If you're doing long-range planning consider saving up your credit card points. Go as early as you can to acclimatize (the humidity is the tough part) and stay afterwards to enjoy vacation in full recovery mode. 2 weeks is perfect although I'd live there forever if I could. Especially cool is the Ho'ala IM training swim the Saturday 1 week before the race to shake off any jet lag.

Food is expensive so I'd suggest getting a condo/townhouse with full kitchen. And we prefer to stay away from the hubbub (we like Waikoloa Beach for the easy running and congestion-free riding) so a rental car is a must - plus the island is huge so to see anything you'd need this anyway.

Airfare from YVR: credit card points
Rental car: credit car points (I think I had to top up ~$200 CAD for my sub compact)
Townhouse: $120/night USD
Costco for major food purchases: ~$200USD including beer and wine. We don't eat meat so that saves a lot, and the fish - ahi tuna and ono in particular - are a relative bargain)
Costco for gas (only had to fill up twice in 2 weeks - and it's cheaper than in Vancouver)
IM Village: YMMV but there is some neat stuff so plan on buying yourself something
The race: can't remember exactly but it was something like $750USD?
Additional food/drink/shopping/gifts: $500USD seems about right depending on your spending habits and number of people traveling with you.

At the end of the day it's a really cool experience and totally worth it. And thanks to the points it was less expensive than the Ultra 520K for sure.

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Kiwami NA Racing Team

My wife is racing.
We booked our flights and accommodation in May and are coming from Victoria. We are staying with my wife's parents and will be there 10 days.
All in will be about $5,000 CAD (flights, accommodation, car rental, groceries, race entry). We don't eat out or drink alcohol so other expenses are minimal. We are going on a snorkelling trip pre race, but that is a gift from my parents.

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Team Every Man Jack

I've never been to Kona but I've looked into it and it's the same cost as any trip to Hawaii from Canada... pricey!

I would budget a minimum $2000 CAD / person. Flights ($800-1100), accommodation ($180-200 / night), car rental ($450/week) are the biggies. Add to that the race entry fee.

Best lesson about Hawaii I learned is to not cheap out on accommodation.. unless you like bugs, rats, and a noisy air conditioner that keeps you up all night and barely keeps the room cool enough to sleep. Been there, done that.

+1 on the accommodation. This is the other reason we stay up in Waikoloa Beach - for a relatively reasonable price we get a fantastic, quiet 2 bedroom townhouse with huge kitchen and lanai on the golf course. The places right in Kailua-Kona look a bit rundown, noisy and cost a lot more.

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Kiwami NA Racing Team

I'm a socialist so no credit card points. Any hard numbers on airfare and mediocre kona hotel. Any silly hidden costs?

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http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast

We just booked our trip. We have a small condo right in Kona on the run and bike course. Nothing fancy but $2300 for 2 weeks. Can't beat it for race day. We also don't do the airline points thing, so flights were $2200 (didn't know we were going until late July so couldn't book early). Car rental has gone crazy since last time we were there. About $800 for 2 weeks. If you are bringing family and want to take them to the pre or post race banquets tickets are about $70 each per event. Also factor in luggage/bike box fees, airport parking...I think we are at around $6000 CDN before food/gas/other. It's not cheap.

A socialist that owns 2 homes , Buck up , buddy . You only live once . Says the guy from the trailer and the really long trails :).

I did my trip to Kona under $3000 four times from Ottawa Canada (3 competing, one volunteering, considering going this year to volunteer depending on my work scenarios).

Airfare $1000
Hotel: Shared Condo with others, my share <$400-$600
Entry Fee ~ $1000
Rental Car = zero, I biked everywhere
Food = $500 used backpack and biked to grocery store, cooked in condo, one meal per day in town, one coffee per day lava java

I went solo without my family. On the one hand, they wanted to go to Hawaii....on the other hand, my wife did not want to take my son out of school to hang out in a spot in Hawaii with 2500 egocentric triathletes with a beach that is only 20 feet long LOL. Everyone wants to go to Hawaii when there is no triathlon involved....they have gone to enough triathlon in Canada.

I think I have bought all of one T shirt in Kona. I spend NOTHING other than on food and the daily restaurant there. My trips have only been 5-8 day range.

If I brought my family the price of this trip inflates up to $8000 pretty easily. They would not go to Kona and live like a starving college student as I am willing to do.

Yeah - but as you know, by the time I learn how to swim well enough to actually qualify, or by the time 90% of my age group competition gives up on the sport, the financial picture could really change.

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http://www.fitspeek.com the Fraser Valley's fitness, wellness, and endurance sports podcast

By the way, I think most people who go solo make the trip way more expensive than it needs to be. If you ride everywhere, and eat at the condo, the cost of the trip plummets.

I hear you on that one, that said once you go to a nicer hotel, bike, car, house etc.. its hard to go back to living like your a starving student again

We have stayed out in Waikoloa several times up in the town its cheaper and a break from the race scene, your family will appreciate the
break from watching people workout all day long along Ali