Kauai is typically a place where you won't enjoy your vacation without a rental car and you won't see the main attractions.

The bus service here is more for locals, although it can be used to travel to the major beaches.

Car rental in Kauai

If you want to explore the most beautiful places of Kauai , then renting a car is the only possible option.

There are no big cities waiting for you on Kauai and driving is relaxed, easy and very straightforward. The locals are considerate and almost all the major international rental companies operate right at Lihue Airport, so the choice is really wide.

For detailed information on Kauai car rental prices, Kauai traffic, gas prices and more, read our Kauai car rental article.

Find the cheapest car rental in Kauai

Buses in Kauai

You can use the bus service, for example, in the outer days of your vacation when it's not worth renting a car for the whole day and it's cheaper to return it a day earlier.

However, heading to Kauai with the belief that you won't be renting a car and relying solely on buses would be unwise and, in fact, not even sensible.

You would miss all the most interesting natural attractions. Neither the Na Pali coast, nor Waimea Canyon, nor Kokee State Park, nor half of the most beautiful beaches can be reached by bus.

Kauai's buses are operated directly by the local government, and there are 3 mainline bus es and 3 local shuttle buses. You must always wave at the bus when boarding, and when getting off you must pull the string running along the windows, as all stops are on a signal.

• Line 100/200 (Mainline) - the number 200 runs along the route LIH Airport - Lihue - Lawai - Hanapepe - Waimea - Kekaha, the number 100 is allocated for the opposite direction. The line runs once an hour from approximately 5:30am to 7:30pm.
• Line 400/500 (Mainline) - number 500 runs on the Lihue - Wailua - Kapa'a - Anahola - Kilauea - Hanalei route, number 400 is allocated for the opposite direction. The line runs once an hour from approximately 5:15 to 21:15.
• Line 30 (Shuttle) - runs on the route Lawai (connection to l. 100/200) - Koloa - Poipu, runs once an hour from approx. 6:15 to 20:15
• Line 60 (Shuttle) - local public transport line within Kapa'a, runs once an hour from approx. 6:30 to 20:30
• Line 70 (Shuttle) - local public transport within Lihue, runs once an hour from approx. 6:00 to 21:00
• Line 800/850 (Mainline) - number 850 runs on the Lihue - Wailua - Kapa'a route, number 800 is allocated for the opposite direction. The line runs once 2-3 times a day.

Tickets are purchased from the driver at exact value. It doesn't matter if you go one stop or across the island, the fare is always the same and always valid for one ride only:

• 2 usd for Mainline lines
• 0,50 usd for Shuttle lines

There is a day pass option for 5 usd, which is only valid on a given calendar day, not 24 hours.

For official information, exact schedules and current ticket prices visit: kauai.gov/BusSchedules.