There are many ways to get from place to place in Hawaii. From trolleys and taxicabs to one of America’s finest bus systems, you’ll find a number of convenient transportation options at your disposal.
Rental Cars
Most visitors get around by renting a car. Hawaii has all the major car rental companies, including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, National, Thrifty and others. Service desks are located at the airports and at major hotels.
Uber and Lyft are also available on the major islands.
InterIsland Travel
Island hopping is done via interisland airlines, primarily Hawaiian Airlines. Hawaiian Air is known for its great customer service, earning the #1 ranking in overall quality from the Airline Quality Rating study in 3 of the past 4 years. G0! Mokulele is another option that is generally a little less expensive, but you’re flying in a small aircraft and it can be a bumpy ride.
Resort Shuttles
Many resorts provide shuttle transportation within the area. Check your hotel concierge for more information.
Oahu
On Oahu, many visitors choose to explore the islands via TheBus, the City & County of Honolulu’s award-winning bus system. TheBus was twice named “America’s Best Transit System” in the past decade (most recently in 2000-01). As a result, Reader’s Digest recently named TheBus to its “America’s 100 Best” list, which spotlighted people, places, inventions and ideas that make “the nation worth celebrating.”
“New York hauls the most people, and Chicago does a fine job of moving its citizens through the wind, sleet, and snow,” the magazine noted. “But TheBus, as it’s known in Oahu, has them beat.”
TheBus currently offers 93 routes serving the entire island. There are approximately 4,200 bus stops on Oahu. According to the City & County of Honolulu, TheBus travels approximately 21.5 million miles each year with a fleet of 535 buses. Weekday ridership is about 68 million annually.
Another popular option is the Waikiki Trolley, which takes passengers to a number of Oahu’s most popular visitor attractions, including the Waikiki Aquarium, King Kamehameha Statue, Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum and more. The open-air trolleys provide a pleasant way to get you from place to place. Full-day and four-day passes are available.
Maui
The Maui Bus Public Transit System provides service in and between Central, South, West, Haiku, and Upcountry Maui. The bus operates 7 days a week including holidays. You can view bus routes here.
In addition, the Maui Bus Commuter Service is designed to help with early morning and evening commutes. View commuter routes here.
Kauai
The Kauai Bus provides service from Hanalei to Kekaha. The cost is $2. Monthly passes, as well as discounts for children and seniors, are available.
Big Island
The Hele-On Bus offers free islandwide passenger service on all scheduled routes.
There are no municipal bus services on Molokai or Lanai.