Maui Transportation

Maui travel usually means landing at Kahului (OGG) Airport , which is the largest, most centralized and most utilized airport on the island. The island operates frequent and regularly scheduled service to and from the neighboring islands, as well as non-stop flights arriving from Canada and the continental United States. Inter-island service is offered by Hawaiian Air, go!Mokulele and Island Air. Major carriers offering nonstop service to Maui from the mainland include United, American, Alaska and US Air. Two smaller commuter airports on the island restrict use to daylight operations and turbo-prop or twin-engine aircraft. Kapalua (JHM) Airport is serviced several times daily by Island Air, go!Mokulele and Pacific Wings. The smallest and most remote landing spot is the Hana (HNM) Airport.

Scheduled service is available to Hana via Pacific Wings, however flight schedules are neither frequent nor convenient, and they are not a bargain making this the least favorable form of Maui transportation.

Maui ferries operate on a daily basis to and from the islands of Molokai and Lanai from the Lahaina Boat Harbor. The Maui Princess provides direct service to Molokai with two round trips on most days. Expeditions has direct service to Lanai five times a day from the Lahaina Boat Harbor. Ferries operate more for the benefit of Maui residents and locals living on the smaller islands. The ferries also offer visitors on a Maui vacation an opportunity to enjoy the coastal views and perhaps have a glimpse of whales and dolphins along the way.

Driving in Maui is the way to go for carefree Maui travel, and there are plenty of Maui car rental offices to assist. As easy as it is to navigate from one side of the island to the other, it is still possible to get lost. Street names are mostly in Hawaiian, which can look like a thick serving of vowel soup if you try too hard to digest it all it one slurp. So you may want to consider a GPS device, or studying the map, before choosing this form of Maui transportation. Driving courtesy in Hawaii requires the use of a horn to be used only in the event of imminent damage, death or injury.

Maui Public Transportation, really the bus system referred to as the Maui Bus, offers limited service throughout all areas of the island. Maui transportation for visitors consists mostly of frequent bus services that link Lahaina and the Kaanapali Resort and also connect Whaler’s Village Shopping Center and the Napili Shores Resort. Click here for schedules.

While you won’t find an abundance of Maui taxis on the island, they are easily obtained at the airport, at taxicab stands at major resorts, or by calling one of the many taxi companies to arrange for a pick-up. They are not allowed to cruise or pick up fares from the streets. Although taxis are not difficult to find, fares can be difficult to stomach. Expect to pay more than $80 for a ride from Kahului Airport to Kaanapali Beach; more than $100 to Kapalua; $60 to Wailea; and $75 to Lahaina. Maui Taxi can be reached at 808-877-0907. For Airport Taxi of Maui call 808-276-4820. Due to the high cost of taxis, visitors should consider alternate methods of Maui transportation.