679 thoughts on “Savings Guide: 2023 Hawaii Car Rentals”
JWI
Well, because of high car rental costs, we decided to spend our money to visit our nation’s Capitol next spring break instead. V don’t need a car there and do many free things to see/visit. Plus, it’s Cherry Blossom season!
Aloha, I miss you Hawaii.
Is Truro welcome on Maui? I don’t want to disappoint the locals if it is not a good thing. It seems that I read it somewhere. I want the very best price for the safest vehicle, but also want to respect an already over absorbed island. Thanks for any input.
I’ve used a shuttle service to/from. My preferred service is Aloha Shuttle, fixed price one way to/from (i.e. one price, was $35 + tip but verify, doesn’t matter if you are a party of one or four) in a private air conditioned van. I’ve used their services a number of times. Pleasant drivers who will be assigned and positioned at HNL to pick you up. Call week in advance (google Aloha Shuttle Honolulu to get tel) to reserve.
I booked a car rental through hertz for 8 days 7 nights in Honolulu at the end of Aug into Sept and it was $90.00 and some change. Was even given and up grade. Very happy with the price.
My wife and I are planning a trip to Kauai in March 2023. We have been looking at car rentals and they are all going for upwards of $900 for a week rental. Taxes and fees are almost $220 alone. Will the car rental prices on Kauai go down anytime soon or are they always higher there?
As Janice said, it’s worth shopping around. $900 per week sounds like a lot and based on our 12+ years of experience in the industry we expect that rates will come down eventually. You just have to be patient.
The good news is that you don’t have to spend your time checking daily. You should just book the best pay-later rate you can find (one that doesn’t require a credit card to book) and then head over to AutoSlash to track it price drops. We’ll keep checking daily for lower rates so you can go on about your life. We’ll email you when we find a better deal.
I have Autoslash tracking my two week rental from end of Jan-Feb. Sedans are $850 and minivans are $950 for a week. I have been tracking for a few months and the price hasn’t moved much. Hoping it will get a drop closer to the date.
I need a 7 seater that can carry some baggage. Some of the rentals say the minivan fits 4 bags and some say 5. I don’t know if there is actually a difference in vehicle size or just company standards for luggage. I want the bigger vehicle in the category but Autoslash considers them the same for purposes of the rental.
No real difference in vehicle size—just varying standards as you suspected. The vast majority of minivans have plenty of luggage capacity and the major rental firms usually have an assortment to choose from, and they are usually pretty accommodating if you have a preference or a specific need.
Hopefully we can get the price down over time. Safe travels!
I just booked for Feb/ March. All in, tax and fees $480 (12 day, midsized. I just returned from Kauai March 7th. $520 for 12 days, full sized.
Discountusacarrental.com, discounthawaiicarrental.com or AAA.
Being a Turo host is no longer worth it with the saturated market and huge drop in rental rates because people purchased cars they could not afford and now a 22 Jeep Rubicon can be had for under 80/100 a day and is a 75k plus jeep in hawaii. Between the high cost of vehicles, the big fees from turo, the competition and the high risk of damages is it really worth risking it buying a car you any afford to have unless it’s rented out? Do the math you have to rent your vehicle 20 plus days to even break even And before taxes and additional expenses. Very few make good $ being a turo host, most are in and out within a year. I’ve seen many of my neighbors and friends fail and get in big financial trouble trying to scale up in Turo
The prices are up because the car companys need to get into DMV the state is still on covid lockdown cars cannot get safety checks. Thats what we were told. Its stupid. State govt. Still holding everything back
After Kaua’i reopened, there was a huge shortage of rental vehicles which were shipped out to be used instead of sitting. Turo arrived and were charging some of the most outrageous rental fees. Turo as a company came and allowed people to rent out their vehicles to pay bills and make a living. The rental agencies fleets came back, and Turo tripled. We now have Sixt starting up. I’m a Kaua’i girl all my life, no offense but seriously?? The highways here are not made to accommodate hundreds and hundreds of extra cars. I would imagine, there is someone in the State as well as County assessing this? I’m not just referring to the traffic we’ve always had, it’s now 10 times worse. These companies need to be capped and limit on vehicles allowed
Any idea why the low season(late April-early June) is more expensive on Kauai then before or after? We will be there 5/9-21. I booked well in advance and got a mid-size for $1265. I can get something a bit lower($1190) now but don’t want to book and rebook a bunch of times. Any thoughts on whether it will come down at all? I continue to look at least weekly.
Honestly these prices don’t seem entirely related to supply and demand. It could come down, so it’s good you plan on checking until the end. Please let us know what happens.
Kauai car rental prices for May have spiked in the past week from about $1200 to $1600 for 12 days, a 30%+ increase. Any reason you can think of? I guess I am glad I am locked in at somewhat beter rate.
