the circle island thing and maybe another for Pearl Harbor, Bishop Museum and intown touring. Traffic is BAD and most attractions will provide transportation and it's just easier to get to most things by bus like Chinatown, Aloha Tower etc. where parking is also horrible.

Is $1,150 just for the 7 nite hotel and car package per person double occupancy airfare not included? That's on the high end but you are going in a peak month and probably getting ocean view rooms. Usually it's better to get the air in the package.
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Old 08-29-2008, 09:55 AM   #3
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The $1,150 is just for the hotel and car, airfare was booked on FF miles. The room is a "partial ocean view" but I am not expecting grand vistas. Certainly there are cheaper hotels on kayak.com but their reviews on tripadvisor make me nervous, as DW doesn't want to stay in a dump.

I thought the car would be handy as we'd like to see more of the island than just Waikiki - we're not going to sit on the beach for 7 days straight. But if the bus service is decent, then maybe the car is more trouble than it's worth.
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Old 08-29-2008, 09:57 AM   #4
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Many car companies will bring a car to your hotel so you can rent for a day or so. If it was me I would vote no car and only rent one the day/days that I knew I was going to leave the beach.

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Old 08-29-2008, 10:01 AM   #5
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My research on Waikiki has convinced me not to rent a car for the week, but to rent on a daily basis, when we go to the North Shore.
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Old 08-29-2008, 10:49 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by soupcxan View Post
The $1,150 is just for the hotel and car, airfare was booked on FF miles.
Well I jst got a quote for Waikiki Beach Marriot 12/9-12/17 partial ocean view thru Pleasant Holiday that includes airfare from LA, don't know where you are, for $1767 + 655tax=2422 so if you figure 1 week car at about 250 the the $1150 X 2 = 2300-250=2050+ airfare. $2422-2050=Total airfare for 2 from LA at $372.

Might want to save the FF miles for another trip. May work out different depending on your actual dates and where you're flying from. When I would go to Hawaii to deal with my condo I would just pay for the flight since I was staying in my unit but if someone was coming along to help we'd usually book a package and let friends stay at the hotel or use it as the party place since it was usually cheaper to book air and Hotel per person double occupancy than to just book two flights. Of course this has been awhile since I've done this and the Hotels were the cheaper ones since I wasn't going to be staying there. YMMV
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Old 08-29-2008, 07:04 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by soupcxan View Post
I noticed that the hotel charges an outrageous $24/day for self parking (this is as much as the rental car itself). Do I need to have the car the entire time or can we get around on the bus? I don't know if it's realistic to take the bus outside of Waikiki, e.g. to the north shore and polynesian cultural center. If I do have the car, are there any cheaper places to park it in that area and just walk a few blocks? Or will it get broken into?
You have to decide which is more important to you-- saving $24/day or having go-at-a-moment's-notice convenience. "Both" is not an option.

There's no free parking in Waikiki. There are cheaper garages (or, for the military, the garage at Fort DeRussy/Hale Koa) but there's always a risk of break-ins. Oahu has very little violent/personal crime but plenty of property crime.

BTW the parking isn't expensive, the rental car is really really cheap. It's subsidized by the travel industry to get you to go places, and there are surcharges and taxes above & beyond the car's quoted price. However Waikiki parking places are still fewer than the number of cars and the Marriott is in the middle of primo high-demand real estate.

If you're planning to restrict your movement between Ala Moana & Diamond Head then you won't need a car. If you're planning to do Pearl Harbor, a circle-island drive, Polynesian Cultural Center, the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet... Da Bus and the shuttles will get old real fast. There's public & chartered transportation for all of those places but you'll be traveling with a group at the lowest common denominator of convenience. If you can vacation on a schedule, no problem. If you can decide to have a car for a day or two then you can catch a cab to an airport car rental place and be on the road in an hour. If you don't like planning ahead farther than the next frosty beverage or meal then a rental car for the week may be a better deal.

If you're planning to catch some North Shore surfing contests, watch the parasailers at Kailua or Mokuleia, ride a glider or a parachute at Dillingham Airfield, or find the "real" Oahu outside of Waikiki... then you're going to want a car.

