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679 thoughts on “Savings Guide: 2023 Hawaii Car Rentals”

  1. Just got back from our 10 day trip to Maui & Oahu. Used AutoSlash to track car rental agreements for both islands. Deal worked for Maui we saved over $100 on a full size car but when in Oahu, agent told me that reservations via AutoSlash is a scam. The discount applied to our booking is a code used for friends and family of the rental agency (a very well known brand) Luckily, I had forgotten to cancel my back-up reservation and had a car for our time on Oahu. Otherwise, we would’ve had to pay the full rate ($250 more than the back-up reservation).
    My suggestion is to use AutoSlash at your own risk.

    1. Hi Gina,

      Thanks. We have never had any issue using Auto Slash and always confirm the reservation with the rental company, which is easy to do with their reservations.

      Aloha.

  2. When renting a car in Hawaii I do it right away at the best price I can find on a site where you can cancel with no charge. Then I check periodically for better prices and rebook when I find one. Then right before the trip when we are sure we will go I go on a site like priceline and look at their no refund with cancellation and rebook with them when the savings are significant. Last time this strategy saved me about thirty percent.

  3. It is interesting that prices for travel dropped for those companies after spring break. Do you think that this is a common thing for a lot of airline and car rental companies? If this is the case I think I might take my family on a trip after spring break, I don’t think that they will object to a prolonged break. Thank you for all of the helpful information!

  4. Costco offers a second driver for free. I have rented through Costco many times I don’t know if they have the best price but That’s $10 a day right off the top. I also have experiences low cost upgrade offers once I am checking in to pick up the car when I rent through Costco.

    1. Hi Karen,

      Thanks. Good point. Some companies charge for a second drive who’s either a spouse or with whom you’re in business and some don’t. Seems quite arbitrary but worth checking on.

      Aloha.

    2. Hi – was going to say same about Costco – we always rent through them now as they have the best rates and as noted, additional driver is free. I have compared many sites and Costco has always proven to be the best rate.

      1. Hi Bonnie.

        Costco does have an additional driver for free which can make a significant difference. We have not found them to be price competitive overall however for some time.

        Aloha.

  5. Good advice to be sure the price you are quoted is the whole price. I have rented a car many times and gotten to the counter and been given a totally different price. Asking a few questions should clear everything up to avoid this from happening to you.

  6. I recommend starting with http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/ and then tracking that price with AutoSlash. Do this as soon as you have your flights reserved so you can monitor it weeks or months. My convertible for a week started at $300 and automatically droped down to $180 with AutoSlash. Now prices are nearly $400 for that same time.

      1. Hi Annette,

        If you’ve prepaid that may be a problem. Otherwise likely not. Have you checked your agreement?

        Aloha.

  7. I’ve been going to Kauai yearly for 12 years now and never spent more then $600 some for 2 weeks on a convertable. Today all the sites were over $1400, more then double then what i spent last year. Then WOW!! I never heard of AutoSlash before reading this blog. For years I’ve used Discount Hawaii or Cheap Hawaii rentals but AutoSlash beat them by $600 with Avis.

    Last year I was driving down Kapule Hwy towards Rice St and there was a banner on a building about renting used cars. Does anyone know who they are? name? Phone? Reviews? A older car is fine with me to drive, especially if it costs less.
    Thanks!

    1. Also, the other local Kaua’i company that’s been around for a while is Island Cars: http://www.islandcars.net.

      RelayRides is now called Turo, FYI. They are like the “AirBnb” of rental cars. We had a good experience using them on the Big Island with a person there. It saved us about $20/day (!). Check the reviews and make sure pickup/drop off includes airport or is convenient for your travel plans.

      We know people who have rented used cars locally on Kaua’i from Gingerbread: http://www.cars-kauai.com/.

  8. You can save the most on Oahu by using Oahu transit which is called “THE BUS” & Uber. No need for a car if you are primarily staying in Waikiki area. THE BUS is one of the most efficient transit systems in America. We travel really light, so we walk out of the HNL terminal, and the bus stop is right there, and it takes you directly downtown/Waikiki. It is faster and easier than taking the shuttle bus to the rental car center and then driving to your destination. Most places charge $30/day to park on top of your daily car rental cost. After a late night on the town, we use Uber and it costs less than what it costs to park, and you can don’t have to worry about how much you had to drink. You can save hundreds of dollars and gain peace of mind.

    1. With three of us going to Waikiki we found a taxi just as cheap and more convenient than the bus. This was eight years ago. Wondering if this is still true?

      1. Hi Diane,

        The price of taxis in Honolulu has gone up quite significantly since then as is the case in many other cities. Convenient and a great way to avoid parking issues. Doubtful you will find them cheap however.

        Aloha.

  9. I really liked the seventh suggestion you give to avoid upgrades and consider prepayment options. I had no idea that gas was $3.50 a gallon, so getting a smaller, more fuel efficient car could really help you to save money. Additionally, I didn’t know that prepay services were actually an option, however, this will give the opportunity to do some research beforehand and ensure that you get the car that you want. Plus, it saves you the hassle of having to wait for a car for when you get to Hawaii. You’ve already paid for it, so it’s just waiting for you to pick it up. Thank you for your insight!

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