If you are living on Oahu it’s possible to get around without a car. Of course nothing beats the convenience of having your own wheels to go where you want when you want, but if finances are tight you might consider getting a bus pass. For $40.00 you can take The Bus island-wide. It’s safe and reliable with an excellent route structure. You can learn more by visiting http://www.thebus.org.

There is limited public transportation on the outer islands. Most residents opt to purchase a car or at least have a roommate with a car so they can take full advantage of all their new home has to offer. Craigslist and the classified section of the newspapers are a good source for finding used vehicles.

Shipping your car is an option but it’s not cheap and it takes three to four weeks. If you are on the West coast then you might want to consider it. If you have the time you can also drive to Los Angeles or San Francisco or another West coast port and ship your car from there. Below are several sources for shipping cars and household goods to Hawai’i.

http://www.matson.com
http://www.horizon-lines.com