Free Maps or Travel Guide?

[technic1200]

What do you recommend? I'm pretty good with directions. Last year we were in Oahu and we managed to navigate throughout the island with the free maps at the hotel.

 

This year we're taking a cruise throughout the lslands. We plan on renting a car at each destination. Should we buy a travel guide for each island, or do you think the free maps will suffice?

[wmbjr]

If all you need is how to get from point a to point b then the free maps are fine (or you could pre print google maps). However, I would highly recommend looking at the Revealed series by Andrew Doughty. They are titled like Maui Revealed, Oahu Revelaed etc. Wonderfully written books, incredible information (really more than you could ever want to know) and are written with sightseeing in mind because they use landmarks and other things in addition to directions. Just my recommendation after having a wonderful cruise using the revealed books.

 

William

[swifs]

William's response on the Revealed books is on the mark. In addition if you do a seach on google for Hawaii maps, it will bring you to some websites that have some additional topographical maps for sale- these are great if you want something foldout on your lap. There were also some free maps that you could just print from your computer that gave close up views of various locations that I felt were very helpful because they were so easy to see. If these don't turn up on your search, send another message and I will pull them out and give you the direct references.

[CC Help Michell]

I second (okay third) the Revealed books recommendation. They are fabulous for car excursions in Hawaii. Other maps you can check out ahead of time are at http://www.driveguidemagazines.com/. They are free online, or you can purchase them and have them delivered to your home ahead of time (i.e., not free, which is what OP was asking about). These are the books we received at all of our car rental locations.

[LakeErieLady]

I wanted to plan out a route ahead of time so I ordered the maps. They are free with your rentals, but $4 each to have mailed to you ahead of time. I ordered all 4 on line.You can preview them - they seem to be pretty good.

[alikim]

Do you have AAA?

 

AAA has free book (if you are a member) on Hawaii only and maps for members. I've looked through the book and it's pretty good.

[technic1200]

Wow! I appreciate all the great feedback. Wmbjr, how much are the Revealed series by Andrew Doughty? Can you buy these guides at your local Barnes & Nobles?

 

LakeErieLady, I'm definitely going to pre-order the maps from the rental company that I use.

 

alikim - Yes I am a AAA member and I am going to contact them now to get my free book.

 

Mahalo!

[star gazer]

Go go Frommers and print the maps you need. Their Wakiki map is superb.

http://www.frommers.com/

[swifs]

Yes you can get the Revealed books in your local Barnes and Nobles- they are bright blue. I also found the Moon book for Kauai to be very helpful on that island.

[wmbjr]

Wow! I appreciate all the great feedback. Wmbjr, how much are the Revealed series by Andrew Doughty? Can you buy these guides at your local Barnes & Nobles?

Mahalo!

 

You can buy them at just about any bookstore. If you leave soon, your local Barnes & Noble should have them for about $15. If you have a little more time until you leave, I found them on Amazon for about $10-11 each. They are a great series. I could also check them out from my local library to give them a once through, but ended up buying them to write, highlight, etc all throughout.

 

William

[DonahCBrown]

What do you recommend? I'm pretty good with directions. Last year we were in Oahu and we managed to navigate throughout the island with the free maps at the hotel.

 

This year we're taking a cruise throughout the lslands. We plan on renting a car at each destination. Should we buy a travel guide for each island, or do you think the free maps will suffice?

 

If you've navigated Oahu on your own with the free maps, the rest of the islands should be no problem to you at all. Not that many roads, actually. It is one of my favorite things about living here - it is very hard to get lost on an island! Directions also make more sense to me - Mauka (to the mountain) or Makai (to the sea) and depending on the island you are on - the other directions are usually given by place name - ie. on Oahu you go "Ewa" or "Diamond Head" and on the leeward side of the Big Island you go "Kona" or "Hawi" - none of this nonsense about north and south, east and west - like I could tell once the sun is up and before it is going down!:D I AM a menace on the mainland! DH always asks me what direction I think we should go and then goes the other way....

 

Do agree about the Revealed books - they're quite good. Can have a preview of them at the Wizard Publications website. You might also want to check with your local public library for them and/or other guide books, as well as doing searches on this board and also Trip Advisor for 'go lists' and other information on an island by island basis. For the Big Island, you might also want to have a look at http://www.konaweb.com - huge amount of information there.

[judyf]

You can buy them at just about any bookstore. If you leave soon, your local Barnes & Noble should have them for about $15. If you have a little more time until you leave, I found them on Amazon for about $10-11 each. They are a great series. I could also check them out from my local library to give them a once through, but ended up buying them to write, highlight, etc all throughout.

 

William

 

I got mine through amazon and got them in 2 days. Qucik service. I rwading Maui now.:D