Hawaii transport other than private cars

I am visiting the big island of Hawaii in January on a RTW trip from the
UK. I would like to stay in Kona for 3 nights and Hilo for 3 nights. I
do not drive. (I am thinking of the "Seaside" hotels).

What is the most practical method to get from one to the other?

I am informed that public transport is very limited on the island. On
the other hand, the island's own website talks of a free public
transport system. Would it be practicable for this particular journey
one time? I would very much like to hear from anyone that has used the
Hawaii big island public transport system.

I am informed that a taxi from one place to the other would be absurdly
expensive. That's vague. Could anyone estimate an actual figure? Is
there a place I can look up fares? Could someone reading this in Hawaii
put me in contact with a taxi driver for a quote?

The possibility of a flight from Kona to Hilo arises. Is that the sanest
idea?

Or would it be most sensible to stay in Kona for the whole period?

I am keen to fit in a whale-watching trip, which seems easiest from
Kona, but also to see something of the famous volcanic activity, which
seems easiest from Hilo.

Thanks for your help.

--
Andrew Nightingale of Cambridge (UK)

"Andrew Nightingale" wrote in message
...
I am visiting the big island of Hawaii in January on a RTW trip from the
UK. I would like to stay in Kona for 3 nights and Hilo for 3 nights. I do
not drive. (I am thinking of the "Seaside" hotels).

What is the most practical method to get from one to the other?

I am informed that public transport is very limited on the island. On the
other hand, the island's own website talks of a free public transport
system. Would it be practicable for this particular journey one time? I
would very much like to hear from anyone that has used the Hawaii big
island public transport system.

I am informed that a taxi from one place to the other would be absurdly
expensive. That's vague. Could anyone estimate an actual figure? Is there
a place I can look up fares? Could someone reading this in Hawaii put me
in contact with a taxi driver for a quote?

The possibility of a flight from Kona to Hilo arises. Is that the sanest
idea?

Or would it be most sensible to stay in Kona for the whole period?

I am keen to fit in a whale-watching trip, which seems easiest from Kona,
but also to see something of the famous volcanic activity, which seems
easiest from Hilo.

Thanks for your help.

--
Andrew Nightingale of Cambridge (UK)

Did a net search and came up with:

http://www.hawaii-county.com/mass_tr...ansit_main.htm

Tough to beat free with one US dollar per piece of luggage. And if you
want to see the volcano area, you need to get to the Kau area. Note that
the Hilo-Kau route/schedule has a stop at the visitor's center. On the
other hand, perhaps you can pick up a tour to the volcano area from either
Hilo or Kona, as per for example:

http://www.lavatours.com/kilauea.htm

http://www.hawaiifun.org/Polynesian+...+Falls.sht ml

http://www.hawaii-forest.com/adv-volcano.html

Do your own web search for other tour suggestions.

And yes, Keith Martin, I deem myself accountable for this information I
post.

didnt see much in way of public transportation
Volcano park is not so far from Kona either
Maybe you'll find Hilo a little depressing compared to Kona...especially if
you're without a car !
I didnt notice seaside hotels right near the downtown, so that would mean
lots of walking or taxiing ?


"Andrew Nightingale" a écrit dans le message de
...
I am visiting the big island of Hawaii in January on a RTW trip from the
UK. I would like to stay in Kona for 3 nights and Hilo for 3 nights. I do
not drive. (I am thinking of the "Seaside" hotels).

What is the most practical method to get from one to the other?

I am informed that public transport is very limited on the island. On the
other hand, the island's own website talks of a free public transport
system. Would it be practicable for this particular journey one time? I
would very much like to hear from anyone that has used the Hawaii big
island public transport system.

I am informed that a taxi from one place to the other would be absurdly
expensive. That's vague. Could anyone estimate an actual figure? Is there
a place I can look up fares? Could someone reading this in Hawaii put me
in contact with a taxi driver for a quote?

The possibility of a flight from Kona to Hilo arises. Is that the sanest
idea?

Or would it be most sensible to stay in Kona for the whole period?

I am keen to fit in a whale-watching trip, which seems easiest from Kona,
but also to see something of the famous volcanic activity, which seems
easiest from Hilo.

Thanks for your help.

