Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
at the local supermarkets through-
out the islands.
• The
Hawaii Entertainment
Book,
the budget bible, has
become even more valuable. You
can stretch your dollars by order-
ing this topic for $35 and using
the hundreds of coupons offering
up to 50% off selected airlines, car
rentals, hotels and B&Bs, restau-
rants, beach-equipment rentals,
trolley tours, museum admissions,
island cruises, and luaus. But it's
the dining discounts that are most
prominent, with a wide range of
choices available. Contact
Enter-
tainment Publications, Inc.,
4211 Waialae Ave., Honolulu, HI
96816 (
&
808/737-3252;
www.
entertainment.com), for a list of
participants or to order a book.
ATMs
Hawaii pioneered the use of auto-
mated teller machines (ATMs) more
than 2 decades ago, and now they're
everywhere. You'll find them at most
banks, in supermarkets, at Longs
Drugs, at Honolulu International Air-
port, and in some resorts and shop-
ping centers, such as Ala Moana
Center and Aloha Tower Market Place
on Oahu, and Whalers Village in
Kaanapali, Maui.
To find the ATM location nearest
you, call
&
800/424-7787
for the
Cirrus
network or
&
800/843-7587
for the
PLUS
system. You can also
locate Cirrus ATMs on the Web at
www.mastercard.com
with dangerously large amounts of
cash. They were as reliable as currency,
but, unlike cash, could be replaced if
lost or stolen.
These days, traveler's checks are less
necessary because most cities have 24-
hour ATMs that allow you to with-
draw small amounts of cash as needed.
However, keep in mind that you will
likely be charged an ATM withdrawal
fee if the bank is not your own, so if
you're withdrawing money every day,
you might be better off with traveler's
checks—provided that you don't mind
showing identification every time you
want to cash one.
You can get traveler's checks at
almost any bank.
American Express
charges a service fee ranging from 1%
to 4%. You can also get American
Express traveler's checks over the
phone by calling
&
800/221-7282;
Amex gold and platinum cardholders
who use this number are exempt from
the service fee.
Visa
offers traveler's checks at
Citibank locations nationwide, as well
as at several other banks. The service
charge ranges between 1.5% and 2%.
Call
&
800/732-1322
for informa-
tion. AAA members can obtain Visa
checks without a fee at most AAA
offices or by calling
&
866/339-
3378. MasterCard
also offers trav-
eler's checks. Call
&
800/223-9920
for a location near you.
If you choose to carry traveler's
checks, be sure to keep a record of
their serial numbers separate from
your checks in the event that they are
stolen or lost. You'll get a refund faster
if you know the numbers.
CREDIT CARDS
Credit cards are a safe way to carry
money. They provide a convenient
record of all your expenses and gener-
ally offer good exchange rates. You can
also withdraw cash advances from
your credit cards at banks or ATMs,
and PLUS
ATMs at
www.visa.com
.
The U.S. dollar is the coin of the
realm in Hawaii (see “Money” in
appendix A for more information).
TRAVELER'S CHECKS
Traveler's checks are something of an
anachronism from the days before the
ATM made cash accessible at any
time. Traveler's checks used to be the
only sound alternative to traveling
