# Hawaii traveling tricks



## cindi (Apr 25, 2010)

Just got back from our wonderful stay in Maui.  Suprisingly, while we were there, DH made a comment about coming back! This is the guy who didn't want to go in the first place.  

Anyway, while the trip to Maui was definitely something I would do again, the return home was horrible. I was basically awake all night. It took us close to 24 hours to get home again. 

How do you experienced hawaii people handle this? Do you just have to suck it up or is there something to make it better? I wish there were daytime flights for one. 

And what do you do in the period of time you check out (10am) and leave the island (in our case 6pm).  I seriously could see adding on more time and just leaving early to have that last day with a place to be.


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## Cathyb (Apr 25, 2010)

cindi: we are lucky enough to live in Southern CA; but alot of Tuggers that live on the East Coast will stay a week in Newport Beach, San Francisco, etc. to break up the long trip.  Another thought would be to spend two nights in Los Angeles.  We have the same problem when we head to the Carribean!  We stay in Miami overnight to get a good night's sleep.


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## scrapngen (Apr 25, 2010)

MOst resorts will let you leave your baggage with the desk or bellhop and give you a day pass for your resort. You can often use the facilities in the workout room to clean up before you leave. We'll still keep our laptops/valuables with us. (Yes, we've taken stuff to the beach and just left one adult with them at all times - or one of us will hang out w/a laptop far enough away from the pool to avoid splashes) They've let us take our kids in to use the showers as long as we don't have them near the workout equipment. (Our daughters are 9 and 11) It's not ideal, but works. Another thing we've done is make that the "souvenir" day and do a little shopping before we go home.


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## BevL (Apr 25, 2010)

We normally go for two weeks, and if we have to take a redeye back, leave the night before checkout.  

I would second the idea of staying a night in whatever western city you end up in before heading on to Hawaii, especially if you're only going for a week.  And maybe a couple of nights coming back so you could do a bit of sightseeing.  

We've done that when we've flown from here to Florida, then had to drive to Key West.  It's just too much in one day for us.


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## DaveNV (Apr 25, 2010)

Airfare costs being what they are, we only go to Hawaii for a minimum of two weeks at a time.  If it's only a week, the travel time both ways just drains the restfulness out of the vacation.  As Bev says, with a two week trip, it's easier to leave the night before, than it is to try to make the daylight hours that last day worthwhile. And getting home a day early makes it easier to adjust before going back to work.

Dave


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## Kauai Kid (Apr 25, 2010)

We go for two weeks at a time and leave a day early.  Much more restful than trying to pack up and get out by 10am.

Kayak and some other web sites give the total travel time so we naturally shoot for the minimum travel time.

Even with all that it takes the old body 2-3 days to get readjusted to non Hawaii time after we get home to Texas.

Sterling


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## Jim Bryan (Apr 25, 2010)

We go for three weeks at least. Leave three days before and leave for home day of checkout. I always take a sleeping pill going and coming and sleep most of the way. Coming home to Florida is the worst leg.


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## Palguy (Apr 25, 2010)

We usually go for at least 13 or 14 days. We always pay for the last night but check out early the day of our departure which gives us a place to nap and not be rushed and it beats driving around all day and tiring ourselves out. Try as I can I cannot sleep on the flight home but leaving well rested makes the trip much easier.


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## normab (Apr 25, 2010)

We also only go for 2 weeks so it minimizes the effect of the time zone differences.  We have on occasion left a day early, but not always.  Our coping skills:

Sleeping on planes--

Since first class seats are pricey, and we like to travel to HI every couple of years, I needed to find solution since I have never found it easy to sleep on a plane.  

I found the "skyrest" sleep pillow, (google search it) where you put down the airline tray, inflate the pillow and put the pillow on it, then lean on the pillow to sleep.  You can under inflate it if you are short like me.  I bought 2--DH can sleep anywhere but DS likes to use the other one.