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Any other tips or recommendations for a visit to Oahu? Appreciate your info!
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Old 08-29-2008, 08:07 PM   #8
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I'd have a car on Maui, but not on Oahu. Public buses are cheap and go everywhere you want to go ... even to/from the airport. Anyways, I used Da Bus the last (and only) time I was in Waikiki. But I also have to completely agree with Nords.
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Old 08-29-2008, 09:34 PM   #9
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At great personal risk I have to correct some statements made by Nords. The last time I did this I was "wished a nice life" and his panties are so bunched today that he attacked me totally unprovoked and called me a name but I hate to see misinformation about Oahu real estate and Waikiki conditions tossed out just to keep a high post count.

First, there are many (OK CFB & SamIam) over 1500 FREE parking spaces in Waikiki. Of course there are more than 1500 cars chasing those same spaces. Locals have an advantage because they know when and where spaces are going to "turn" and have a plan "B". If you have parking karma you could well find a free space everytime you need one but I would rather not play that game when I've spent several thousand dollars to be on vacation. Unless you're leaving valuables in plain view your car is as safe as anywhere in America,

Second, there are car rentals IN Waikiki. Pretty much every national outfit and several local outfits on Kalakaua, Kuhio and in some hotels. Wasting an hour ride out to the airport is not advised.

And thirdly, although parasailing, gliding and parachuting are FUN activities and even better when you're doing them in Hawaii I would question if that is THE real Oahu. Maybe for a military Haole living in a planned community, eating at Costco and buying "made in China" at a swapmeet but I have Hawaiian and born and raised in Hawaii friends that live in or near Waikiki that live the real Oahu, and tons of locals that don't live nearby who flock to Waikiki and Kapiolani Park for the beach, Sunset on the Beach (movies & food) parades, fairs and farmers market etc. I do encourage travel out of Waikiki but only to supplement the real Hawaii IN Waikiki.
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Old 08-29-2008, 11:45 PM   #10
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I am a frequent vacationer in Waikiki (twice a year while I am still working for reasons too long to explain here), and agree with Nords, disagree with Honobob.

We find that walking to Ala Moana is WAY too far, unless the walking is the goal (for us the shopping is the goal, not the getting there. Of course, we walk all up and down Kalakaua, but we shop every day at the mall or at WalMart. (Pls remember that we live in Asia most of the year and we spend a chunk of our time "re-stocking" on things that are hard to find here). We also find that there is only so much time you can sit at the beach/pool without getting fried.

On most of our visits, we stay at the Marriott, and we get the hotel/car package. The hotel is nice, the car package is reasonable, and we find that we don't like to be without the car.

We also have been to Guam numerous times, without a car, and it really is a pain to not be able to just pick up and go when you want to.

I vote for the Marriott with the car.

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Old 08-30-2008, 06:17 AM   #11
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I vote for the car... and pay for the parking. Seven days is simply too short a period of time for Hawaii -- especially the first time -- to be spending it hanging around at bus stops, walking the streets or driving around looking for a place to park. Ten days or even two weeks would be more enjoyable.

If you go for the car, it is important that you get (or, at the least, rent) a GPS device. Honolulu streets are VERY confusing for the rooky visitor -- not only the layout but the long foreign language names. (Okay, Hawaiian isn't that foreign... unless you are trying to read {eh, comprehend} it at 30 MPH in rush hour traffic which is from midnight of one day until midnight of the next.) Add to that the "Interstate" highway system which is conveniently placed to block access to everywhere YOU want to go.

There is so much to see in Honolulu that you can easily slip away from Waikiki for short periods to relieve the boredom -- the many Parks/Botanical Gardens for instance.

In any event, you will enjoy yourself no matter what takes place. So don't worry about it.
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Old 08-30-2008, 02:17 PM   #12
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All the hotels have a concierge that will hook you up with a trip to Pearl Harbor, Polynesia Cult center, whatever.
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Old 08-30-2008, 02:28 PM   #13
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Recommendation: Rent a car for one day, drive around the island. The rest of the time you can walk or take buses, etc. Plenty of stuff to do within walking distance.
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Old 09-01-2008, 07:49 PM   #14
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Having visited Hawaii as a tourist a dozen times, I can say you've received some good advice, even though some of it conflicts. Basically, you just have to decide what is most important to you and how much it's worth to you.

