Travel to Honolulu

Flying to Honolulu

There are no direct flights to Honolulu from the UK. The quickest way to reach the city is via the west coast of the USA, changing planes in Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle. A stopover in Vancouver also allows a relatively speedy journey. Airlines offering through tickets include American Airlines, Delta, United, Air Canada, and British Airways/Alaska Airlines. Hawaiian Airlines also operates direct flights from within the USA.

Flight times

From London - 18 hours 30 minutes (including stopover); New York - 11 hours 30 minutes; Los Angeles - 6 hours; Toronto - 10 hours 30 minutes; Sydney - 9 hours 40 minutes.

Travel by road

Traffic drives on the right in Hawaii and the minimum age for unsupervised driving is 16, though you usually have to be at least 21 to hire a car. Foreign visitors need a valid national driving licence, though an International Driving Permit may be required if your licence isn't in English; check with your car hire company.

Speed limits are 40kph (25mph) in built-up areas, 72-89kph (45-55mph) outside built-up areas and 89-97kph (55-60mph) on freeways.

AAA Hawaii (tel: +1 808 593 2221; www.aaa.com) can provide information and may offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries.

Emergency breakdown services

AAA (tel: +1 800 222 4357).

Routes

Oahu is an island so you can't drive to Honolulu from any other destination. Three freeways link the city with Oahu's largest outlying communities: H-1 runs east-west, H-2 runs north-south toward the leeward coast and H-3 runs north-south in the eastern sector as a connection with the windward side.

If you are planning to explore the island on your own in a hire car, be aware that rush-hour traffic can add an hour or more to your travel time. Avoid driving into Honolulu from 0600 to 0900 and out of the city from 1530 to 1830 on weekdays.

Coaches

TheBus (tel: +1 808 848 5555; www.thebus.org) runs a good bus service throughout Oahu.

Time to city

From Pearl City - 30 minutes; Kailua - 30 minutes; Kawela Bay - 1 hour 15 minutes.