I bought them about 8 years ago and always take them on red eye flights.  They cost only $25 now--half of what I paid, so they are pretty reasonable. The only complaint is they are a bit bulky even when they are deflated. Take a look online see what they look like!

What to do with the extra time for the 9 PM flight? 

If the weather is good, we usually check out and hang at the pool.  Depending which TS we are at, we change where we can.  Marriotts have specific rooms or spas you can use for the day.  If we are somewhere there is no specific room, there is always the bathroom!   If the weather is not so great, we always find something to do.

Since we love visiting HI it really has been a must to find ways to deal with the inconveniences!!:whoopie:

Norma


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## jestme (Apr 25, 2010)

We also stay for a minimum of two weeks, and we also pay for the extra day, and have a place to stay on the whole last day, then leave late at night. The other advantage to that is that you don't have to rush through breakfast, pack the rest of the clothes and be out by 10:00AM and turn over all your luggage to the hotel for safe keeping, while lugging around laptops, purses, GPS, DVD player, etc. 
I also can't sleep on the plane, so we try to get the real late red eye, 11:30PM. Then at least you are already tired, and it gives you some chance to nap. If you take the 5:30PM or 8:00PM ones, you aren't tired to begin with and that won't help. 
If it makes you feel any better, my wife says it is like childbirth. You forget about it until the next time.


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## paluamalia (Apr 25, 2010)

*Long trip home*

We travel to Hawaii from Massachusetts every year.  Our trip home in 2009 was so awful .... connections could not be made and planes were full...we vowed that from now on we would go first class.  We did first class in 2010..much better we slept most of the way.   We used our SPG points and frequent flyer miles total of 150,000 miles round trip for 2 people from Boston to Honolulu,we took an interisland flight from Maui.

If first class is not possible, then stay longer and check out the night before..at least you will be rested.  Checking out and staying in the owner's lounge has not really worked for us, we couldn't relax.  

When we first started to travel to the islands we stayed a night or two in LA or SF, but that's tiring too...on and off the plane, checking in and out, etc.  Now we just get the shortest flights we can, fly first class and stay at least 2 weeks, it is just too far away from the East Coast to be an easy trip, but you can make it a bit less harrowing....

Aloha


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## ownsmany (Apr 25, 2010)

a couple of glasses of wine helps.  Normally after a few - it's easier to sleep on the plane.

We also bring portable DVD players and rent some new movies that we haven't seen.  Noise cancelling headphones are a must or you won't be able to hear the movie.

We check out and spend the last day at the pool or beach.  Take tons of pictures, have a nice lunch.  Shower in the locker rooms.  Leave early enough to fill the car with fuel and maybe have a nice dinner
inner near the airport.

The last couple of times we timed the timeshare, so we flew out the day before our check out day.  This year though, we are staying at hotels the last couple of days and won't pay the additional money for a night we aren't staying.

Great thread.  Looking for ideas also.


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## cindi (Apr 25, 2010)

These are wonderful suggestions.  I am going to have to figure out how to do better using some of these.

Damn, I wish there was a flight that wasn't overnight, tho I understand why they do it.  I don't think anything is going to help me sleep on the plane tho.


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## easyrider (Apr 25, 2010)

cindi said:


> These are wonderful suggestions.  I am going to have to figure out how to do better using some of these.
> 
> Damn, I wish there was a flight that wasn't overnight, tho I understand why they do it.  I don't think anything is going to help me sleep on the plane tho.



Ask your doctor for a sleeping aid. Buy a neck pillow, good ear plugs and blinders. Sleeping is easier for me with a window seat and reclined. I can only sleep for about 7 hours and get really bored on longer flights.


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## dive-in (Apr 26, 2010)

ownsmany said:


> a couple of glasses of wine helps.  Normally after a few - it's easier to sleep on the plane.



I second the wine.  I had five glasses of wine at the CO President's Club over 2 hours prior to our flight last Monday.  Then I took a benadryl.   They served dinner right after we took off and I was asleep shortly after that.  Woke up a few times but made the trip go much better.  Also made the transition back to EDT much easier.  Obviously you need to balance the alcohol and airplane's dehydrating effects with plenty of water.  