--
Andrew Nightingale of Cambridge (UK)

Andrew Nightingale wrote:
I am visiting the big island of Hawaii in January on a RTW trip from the
UK. I would like to stay in Kona for 3 nights and Hilo for 3 nights. I
do not drive. (I am thinking of the "Seaside" hotels).

I would really rethink your trip. Without a car you will be stranded in
one place. There are so many great things to do on the Big Island; been
there twice, going back for a month this year. (check out my trip
report http://tinyurl.com/2cybkq ) but without a car? Nope... You
could take tours to different places each day - that would be the only
way to see the sites.

I would suggest, if you want to go to Hawaii for 6 days WITHOUT A CAR,
you would be better off in Honolulu where the terrific Oahu public
transportation system can get to to anywhere on the island cheaply and
efficiently. It is not as nice as the Big Island but you won't be
seeing much there, anyway.

Now, if you ride a bicycle, you can join all the Kona Ironman wannabes
riding up the Queen Kaahumanu highway.

"Andrew Nightingale" wrote in message
...
I am visiting the big island of Hawaii in January on a RTW trip from the
UK. I would like to stay in Kona for 3 nights and Hilo for 3 nights. I do
not drive. (I am thinking of the "Seaside" hotels).

What is the most practical method to get from one to the other?

I am informed that public transport is very limited on the island. On the
other hand, the island's own website talks of a free public transport
system. Would it be practicable for this particular journey one time? I
would very much like to hear from anyone that has used the Hawaii big
island public transport system.

I am informed that a taxi from one place to the other would be absurdly
expensive. That's vague. Could anyone estimate an actual figure? Is there
a place I can look up fares? Could someone reading this in Hawaii put me
in contact with a taxi driver for a quote?

The possibility of a flight from Kona to Hilo arises. Is that the sanest
idea?

Or would it be most sensible to stay in Kona for the whole period?

I am keen to fit in a whale-watching trip, which seems easiest from Kona,
but also to see something of the famous volcanic activity, which seems
easiest from Hilo.


I'm almost positive it would be cheaper to fly from Kona to Hilo than to
take a taxi which would probably be somewhere between two-hundred fifty and
six hundred dollars. But, look into the tour buses when you arrive, you'll
find a plethora of information both at the airport and at your hotel. I'm
sure all your questions here are quite common questions put to concierges at
hotels. Personally, I like Hilo (jungle side) better than the Kona side
(desert side) - so I'd recommend you stick with your initial plan. Hilo is
less touristy and much greener. Hilo does get much more rain, but no more
than a lot of places in the U.K. and the major difference is that the rain
in Hawaii isn't cold! You are invited to visit my Big Island of Hawaii
webpage at:
~ http://keith.martin.home.att.net/page9B.html - where you'll find no
pop-ups, no advertising, no cookies and nothing for sale! Bon voyage. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website view over 3,600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI, and
NBA, the White House, Academy Awards, 150 language translators!
Visit Hawaii, Israel and more at: http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

"Alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Andrew Nightingale" wrote in message
...
I am visiting the big island of Hawaii in January on a RTW trip from the
UK. I would like to stay in Kona for 3 nights and Hilo for 3 nights. I do
not drive. (I am thinking of the "Seaside" hotels).

What is the most practical method to get from one to the other?

I am informed that public transport is very limited on the island. On the
other hand, the island's own website talks of a free public transport
system. Would it be practicable for this particular journey one time? I
would very much like to hear from anyone that has used the Hawaii big
island public transport system.

I am informed that a taxi from one place to the other would be absurdly
expensive. That's vague. Could anyone estimate an actual figure? Is there
a place I can look up fares? Could someone reading this in Hawaii put me
in contact with a taxi driver for a quote?

The possibility of a flight from Kona to Hilo arises. Is that the sanest
idea?

Or would it be most sensible to stay in Kona for the whole period?

I am keen to fit in a whale-watching trip, which seems easiest from Kona,
but also to see something of the famous volcanic activity, which seems
easiest from Hilo.


