Tips on getting there and getting around

Here are some ways, and money-saving suggestions, on getting to and around the Hawaiian islands:

Flights

Getting to Hawaii can take a bite out of your budget; round-trip flights during peak times can cost around $600.

To save on flights, watch for sales and avoid holidays and school breaks; May and June can be good times to go as can October and November (prior to Thanksgiving). Tickets at those times can cost about $350, although you'll have to shop around. Summer isn't the deal it used to be as Hawaii has grown more popular for family summertime vacations.

From Seattle, there are nonstop flights to Honolulu on various carriers, including Northwest and Hawaiian airlines (which also flies nonstop to Maui). Hawaiian and Aloha are the major carriers for inter-island flights, but the new budget airline go! is trying to lure customers with fare wars, sometimes offering one-way flights between the islands for $29.

Check with airlines (and signup for e-mailed fare alerts); ask a travel agent; comparison-shop on travel sites such as Expedia, Orbitz or Cheap Tickets.

Rental cars

Most visitors to Hawaii want a rental car. However, if you're on a tight budget and based in Honolulu, you can easily do without one since the city and much of the island of Oahu have good bus service.

If you do rent a car:

• Book the smallest one you can cope with, such as an economy/compact. If you're lucky, you may be upgraded to a bigger vehicle without having to pay the higher rate, since small cars go quickly.

• Check what insurance coverage you have through your credit-card company and your own car insurance; you may be able to avoid buying pricey coverage from the rental company.

• Make sure you know car-rental companies' rules: Many forbid driving on nonpaved roads. You could be responsible for towing/repairs if you break down or have an accident.

• Check out packages that combine airfare and rental car; it can be a more economical way to go.

New inter-island ferry

If you want to travel by sea between islands, the Hawaii Superferry is scheduled to start service in July, with daily sailings between Honolulu and the islands of Kauai and Maui.

The 349-foot, catamaran-hull ferry will carry 866 passengers and 282 cars, with a sailing time of about three hours to each island. A second ferry is due to start in 2009; it will make a 4 ½-hour journey from Honolulu to the Big Island of Hawaii. (The only current ferry service in the islands is a small, passenger-only ferry between Maui and Molokai.)

Hawaii Superferry ticket sales are due to start in May. Information: www.hawaiisuperferry.com

Cruises

To island-hop in luxury, cruise ships offer weeklong sailings around the Hawaiian islands.

Norwegian Cruise Lines dominates the market, thanks to its U.S. flagged (and American-staffed) ships. Arcane U.S. maritime laws prohibit foreign-flagged ships — which most of the world's major cruise ships are to get lower labor costs and less regulation — from cruising solely in U.S. waters.

So while other cruise lines, including Seattle-based Holland America, offer cruises to and around Hawaii, they must include a stop in Mexico, Canada or Pacific-island nation. Holland America also is offering several 'round-the-islands Hawaii cruises this year that depart from Seattle and return to Vancouver, B.C.

A cruise is an easy way to get an overview of the islands; there's a bounty of shore excursions or you can rent a car for a day and explore on your own.

See Cruise Lines International Association site, www.cruising.org where you can search by destination. Travel agents can advise on particular cruise lines and itineraries.

Kristin Jackson: 206-464-2271 or kjackson@seattletimes.com