Arriving the Big Island
Unless you are arriving by cruise ship, more than likely you are
arriving by airplane. There are two commercial airports on the Big
Island of Hawaii,
Kona Keahole
International Airport and
Hilo General
Lyman International Airport. Both airports are open-air, quick
to arrive and depart, and all the major rental
car companies are available. Additionally, depending on which
Big Island Hotel you are checking into, an
airport shuttle bus may be provided. The Kona Keahole Airport is
located 7 miles to the north of the town of
Kailua-Kona and about 17 miles south of the
Kohala Coast resorts.
Arrange for the spirit of Aloha to
meet you at the airport - check out the Big Island Airport Lei Greetings.
Taxis are readily available at both
Kona and Hilo airports. In Hilo call Ace-1 (tel. (808) 935-8303). In
Kailua-Kona call Kona Airport Taxi (tel. (808) 329-7779). Taxis will take
you wherever you want to go on the Big Island, but it's prohibitively
expensive to use them for long distances.
Rental Vehicles
Unlike the island of Oahu, the Big Island is vast, the attractions are
spread out, and the island lacks any significant public transportation.
We highly recommend you rent a car when visiting the Big Island. You can rent a car,
a convertible Jeep, an SUV, a motor scooter, and even a Harley Davidson motorcycle on the
Big Island. Motor scooters are convenient in and around the town
of Kailua-Kona, but I wouldn't venture any farther than that. If
you rent a car you will be able to travel around most of the island.
However, there are several locations and attractions that are only
accessible by rough, barely-paved roads, such as
Kekaha Kai State Park, South
Point, and a few other beach parks. Additionally, you should
consider renting a 4-Wheel Drive SUV on the
Big Island - there are
4x4-only roads that lead to the summit of the Mauna Kea Volcano, down
the rugged road to South Point, and descend
into the Waipio Valley - note that all rental car agreements are void on
many trails and off-road, and you should not take a rental car or SUV there (even
if you think you can make it)!
Other vehicles that are available
for rent include motor scooters and Harley Davidson motorcycles.
the motor scooters are very convenient to get around Kailua town and the
nearby beaches, however, you won't be able to ride them any further than
that. Driving around
the Big Island is scenic and enjoyable - and makes for a perfect
Harley ride.
How to Get There
The road system is easy to navigate on the Big Island. Unlike
Oahu, you won't find large highways congested with rush-hour traffic.
Instead one road takes you all the way around the perimeter of the Big
Island (Route 11/19) and one road cuts across the center of the island
between the two volcanoes (Saddle Road) - see map.
Since the Big Island is so large, depending on how active you are, you
will likely find yourself driving great distances each day. On a
recent trip to the Big Island we put on more than one thousand miles on
our car in ten days! Driving is easy here and the speed limit
never exceeds 55 mph. However, there are many places that are not
well marked by signs. Before you head out to discover a remote
beach or hiking trail, make sure you double check a good map. GPS
receivers
are much more prevalent nowadays, and we find ours invaluable on the Big
Island.
It will take you approximately 2.5
hours to drive from Kailua-Kona to Hilo (Waimea
town is a good stopping point for food and gas), about 45 minutes to get
from Hilo to the Volcano and 2.5 hours to get from Kona to the Volcano.
Check out our Big Island
Driving Guide for the best scenic drives on the island. View
our chart below for approximate drive times around the Big Island, click
on the "view map" link to see driving directions and printable online
maps:
| Kona to
Hilo |
2 hours, 30 minutes |
view map |
| Kona to
Waimea |
1 hour |
view map |
| Kona to
Hawi/North Kohala |
1 hour, 20 minutes |
view map |
| Kona to
Volcano |
2 hours, 30 minutes |
view map |
| Kona to
Na'alehu / South Point |
1 hour, 40 minutes |
view map |
| |
|
|
| Hilo to
Kona |
2 hours, 30 minutes |
view map |
| Hilo to
Waimea |
1 hour, 30 minutes |
view map |
| Hilo to
Hawi/North Kohala |
2 hours |
view map |
| Hilo to
Volcano |
45 minutes |
view map |
| Hilo to
Na'alehu / South Point |
2 hours, 15 minutes |
view map |
| |
|
|
| Waimea
to Kona |
1 hour |
view map |
| Waimea
to Hilo |
1 hour, 30 minutes |
view map |
| Waimea
to Hawi/North Kohala |
40 minutes |
view map |
| Waimea
to Volcano |
2 hours, 10 minutes |
view map |
| Waimea
to Na'alehu / South Point |
2 hours, 40 minutes |
view map |
Parking is at a premium in the town
of Kailua-Kona. There are some free parking areas in town, but
most lots are pay-for-parking. There is a nice large public
parking lot behind the Coconut Grove Marketplace on Kuakini Hwy (see
map).
Travel Planning Advice
Budgeting your
time when planning your Big Island vacation can be difficult
based on time to drive to all the attractions. Check
out our handy Big Island Trip
Itineraries article that gives you sample itineraries
for 1,2 and 7-day trips. |
Maps and Advice
When traveling to the town of Hilo,
make sure you bring along a map. In the old downtown area, there
are a lot of one-way streets, take caution. Additionally, parking
can be hard to find here. There is a strip of free public parking
along the waterfront on Bayfront Hwy.
There are plenty of Big Island maps
on the tourist pamphlets at the airport, hotels, and visitor kiosks.
In these pamphlets you will find detailed maps and driving guides for
Kona, Kohala, Hilo, Waimea, as well as the rest of the island.
Grab a few of these and keep them in your car for easy reference.
No matter where you drive to on the
island, make sure you secure your car. Do not leave any valuables
in plain view, and if possible do not leave anything at all in the
vehicle (nothing on the seats, nothing on the console, nothing on the
dashboard). Petty car theft is popular on the island, especially at
isolated parking locations near beaches and hiking trails. The
best thing to do is not offer any temptation - lock the doors and empty
the car.
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