I'm almost positive it would be cheaper to fly from Kona to Hilo than to
take a taxi which would probably be somewhere between two-hundred fifty
and six hundred dollars. But, look into the tour buses when you arrive,
you'll find a plethora of information both at the airport and at your
hotel. I'm sure all your questions here are quite common questions put to
concierges at hotels. Personally, I like Hilo (jungle side) better than
the Kona side (desert side) - so I'd recommend you stick with your initial
plan. Hilo is less touristy and much greener. Hilo does get much more
rain, but no more than a lot of places in the U.K. and the major
difference is that the rain in Hawaii isn't cold! You are invited to
visit my Big Island of Hawaii webpage at:

I can't think of many places on the mainland that get 130 inches of rain a
year. However, Hilo in January gets only about 9 inches; it's a relatively
dry month. And Kona is the most reliably dry and sunny area in the 4 main
islands. The airport in Kona is basically open-air. Some of the seats at the
gate lounges are covered by a roof however.

To the OP, even if public transportation doesn't work out, a flight between
Hilo and Kona and a patchwork of tours will get you around. The beautifully
lush Hamakua Coast and historic Waipio Valley would be another interesting
trip from Hilo.

But be sure you just spend some time relaxing.

Marianne

I agree with some of the other posters about checking into tour busses. They
are all over the place and not very expensive. You can call travel agents in
advance or get recommendations for tours from your hotel.

The Kona side of the island has sunnier beaches and fancier hotels, but
otherwise I think there is a lot more to do around Hilo.

"Alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Andrew Nightingale" wrote in message
...
I am visiting the big island of Hawaii in January on a RTW trip from the
UK. I would like to stay in Kona for 3 nights and Hilo for 3 nights. I do
not drive. (I am thinking of the "Seaside" hotels).

What is the most practical method to get from one to the other?

I am informed that public transport is very limited on the island. On the
other hand, the island's own website talks of a free public transport
system. Would it be practicable for this particular journey one time? I
would very much like to hear from anyone that has used the Hawaii big
island public transport system.

I am informed that a taxi from one place to the other would be absurdly
expensive. That's vague. Could anyone estimate an actual figure? Is there
a place I can look up fares? Could someone reading this in Hawaii put me
in contact with a taxi driver for a quote?

The possibility of a flight from Kona to Hilo arises. Is that the sanest
idea?

Or would it be most sensible to stay in Kona for the whole period?

I am keen to fit in a whale-watching trip, which seems easiest from Kona,
but also to see something of the famous volcanic activity, which seems
easiest from Hilo.

I'm almost positive it would be cheaper to fly from Kona to Hilo than to
take a taxi which would probably be somewhere between two-hundred fifty
and six hundred dollars. But, look into the tour buses when you arrive,
you'll find a plethora of information both at the airport and at your
hotel. I'm sure all your questions here are quite common questions put to
concierges at hotels. Personally, I like Hilo (jungle side) better than
the Kona side (desert side) - so I'd recommend you stick with your initial
plan. Hilo is less touristy and much greener. Hilo does get much more
rain, but no more than a lot of places in the U.K. and the major
difference is that the rain in Hawaii isn't cold! You are invited to
visit my Big Island of Hawaii webpage at:
~ http://keith.martin.home.att.net/page9B.html - where you'll find no
pop-ups, no advertising, no cookies and nothing for sale! Bon voyage. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website view over 3,600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI, and
NBA, the White House, Academy Awards, 150 language translators!
Visit Hawaii, Israel and more at: http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

My question to you, Keith, is whether you hold yourself accountable for both
what you post here and what is in that website of yours. That is, do you
stand behind your statements? I note no references/links/citations...just
plain unsubstantiated verbiage. In the lingo of islands, just talk, talk,
talk...aka "shooting off wid da mout". Or are you just blowing the usual
Hawaii tourist smoke stuff for which you do not hold yourself
accountable...stuff that sounds really, really good but when examined has no
substance? After all, you have yet to answer my question posed to you a
long time ago -

"Do you agree that a maker of a statement is accountable for that
statement? A simple 'yes' or 'no' from you will suffice."

Take, for example, that statement of yours today - "Hilo does get much more
rain, but no more than a lot of places in the U.K...." You hold yourself
accountable for those words as per Hilo getting "...no more than a lot of
places in the U.K...." as far as rain is concerned? You stand behind them?
If so, please indeed before all of us here back them up with
references/links/citations. Just to keep the analysis/comparisons on the
apples to apples level, please when providing those
references/links/citations use UK locales at sea level...as Hilo is.... with
population equal to or greater than that of Hilo. I say you are just
blowing smoke much as a squid shoots off a cloud of ink simply to confuse
and mislead.

