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For those who fly out of Kona & can't get a ride from Hilo, I had a great experience on the Bus. I ride for free, paid $1 for my luggage & got picked up at the Hilo bus stop - an experience in itself! The ride was fun, meeting new people w/ stories to tell. I had a friend pick me up at Alii Dr., we went for dinner & then to the airport. Completely painless & did I say FREE. It did take 3 hours but few stops & none after Waimea. The bus doesn't go to the airport & some kids got off at the Matsuyama Food Mart & walked 5 miles downhill to KOA - not a good plan. But it worked well for me. Happy Travels.
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If the Hele-On bus doesn't service either the Kona or Hilo airports...it's worthless as far as I'm concerned. They could very easily stop there...but local politics makes it impossible. Oahu's buses stop at the airport. Why can't ours?
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They're stuck thinking of it as a "commuter" bus. It would be great if they would stop at the airport.
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Actually, it is more in how the HeleOn bus was originally funded (it was started by the Waikaloa Resorts top get workers to the resorts - the county absurbed their routes & have expanded the service BASED ON FUNDING....and the funding they have is Fed rural worker communte...(That is also why it is sooo inexpensive, no ride over $1, and $1 / large package or bike...) so until there is a worker need for bused tot he airport
Kona Airport does have one HeleOn route, but only a worker would like the timing... If anyone on island were willing to put up with the population & ride cost that they have in Oahu.... they would be in Oahu!!! I have yet to find a county with the pop density this has the bus service we do have!
We almost got the Hilo route....and it could be resurrected if there was a cost need for it (the parking lot was gettin' wayyyy full a few years ago...but then we lost some airlines & the economy tanked & they raised the parking charge & the Keakaha route was not routed into the airport....)
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We have a Costco card and rarely get to use it unless we can save atleast the gas $ associated with the drive. Unless we want 322 chocolate chip muffins.
We're gonna try the Hele on bus sometime this month and see how it turns out! Could make a day of it.
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quote:
Originally posted by mailesomaha
We have a Costco card and rarely get to use it unless we can save atleast the gas $ associated with the drive. Unless we want 322 chocolate chip muffins.
We're gonna try the Hele on bus sometime this month and see how it turns out! Could make a day of it.
Does the bus even go to costco from hilo? Last I looked you could get to kona from hilo but the last bus from kona was the returning to Hilo. So, you would have to shop REAL fast. But maybe they have a new schedule?
Would like to hear your story how it worked out!
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I found the bus schedule here:
http://www.heleonbus.org/schedules-and-m...s-schedule
But, since I don't know the place names in Kona, can anyone tell where the bus drops off going from the Prince Kuhio Plaza at 9am to a drop-off that is closest to the Kona Airport?
Looks like it goes to Parker Ranch at 10:45 and then, I'm confused.
Is it the Kmart/Macy's at 11:45?
Thank you to any puzzle solvers out there.
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From Parker Ranch the bus is on the upper road, dips down the the Waikaloa village then back up to Matsuyama store (11:35 or 4:15) (just before the "inset map #2), which is the CLOSEST...but it is over 4 mile walk down hill on Kaiminani
The inter Kona route does go from KMart (8am) to the Airport (8:20) and from the airport (8:30 & 4:40) to KMart (8:50 & 5:10) but that is not really tied into the Kona Hilo....UNLESS you took the Hilo Kona bus leaving the BAYFRONT (east of the bus terminal & band stand) parking lot at 3:50am & arriving at KMart at 6:45am (this route goes along the lower road & have heard that you may be able to request a stop along the highway by the airport entrance, but then you would still need to walk the mile or so to the terminal...so the KMart stop would probably be easiest...) and then take the 8:30 bus to the airport...giving you an hour and a half to eat breakfast at KMart....
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Carey, you are my HERO!
It seems like the bayfront schedule would be great, I'm pretty sure I saw a police substation there. I didn't even see that option when I looked at their chart. ok...BOLD = MORNINGS just hit me!
Anyone leave their car that early in the mornings with the peeps I saw there this weekend it'd be nice to be fairly sure my car is ok.
Oh..ok...so Northbound bus, Kmart at 8am to Airport at 8:20am. Got it!
And that's still a mile walk? Guess I'll be loosing some poundage.
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There are 2 different Bayfront Bus Terminal pickup locations... THE ONE that is for that early Hilo/Kona bus is at a parking lot that is east (towards Kens) from the bus terminal (with the police station) & the bandstand (DO NOT WAIT AT THE BUS TERMINAL for this bus, as it does not stop at the bus terminal)... it is a just a parking lot, near soccer fields, no buildings nearby...
The KMart to Airport bus is supposed to go into the terminal, and the map does have it going into Keahole St & around the terminal drive...but I have never taken the bus there...so... You could make sure by calling the info line : 961-8744
