u/Jumpy_Constant9329

Hi everyone,

we’re traveling to Hawaii from Austria and will be renting cars during our trip.

Does anyone know if an International Driving Permit (IDP) is actually required when renting/driving a car in Hawaii with an Austrian/EU driver’s license?
I’ve found conflicting information online, so I’d especially appreciate hearing from Europeans who have rented a car in Hawaii recently.

Did you need an IDP at the rental counter, or was your regular EU driver’s license enough?

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

We will be spending 7 days on Maui as part of a 22-day trip to all four Hawaiian islands.

A little about us:
We don’t snorkel, so we’re skipping Molokini and other snorkeling tours.
We enjoy scenic drives, beaches, waterfalls, viewpoints, good food, and easy to moderate hikes.
We already have our Kai Luna Creations workshop booked on Day 5 (1:00 PM).
Here’s our current plan:

Day 1
- Arrive on Maui
- Pick up rental car
- Check in & dinner

Day 2
- Chocolate farm
- Kahului
- Makawao

Day 3
- Haleakalā sunrise
- Explore the summit area
- Makena Beach

Day 4
First part of the Road to Hana
- Rainbow Eucalyptus
- Twin Falls
- Keʻanae
- Waterfalls
- Haleakalā sunset

Day 5
- Ho’okipa Beach
- Kai Luna workshop (1:00 PM)
- Paia
- Ho’okipa for sunset

Day 6
Second part of the Road to Hana
- Waiʻānapanapa
- Hana
- Red Sand Beach
- Koki Beach
- Hamoa Beach
- Pipiwai Trail

Day 7
- ʻĪao Valley
- Return rental car
- Flight to Big Island

Does this itinerary make sense, or would you change anything?

- Are we trying to fit in too much anywhere?
- Any stops you would skip or replace?
- Anything we’re missing that you think is a must-see?
- Would you shorten Maui by a day and spend that extra day on another island instead?

Thanks! I’d love to hear what you’d change if this were your itinerary.

Hi everyone!

My girlfriend and I are visiting Hawaii for 22 days this September and want to visit all four main islands:

- Oʻahu
- Kauaʻi
- Maui
- Big Island

We enjoy scenic drives, viewpoints, beaches, good food, waterfalls, and easy to moderate hikes. We’re not big snorkelers or hardcore hikers, so we’re focusing more on exploring each island.

How would you divide the 22 days between the islands?

I’d love to hear how you’d split 22 days if you were planning this trip today.

Hi everyone!

We’ll be visiting Maui in September and I’m trying to figure out exactly when reservations/time slots become available for ʻĪao Valley State Monument and Waiʻānapanapa State Park.

I know both can be booked 30 days in advance, but I’m a little confused about the exact release time.

- Do new dates/time slots for both parks open at 12:00 AM (midnight) HST exactly 30 days before?
- Has anyone booked either of them recently and can confirm?

Just want to make sure I’m online at the right time, especially for Waiʻānapanapa.
Thanks!

Hi everyone,

we’ll be visiting Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Maui and the Big Island in September and will rent a car on each island.
What type of car would you recommend for each island?

We’re considering a regular car, SUV, Jeep Wrangler or convertible. No serious off-roading planned, just exploring the islands and the usual sights/scenic drives.
Would love to hear what you chose and whether you’d do it again!
Thanks!

Hi everyone!
My girlfriend and I (24 & 25) are visiting Kauaʻi in early September for 5 days. We love beautiful scenery, beaches, viewpoints and easy walks, but we’re not really into long or difficult hikes.

Here’s our current itinerary:

Day 1 – Arrival
- Arrive in the afternoon
- Pick up rental car
- Check in (Wailua)

Day 2 – East Coast
- Helicopter tour (9:30 AM)
- Wailua Falls
- Opaekaa Falls & Kamokila Lookout
- Lydgate Beach Park

Day 3 – South Coast
- Na Pali boat tour (8:00 AM)
- Spouting Horn
- Poipu Beach
- Old Koloa Town
- Maha’ulepu Heritage Trail (short section)

Day 4 – West Side
- Sunrise at Waimea Canyon
- Pu’u Hinahina Lookout
- Kalalau Lookout
- Red Dirt Falls
- Waimea Town
- Hanapepe Friday Night Art Walk

Day 5 – North Shore
- Kilauea Lighthouse Lookout Point
- Tunnels Beach
- Lumahai Beach
- Queen’s Bath
- Hanalei Valley Lookout
- Hanalei Town
- Hanalei Bay for sunset

A few questions:

Does this itinerary seem realistic?
Would you skip or replace anything?
Any hidden gems, food recommendations or must-see stops along these routes?
Any parking, traffic or timing tips?
Anything that’s overrated and not worth the stop?

Thanks! Looking forward to your suggestions. 🌴🤙

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I are visiting Oahu for the first time this September. We enjoy sightseeing, beautiful beaches, scenic drives, and a few hikes, but we’re not looking for anything too extreme.

We’ve put together the following itinerary and would love to hear your thoughts. Is it realistic? Are we trying to do too much? Is there anything you would skip or replace?

