Fly During Off-Peak Times and Volunteer to Get Bumped
Airplane tickets are often the most costly part of a traveler’s budget. Avoiding the holidays, college breaks, and traveling during the fall are good ways to save on airfare. Signing up for flight alerts and traveling with flexible dates will trim your costs even further. If you must travel during peak times, ask the airline receptionist if they’re accepting volunteers when you check your baggage. You can occasionally score a free flight by being bumped to a later one.
Image via Flickr by Håkan Dahlström
Stay in a Hostel
Staying in a hostel isn’t as scary as most people think. They’re usually clean, orderly, and the people staying there are often young, friendly, and thrilled to be traveling just like you. Staying in a hostel is an easy way to cut your costs by more than half because some hostels cost less than $30 a night before tax. If you’re too modest to share a room with complete strangers, browse through hotels online by price until you find one that suits your needs. Whatever option you decide, hotels and hostels in Honolulu are easily searchable through sites like Gogobot.
Plan Your Meals and Ask About Deals
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Getting caught in a tourist trap during meal times because of poor planning will quickly eat up your food budget. Sign up for sites like Groupon before your flight and subscribe to local deals in Honolulu. Some restaurants run promotions on certain days for cheap eats.
Believe it or not you can get some great deals on sunset dinner cruises! Not only can you enjoy a beautiful Oahu sunset, you can get a great meal at a discount.
Another thing you can do is ask the locals or the hotel staff is a great way to find these places. There are many mobile-friendly websites which sort restaurants by their meal prices. If you venture out during the day, make sure to pack plenty of snacks to avoid gorging at expensive restaurants later.
Hit the Beach
Image via Flickr by jdnx
Unless you rent snorkeling equipment or a surfboard, hitting the beach in Honolulu is generally free. A number of museums, parks, and hiking destinations in Honolulu are also free. Ask your hotel concierge to direct you to locations with free live music, luaus, and other cultural events.
Take Public Transportation
Image via Flickr by Simon_sees
Many people explore Honolulu without renting a car, but taking the bus everywhere does take time. Also, the northern part of the island will be more difficult to explore. The bus in Honolulu is fairly reasonable, but many find it slow and unreliable. Waiting for a late bus in the hot Hawaiian sun is not very fun and service stops at 10:00 P.M. If you decide to rely on the bus, 4-day passes are available for $35.
Some visitors can take advantage of Roberts Hawaii Express Shuttle because it travels between the airport and all hotels in Waikiki. Taxis are available, but they aren’t cheap. Share your plans with fellow travelers for potential carpooling solutions. If you find anyone traveling to the same place as you, suggest traveling together to prevent missing any ride sharing opportunities.