Allow me to point out that the average annual rainfall in Hilo is of the
order of 130 inches plus per year as per the US National Weather Service:

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/pr/hnl/climate/phto_clim.php

And the average annual rainfall in each of Northern Ireland, Scotland,
England, and Wales...the entities that make up the United Kingdom...falls
far, far, far short of 130 inches, as per

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate...United_Kingdom

England - 44 inches
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/...l/england.html

Wales - 56 inches
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/...eal/wales.html

Northern Ireland - 43 inches
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/...n_ireland.html

Scotland - 60 inches
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/.../scotland.html

And average annual rainfall for a sea level locale with population equal to
or greater than Hilo in each of those entities:

England: Blackpool @ 53.30°N 3.70°W 30.6 inches
http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/...2100+0331201G1

Wales: Cardiff @ 51.40°N 3.30°W 36.2 inches
http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/...03+2100+03715W

Northern Ireland: Belfast @ 54.65°N 6.20°W 33.5 inches
http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/...06+2100+03917W

Scotland: Edinburgh @ 55.95°N 3.30°W 26.2 inches
http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/...03+2100+03160W

Instead of answering my accountability question - one which has a direct
bearing on your posts such as today's as I have demonstrated before all the
folks here - you instead employ the KM2 of ignoring my question....as per
today, the Keith Martin of non sequiturs, red herrings, and ad hominems...as
in your other post here in this newsgroup today, the Alvin Toda of crawling
away for awhile under your rock, and your six year old kid's taunt "Yes or
no. KM." Bottom line, you still duck my question on statement
accountability.

Quack, quack!

"Mimi" wrote in message
...
"Alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
I'm almost positive it would be cheaper to fly from Kona to Hilo than to
take a taxi which would probably be somewhere between two-hundred fifty
and six hundred dollars. But, look into the tour buses when you arrive,
you'll find a plethora of information both at the airport and at your
hotel. I'm sure all your questions here are quite common questions put
to concierges at hotels. Personally, I like Hilo (jungle side) better
than the Kona side (desert side) - so I'd recommend you stick with your
initial plan. Hilo is less touristy and much greener. Hilo does get
much more rain, but no more than a lot of places in the U.K. and the
major difference is that the rain in Hawaii isn't cold! You are invited
to visit my Big Island of Hawaii webpage at:

I can't think of many places on the mainland that get 130 inches of rain a
year.
He isn't from the mainland, nor did I refer to the mainland U.S., but,
rather the U.K. which isn't on the mainland, but is rather a group of
islands off the mainland of Europe and has climates similar to those of
Seattle & Vancouver, B.C., where it rains a lot. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website view over 3,600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI, and
NBA, the White House, Academy Awards, 150 language translators!
Visit Hawaii, Israel and more at: http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

"Alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
"Mimi" wrote in message
...
"Alohacyberian" wrote in message
...
I'm almost positive it would be cheaper to fly from Kona to Hilo than to
take a taxi which would probably be somewhere between two-hundred fifty
and six hundred dollars. But, look into the tour buses when you arrive,
you'll find a plethora of information both at the airport and at your
hotel. I'm sure all your questions here are quite common questions put
to concierges at hotels. Personally, I like Hilo (jungle side) better
than the Kona side (desert side) - so I'd recommend you stick with your
initial plan. Hilo is less touristy and much greener. Hilo does get
much more rain, but no more than a lot of places in the U.K. and the
major difference is that the rain in Hawaii isn't cold! You are invited
to visit my Big Island of Hawaii webpage at:

I can't think of many places on the mainland that get 130 inches of rain
a year.
He isn't from the mainland, nor did I refer to the mainland U.S., but,
rather the U.K. which isn't on the mainland, but is rather a group of
islands off the mainland of Europe and has climates similar to those of
Seattle & Vancouver, B.C., where it rains a lot. KM

Missed the K. However, none of these places gets nearly 130 inches of rain
per year. Seattle, for example, gets about 35 inches. It just rains slowly
(:-)

Hmmm. Maybe Lawrence has a point.

Marianne