Day 2

* Diamond Head Trail
* Waikiki Beach
* Kalākaua Avenue
* Ala Moana Center
* International Market Place
* Free Hula Show
* Waikiki Beach fireworks

Day 3

* Koko Head Trail
* Lanai Lookout
* Halona Blowhole Lookout
* Halona Beach Cove
* Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trail
* Makapuʻu Lookout
* Waimānalo Beach
* Nuʻuanu Pali Lookout

Day 4

* Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden
* Kualoa Ranch
* Kaʻaʻawa Beach Park
* Kailua Beach
* Lanikai Beach
* Lanikai Pillbox Trail

Day 5

* Laniakea Beach
* Shark’s Cove
* Banzai Pipeline
* Haleiwa
* Dole Plantation
* Tantalus Lookout

Day 6

* Pearl Harbor / USS Arizona Memorial
* Flight in the afternoon

A few questions:

* Does this route make sense, or would you change the order of anything?
* Are there any stops that are overrated or not worth the time?
* Are we missing any must-see places along these routes?
* Is there anything we should know about parking, traffic, or timing for these days?

Thanks in advance! We’d really appreciate any tips from people who’ve been to Oahu.

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I are planning a 3-week trip to Hawaii in September and are currently comparing rental car options.

We’re wondering what most people actually do when it comes to insurance.
Note: We are not living in the US.

- Do you just book the standard insurance with the rental company?
- Do you add any extra coverage?
- Or do you book through sites like Expedia with full coverage?

We’re mainly concerned about things like theft, break-ins, damage to windows or tires. We’d like to avoid any unexpected costs but also don’t want to pay for unnecessary insurance.

How do you usually do it, and would you recommend anything based on your experience?

Thanks!

Hi everyone!

My girlfriend and I are planning our first trip to Hawaii this September. We want to visit Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island, and we're planning to stay in Hawaii for 22 days.

For those of you who have done the same (or a similar) trip:

- Was 22 days enough, or would you recommend more or fewer days?
- How many days did you spend on each island
- Looking back, would you change the amount of time you spent on any island?
- Did you feel rushed, or did you have enough time to enjoy each island?

We're just trying to get a feeling for what most people did and whether our plan is realistic.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

Hallo zusammen,

meine Freundin und ich planen im September unsere erste Hawaii-Reise. Wir möchten Oahu, Kauai, Maui und Big Island besuchen und insgesamt 22 Tage auf Hawaii verbringen.

Jetzt fragen wir uns, ob 22 Tage für alle vier Inseln ausreichend sind.

Deshalb würden uns eure Erfahrungen interessieren:

- Habt ihr ebenfalls alle vier Inseln besucht?
- Wie viele Tage wart ihr insgesamt auf Hawaii?
- Wie viele Tage habt ihr auf jeder Insel verbracht
- Hattet ihr das Gefühl, dass die Zeit gereicht hat, oder würdet ihr heute mehr bzw. weniger Tage einplanen?

Wir möchten einfach ein Gefühl dafür bekommen, wie andere ihre Reise aufgeteilt haben und ob unser Plan mit 22 Tagen realistisch ist.

Vielen Dank schon einmal für eure Erfahrungen und Tipps!

Hi everyone!

My girlfriend and I are planning our first trip to Hawaii this September. We want to visit Oahu, Kauai, Maui, and the Big Island, and we’re planning to stay in Hawaii for 22 days.

For those of you who have done the same (or a similar) trip:

- Was 22 days enough, or would you recommend more or fewer days?
- How many days did you spend on each island
- Looking back, would you change the amount of time you spent on any island?
- Did you feel rushed, or did you have enough time to enjoy each island?

We’re just trying to get a feeling for what most people did and whether our plan is realistic.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are planning our first trip to Hawaii in September and we’ll have 3 weeks** **available.

We’re looking for advice on the **best island-hopping route** and how many days we should spend on each island.

Our priorities are:
\- Beautiful beaches 🏝️
\- Nature & hiking 🥾
\- Volcanoes 🌋
\- Scenic drives 🚗
\- Some relaxation, but also plenty to explore

We’re currently considering islands like:
\- Oahu
\- Maui
\- Kauai
\- Big Island

Questions:

1. Which islands would you recommend for a 3-week trip?
2. How many days would you spend on each island?
3. What route would you choose
4. Are there any must-do activities or places we shouldn’t miss?

We’re traveling from Europe, so this will probably be a once-in-a-lifetime trip and we’d like to find a good balance between seeing a lot and not constantly packing and flying between islands.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a trip in July from Munich (MUC) to Honolulu (HNL):
Lufthansa: MUC → DEN
United: DEN → HNL

I’ve been to the US several times before, so I’m familiar with immigration and customs, but I’ve never entered the US and then connected to another flight on the same trip.
I’m mainly curious about the overall process in Denver:

- What exactly happens after landing from Munich?
- Do I need to collect my checked baggage and recheck it, or is it transferred automatically?
- How long does immigration, customs, baggage recheck and TSA usually take at DEN?
- Is there anything I should know about connecting from Lufthansa to United?
- Would you consider a 2h15 layover comfortable for this connection in July?

I’d appreciate any recent experiences, especially from people who have connected through Denver on an international-to-domestic itinerary.

Thanks! ✈️🌴