Unfortunately, I waited too long this time and have seen prices go from $85.00 up to $120.00 per day. For 11 days in late June/early July on Kauai, I had to book a reservation at $1500 instead of the original cost I saw of around $1000. Gambled wrong this time. I will be watching prices to see if they drop, as they did for a trip we made to Maui back in February. Better luck to others!
Aloha! A month after booking a car (free cancellation) for $1522 per 11 days on Kauai at end of Jun/beg of Jul, I just found a rate drop of $235 down to $1287. Patience and checking on several saved sites every day paid off. I had seen this rate a few months ago, missed out on it as they quickly rose, and was hoping it might drop back down as the dates got closer. Mahalo for the advice!
Booked three months ago on Turo, got a used car newer than mine for a $350 weekly rate. I’ve worked hard for my money and don’t to blow it on Hertz,Budget, Avis,etc…I used my savings for Mama’s Fish House in Lahaina. HaHa..!!
You: …”Well if I told you then I’d have to kill you”…
R u serious? A comment like that, in this day and age?
Wow.
I would hope that you and the admins would recognize this as improper. Gawd.
AutoSlash
What Patrick is talking about is basically a discount code meant for employees of a certain company or members of a certain organization that you are probably not eligible for.
Some folks feel comfortable using these codes, but others realize that it’s not only improper, but also that Avis/Budget have been cracking down recently on the illicit use of these codes and using them may result in being charged the “walk-up” rate which would be quite a bit higher than using a reputable site like AutoSlash, Costco, etc., or even booking with the rental company directly with their publicly available discount codes/coupons.
1
RodW
SA,
I think it’s still a good joke.
No offense intended, I’m sure.
I think you should lighten up on Patrick.
Happy New Year!
2
Patrick
Well at least RODW has a sense of humor and knows the “history” of that saying.
And Happy New Year to you RODW
1
RodW
And to you, Patrick.
What state do you live in?
Happy New Year,
Rod
Patrick
What state? The state of confusion. I hope that doesn’t offend anyone. 😉
Missouri… but I was born in HI.. before it was a state! 🙂
1
Robert_D
Great insights and tips to holiday travel in Hawaii. Thank you
I am an educator and I suggest anyone look into car rental discounts through NEA, up to 25%. I’m trying to book for Kauai May 27-June 3. A small SUV is about $1050 for 7-8 days.
Well, because of high car rental costs, we decided to spend our money to visit our nation’s Capitol next spring break instead. V don’t need a car there and do many free things to see/visit. Plus, it’s Cherry Blossom season!
Aloha, I miss you Hawaii.
Is Truro welcome on Maui? I don’t want to disappoint the locals if it is not a good thing. It seems that I read it somewhere. I want the very best price for the safest vehicle, but also want to respect an already over absorbed island. Thanks for any input.
Hi Sandi.
Turo is very active on ask the islands. Welcome is another matter and it depends who you are asking.
Aloha
Not car rental related but anyone have suggestions on the best way to get from the airport to one of the hotels in Waikiki?
Thanks
Hi Patrick.
Uber or taxi. There’s also the bus if you have time.
Aloha.
I’ve used a shuttle service to/from. My preferred service is Aloha Shuttle, fixed price one way to/from (i.e. one price, was $35 + tip but verify, doesn’t matter if you are a party of one or four) in a private air conditioned van. I’ve used their services a number of times. Pleasant drivers who will be assigned and positioned at HNL to pick you up. Call week in advance (google Aloha Shuttle Honolulu to get tel) to reserve.
Thanks a lot. Putting this in my folder.
I booked a car rental through hertz for 8 days 7 nights in Honolulu at the end of Aug into Sept and it was $90.00 and some change. Was even given and up grade. Very happy with the price.
My wife and I are planning a trip to Kauai in March 2023. We have been looking at car rentals and they are all going for upwards of $900 for a week rental. Taxes and fees are almost $220 alone. Will the car rental prices on Kauai go down anytime soon or are they always higher there?
Try Island Car Rentals. Give them a call directly
As Janice said, it’s worth shopping around. $900 per week sounds like a lot and based on our 12+ years of experience in the industry we expect that rates will come down eventually. You just have to be patient.
The good news is that you don’t have to spend your time checking daily. You should just book the best pay-later rate you can find (one that doesn’t require a credit card to book) and then head over to AutoSlash to track it price drops. We’ll keep checking daily for lower rates so you can go on about your life. We’ll email you when we find a better deal.
I have Autoslash tracking my two week rental from end of Jan-Feb. Sedans are $850 and minivans are $950 for a week. I have been tracking for a few months and the price hasn’t moved much. Hoping it will get a drop closer to the date.
I need a 7 seater that can carry some baggage. Some of the rentals say the minivan fits 4 bags and some say 5. I don’t know if there is actually a difference in vehicle size or just company standards for luggage. I want the bigger vehicle in the category but Autoslash considers them the same for purposes of the rental.