On our last day in Honolulu, we checked our late, had lunch in Waikiki, then toured the Iolani Palace.  Great way to kill a few hours and it is right on the way to the airport.  We got to the airport early to avoid the traffic and sat in the club.


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## cindi (Apr 26, 2010)

If you take a sleeping pill, or sleep aid. aren't you completely groggy when the plane arrives? I think the overnight portion of the flight was only about 5 1/2 hr arriving in Seattle at about 6am.  Now if I could find a non stop option directly to MSP then I would definitely try it.  I have sleep issues as it is and use sleeping pills routinely at home. 

I really wish we could do two weeks at a time.  That would help a lot.  I think it took me darn near 3 days to adjust to the time change and all.  I was finally feeling ready to go and we only had a couple of days left! But with our pets it just isn't feasible right now. 

And then I would fly out on the last day of our vacation, thus keeping the room as long as we wanted.  I am kind of anal about being on time and fiinding something to do to fill in the time just isn't much fun.  It was a beautiful day and I could have just relaxed by the pool if I still had my room. As it was, we wandered around a mall, had lunch and then went to the airport about 4 hours early. Yuck.


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## susanmmm (Apr 26, 2010)

*Just returned from a similar trip!*

We just returned home to NY on Saturday night from our Oahu/Maui trip.  We "bookended" our trip with LA.  We flew to LA on a Thursday then onto Oahu on Saturday.  We did a similar trip home (LA on Thursday - home on Saturday).  We only travelled during daytime hours.  Our flight from LA on Thursday was an 7 a.m. departure.  We find when flying west to east, an early morning departure helps to get us back on track.  We have been home a day an a half and feel pretty good.  The stopover in LA made a world of difference.  Hope this helps for future planning.

Susan


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## cindi (Apr 26, 2010)

susanmmm said:


> We just returned home to NY on Saturday night from our Oahu/Maui trip.  We "bookended" our trip with LA.  We flew to LA on a Thursday then onto Oahu on Saturday.  We did a similar trip home (LA on Thursday - home on Saturday).  We only travelled during daytime hours.  Our flight from LA on Thursday was an 7 a.m. departure.  We find when flying west to east, an early morning departure helps to get us back on track.  We have been home a day an a half and feel pretty good.  The stopover in LA made a world of difference.  Hope this helps for future planning.
> 
> Susan



There is a flight from hawaii that returns to the mainland during the daytime?


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## BevL (Apr 26, 2010)

cindi said:


> There is a flight from hawaii that returns to the mainland during the daytime?



Alaska Airlines has mostly daytime flights.


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## Twinkstarr (Apr 26, 2010)

cindi said:


> There is a flight from hawaii that returns to the mainland during the daytime?



Yes, there are quite a few. Just was on Kayak and shortened the take-off time on the return flight.


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## susanmmm (Apr 26, 2010)

cindi said:


> There is a flight from hawaii that returns to the mainland during the daytime?



Hi Cindy,

We flew with Hawaiian Airlines and our flight departed from HNL at 1:15 p.m. and got us into LAX at 9:35 p.m.  It was quite a pleasant flight.  I would definitely do it again.  Hope you are starting to feel normal.  It can be brutal when you travel on the red eye.  I have experienced it a couple times myself. Yuck!!

Susan


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## DeniseM (Apr 26, 2010)

cindi said:


> There is a flight from hawaii that returns to the mainland during the daytime?



Many - try just booking to the West Coast instead of all the way through.  We never fly a red-eye back to CA.  We usually leave Oahu around 1:00 pm and land about 9:00 pm.  (5 hour flight + 3 hour time difference.)


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## kmij (Apr 26, 2010)

*n/s flight to msp*

cindi,

there is a non-stop flight from honolulu to minneapolis-st paul.  i think it leaves  hnl at 6:20pm and arrives the next morning into msp at 6:10am.
good luck.  it is a long day of travel, i will agree with you.  i thought i was the only one on the plane awake all night!!


