{"id":130,"date":"2016-08-22T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-08-22T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"\/2004\/12\/26\/kauai-driving-tips-rental-rates\/"},"modified":"2025-04-27T21:25:28","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T07:25:28","slug":"driving-tips-kauai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/driving-tips-kauai\/","title":{"rendered":"Kauai Driving Tips & Rental Rates"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"KauaiRoad<\/p>\n

Tip #1: Bring Your Patience When Driving in Kauai (Or on<\/em> Kauai, as the Locals say)<\/h3>\n

Odds are you won\u2019t get lost driving on Kaua\u2018i\u2014only one major highway circles the entire island connecting Ha\u2018ena on the North Shore to Polihale<\/a> on the Westside. Only thing tricky about this road besides having two names, Kuhio and Kaumuali\u2018i, is that it\u2019s often only one lane. In other words, you need to plan your journeys accordingly because once you\u2019re stuck behind someone driving at a snail\u2019s pace, you\u2019re stuck for the long haul as opportunities to safely pass are few and far between.<\/p>\n

Tip #2: Kapaa Has the Worse Traffic on Kauai<\/h3>\n

Allow at least 15 extra minutes for each trip you take. It\u2019s better to be early than late, particularly if you have a flight to catch. This is especially true if you plan to pass through Kapa\u2018a. This Eastside town has the worst traffic on Kaua\u2018i. You might scoff at what \u201ctraffic\u201d means on a small island, but make no mistake, you could be sitting in your car for up to an hour passing through this town especially if you\u2019re heading southbound.<\/p>\n

Tip #3: Locals Navigate via Landmarks, Not Street Names<\/h3>\n

Of course, many streets veer off the highway and take you to magical Kaua\u2018i destinations. Overall, they\u2019re easy to navigate but if you do get lost and need to ask for directions, know that you\u2019ll likely hear landmarks as references rather than street names. Most people on Kaua\u2018i find their way based on notable spots like \u201cthe big mango tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tip #4: Break Up the Island into Multiple Day Trips<\/h3>\n

It takes about three hours to drive from one end of the highway to the other. Still, this isn\u2019t something you\u2019ll want to do in one day because there is so much to see and do along the way. The North Shore\u2019s magnificent landscapes take extra time to appreciate and the Westside is home to the spectacular Waimea Canyon<\/a> that entails at least another hour to climb to the top.<\/p>\n

Tip #5: Keep Calm and Stay Grateful<\/h3>\n

Major accidents can unfortunately happen that require the highway to close. This frustrates drivers since the highway is often the only connection to other parts of the island. If you find yourself in this situation, don\u2019t worry; airlines and tour companies are empathetic of these situations. Just remember, the struggle you\u2019re enduring is minor compared to the experience those who have just lost their loved ones will have.<\/p>\n

Tip #6: Avoid Unpaved Roads<\/h3>\n

Avoid traveling on unpaved roads like to Polihale State Park<\/a> or Mahaulepu Beach<\/a>\u2014car rental companies don\u2019t allow this anyway.<\/p>\n

Tip #7: Admire the Beauty<\/h3>\n

Most of all, remember to admire the gorgeous Kaua\u2018i scenery that abounds each step of your driving journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tip #1: Bring Your Patience When Driving in Kauai (Or on Kauai, as the Locals say) Odds are you won\u2019t get lost driving on Kaua\u2018i\u2014only one major highway circles the entire island connecting Ha\u2018ena on the North Shore to Polihale on the Westside. Only thing tricky about this road besides having two names, Kuhio and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":25192,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kauai"],"yoast_head":"\nDriving On Kauai: Tips & Rental Rates | Hawaii.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Odds are you won\u2019t get lost driving in Kauai, one major highway circles the entire island connecting Haena on the North Shore to Polihale on the Westside.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaii.com\/driving-tips-kauai\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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