One thing to consider regarding car rental upon arrival at the airport: Most Hawaii packages include "airport transfers". If so, you can delete these (from your tour package) since you will have a car. I'm guessing a AT costs about $30 or so. So two people can save $60 or more to apply to the car rental. Also, I consider airport transfers (a small bus or huge limo) to be a hassle. You'll hit several other hotels on the way to yours and wait while your fellow passengers find their luggage and make you wait to start your real vacation.


An aside: The funniest true story about Hawaii tourists goes like this: DW and I were on said airport transfer bus with a couple dozen other travel-worn fellow passengers. A young woman with DH or BF said "We must be close to our hotel 'cause 'Sarah' said it was around the corner from the ABC store."

DW and I cracked up. We completely lost it right there on the bus. (Odd how jet lag and 8 hours of screaming kids on a plane removes your inhibitions.) Strangely, no one else so much as cracked a smile. They did all stare at us as if we were either insensitive boors or at least drunk. (OK, ok, probably both somewhat true in my case.)

DW and I gave each other knowing glances and then chuckled (quietly) some more. Apparently every one else on the bus was a first-timer - since there are about 65 ABC stores in Waikiki and NO Waikiki hotel is further than a block from one. Sometimes 2 or 3.

Ok, maybe you had to be there.


But seriously, RE OP: other tips or recommendations:

I've narrowed my "must do" things on Oahu to exactly one. Do the Navy tour to the Arizona memorial. Get there E-A-R-L-Y! (Call to find out the hours.) Only the Navy actually takes you out to the memorial and its FREE. But, it's first come - first served. You arrive and get a free ticket marked with the time you must board the Navy boat to the memorial. If you wait until 11:00 AM, it could be 3:00PM until your turn.

But DO go! You may be surprised by your emotions once you are on the memorial. This is powerful.

I hope you love your first Hawaii adventure half as much as I have enjoyed my least-favorite trip to Hawaii! If so, you will have gotten a bargain at twice the price. But, I'm prejudiced.

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Old 09-02-2008, 05:50 AM   #15
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I don't know about Oahu, but condo (usually thru vrbo.com) & car is always the way to go for us. (Just got back from a Hawaii/Maui trip a few weeks ago)

Went to Oahu 6 years ago & stayed in Waikiki at resort hotel on beach (employer paid for hotel) & rented a car on my own dime - we used the car extensively, glad we got it. (don't remember if I had to pay hotel parking or not - but would have if required)
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Old 09-04-2008, 05:05 PM   #16
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Thanks for the input. After much gnashing of teeth, we decided to split the week between Oahu and Maui. Yes, we're wasting a day in travel and it's substantially more expensive in total, but whatever. We're not likely to get back to Hawaii soon and hearing that the islands are so different, probably worth seeing them both. If we ever go back, we'll know which style we prefer. So we're getting a rental car both places and paying whatever parking fees the hotels levy. We're staying at the Marriott resort in Wailea and they may have a parking fee in addition to the "resort fee" which is all on top of the room rate. And the hospitality industry is hurting?

Road to Hana, here we come.
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Old 09-04-2008, 06:42 PM   #17
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Thanks for the input. After much gnashing of teeth, we decided to split the week between Oahu and Maui. Yes, we're wasting a day in travel and it's substantially more expensive in total, but whatever. We're not likely to get back to Hawaii soon and hearing that the islands are so different, probably worth seeing them both. If we ever go back, we'll know which style we prefer. So we're getting a rental car both places and paying whatever parking fees the hotels levy. We're staying at the Marriott resort in Wailea and they may have a parking fee in addition to the "resort fee" which is all on top of the room rate. And the hospitality industry is hurting?

Road to Hana, here we come.
I'm happy that you made this choice, soupcxan! You will love, love, love Maui! The road to Hana is exquisite and wonderous! Also, if you want to try snorkeling you are near prime beginners snorkeling off Wailea Beach.
But my favorite experience on Maui was to take the Pacific Whale Foundation boat trip to Molokini and Turtle arches. Fantastic snorkeling. Enjoy!

Just FYI, on Oahu, avoid driving to or from Waikiki on the major highways during commute hours. Very bad traffic.
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