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## kkelley (Apr 30, 2010)

I've always thought that the red eye back to Phoenix from Lihue is my coworker's punishment for having to hear about my trip to Kauai for weeks after I get back. 

To compound it this year, I'm leaving the day school gets out and returning on Sunday at 7am and teaching summer school on Monday after driving back up the hill to Flagstaff. I'm a glutton for punishment aren't I?

I don't want to take anything strong because I am driving back up as soon as we land in Phoenix, but do you think a couple of Tylenol PM's would help?

Oh heck, who cares, I get to spend 2 weeks in paradise!


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## toby9116 (Apr 30, 2010)

We leave as late as possible(we hate to leave). We schedule stop in LA or Phoenix. Walk around, stretch and have breakfast. Continue on to Minnesota, usually arriving between noon and 2:00 Sunday. We get home unpack only what is necessary, have a sandwich then go right to bed. Feel fine Monday. Ready to head out again (we wish).


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## Elster (Apr 30, 2010)

I don't wish to sound hard done by here...but think of us European's....it's a 24hr plus trip for us to Big Island this year and 33hrs (with layover) on the way back ...ouch!!!!


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## rickandcindy23 (Apr 30, 2010)

We left on the 25th and got back Monday morning around 9:30.  

Rick and I went to the Iao Valley that last day and walked the path up, then walked along the path by the river, then walked the path by the taro field.  We tried to get ourselves tired.  Didn't work.   

Then we went walked around Paia before going to Mama's Fish House for an early dinner.  We walked the grounds for about half an hour before our table was ready, and after dinner, we sat in that beautiful spot on the bench at Mama's and watched the wind surfers for a bit.  Our flight was at 8:40, and we were there by 6:30, so I walked up and down the airport for a while to get tired.  When none of that worked, I told Rick, half a dose of Nyquil will do it for me, and he agreed, so we each took one capsule of that.  It worked well.  I slept off and on during the flight, but Nyquil really knocks me out and always has.  All of that being said, I was still exhausted all day Monday.

We loved meeting you and Chuck last week.  Thank you for a very pleasant time.


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## cindi (Apr 30, 2010)

rickandcindy23 said:


> We left on the 25th and got back Monday morning around 9:30.
> 
> Rick and I went to the Iao Valley that last day and walked the path up, then walked along the path by the river, then walked the path by the taro field.  We tried to get ourselves tired.  Didn't work.
> 
> ...



We really enjoyed it too.  We have a lot in common.


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## rickandcindy23 (Apr 30, 2010)

cindi said:


> We really enjoyed it too.  We have a lot in common.



We sure do, and we need to have dinner near Disney sometime.  We haven't planned much for 2011, and nothing yet for Disney, but we are going 12/3 for a week, staying at the Hilton on I-Drive, and we are also going 10/10 for two weeks.  I am looking forward to October.  We have nearly a six-month dry spell without a trip.


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## Jim Bryan (May 1, 2010)

cindi said:


> If you take a sleeping pill, or sleep aid. aren't you completely groggy when the plane arrives?



My first trip to Hawaii I didn't take any sleep aid. Made for a long flight both ways. After our first trip I went to my Dr. the next time around and got a two pill script. I sleep most of the way and have not had any side effects. Have done the same thing when I flew to the Czech Republic. Ambien is my choice. I learned about this from a guy in Kona that travels all around to compete in Iron Man events.


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## Fletcher921 (May 1, 2010)

For us west coasters, we have that dilemma when flying to Europe rather than Hawaii.  We have found that flying a LONG nonstop flight is so much easier than a connection.  We live in San Diego - but the last time we flew to Europe we connected in Seattle rather than our usual Atlanta so we would have a flight long enough to get a good long uninterrupted sleep - assisted by a sleeping pill washed down with a sip of champagne  !  It worked out so much better, we were so much more refreshed.  When a long flight isn't offered, we try to add an overnight in a connecting city.


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