No real difference in vehicle size—just varying standards as you suspected. The vast majority of minivans have plenty of luggage capacity and the major rental firms usually have an assortment to choose from, and they are usually pretty accommodating if you have a preference or a specific need.
Hopefully we can get the price down over time. Safe travels!
There ridiculously high all over Hawaii especially spring break time !! Might check on private owned rental car !!
I just booked for Feb/ March. All in, tax and fees $480 (12 day, midsized. I just returned from Kauai March 7th. $520 for 12 days, full sized.
Discountusacarrental.com, discounthawaiicarrental.com or AAA.
Being a Turo host is no longer worth it with the saturated market and huge drop in rental rates because people purchased cars they could not afford and now a 22 Jeep Rubicon can be had for under 80/100 a day and is a 75k plus jeep in hawaii. Between the high cost of vehicles, the big fees from turo, the competition and the high risk of damages is it really worth risking it buying a car you any afford to have unless it’s rented out? Do the math you have to rent your vehicle 20 plus days to even break even And before taxes and additional expenses. Very few make good $ being a turo host, most are in and out within a year. I’ve seen many of my neighbors and friends fail and get in big financial trouble trying to scale up in Turo
The prices are up because the car companys need to get into DMV the state is still on covid lockdown cars cannot get safety checks. Thats what we were told. Its stupid. State govt. Still holding everything back
After Kaua’i reopened, there was a huge shortage of rental vehicles which were shipped out to be used instead of sitting. Turo arrived and were charging some of the most outrageous rental fees. Turo as a company came and allowed people to rent out their vehicles to pay bills and make a living. The rental agencies fleets came back, and Turo tripled. We now have Sixt starting up. I’m a Kaua’i girl all my life, no offense but seriously?? The highways here are not made to accommodate hundreds and hundreds of extra cars. I would imagine, there is someone in the State as well as County assessing this? I’m not just referring to the traffic we’ve always had, it’s now 10 times worse. These companies need to be capped and limit on vehicles allowed
Aloha-
Any idea why the low season(late April-early June) is more expensive on Kauai then before or after? We will be there 5/9-21. I booked well in advance and got a mid-size for $1265. I can get something a bit lower($1190) now but don’t want to book and rebook a bunch of times. Any thoughts on whether it will come down at all? I continue to look at least weekly.
thanks
Hi Jon.
Honestly these prices don’t seem entirely related to supply and demand. It could come down, so it’s good you plan on checking until the end. Please let us know what happens.
Aloha.
Aloha!
Kauai car rental prices for May have spiked in the past week from about $1200 to $1600 for 12 days, a 30%+ increase. Any reason you can think of? I guess I am glad I am locked in at somewhat beter rate.
thanks
Hi Jon.
Glad to hear you got at least a somewhat better deal. We don’t see any obvious reason for that.
Aloha.
Unfortunately, I waited too long this time and have seen prices go from $85.00 up to $120.00 per day. For 11 days in late June/early July on Kauai, I had to book a reservation at $1500 instead of the original cost I saw of around $1000. Gambled wrong this time. I will be watching prices to see if they drop, as they did for a trip we made to Maui back in February. Better luck to others!
Aloha! A month after booking a car (free cancellation) for $1522 per 11 days on Kauai at end of Jun/beg of Jul, I just found a rate drop of $235 down to $1287. Patience and checking on several saved sites every day paid off. I had seen this rate a few months ago, missed out on it as they quickly rose, and was hoping it might drop back down as the dates got closer. Mahalo for the advice!
Hi Dan.
Glad to hear that worked out for you. That will definitely pay for something good while you are here.
Aloha.
Booked three months ago on Turo, got a used car newer than mine for a $350 weekly rate. I’ve worked hard for my money and don’t to blow it on Hertz,Budget, Avis,etc…I used my savings for Mama’s Fish House in Lahaina. HaHa..!!
When did Mama’s move to Lahaina?
They haven’t moved. He just made a mistake on the location.
Jon D – just an FYI but if you know the “Code” with budget, you can get a full size car (like a Camry) for $565 for your dates. 🙂
What’s the code?
”Well if I told you then I’d have to kill you”…
Go to the Budget forum on Flyertalk. There’s a bunch of codes floating around there.
You: …”Well if I told you then I’d have to kill you”…
R u serious? A comment like that, in this day and age?
Wow.
I would hope that you and the admins would recognize this as improper. Gawd.
What Patrick is talking about is basically a discount code meant for employees of a certain company or members of a certain organization that you are probably not eligible for.
Some folks feel comfortable using these codes, but others realize that it’s not only improper, but also that Avis/Budget have been cracking down recently on the illicit use of these codes and using them may result in being charged the “walk-up” rate which would be quite a bit higher than using a reputable site like AutoSlash, Costco, etc., or even booking with the rental company directly with their publicly available discount codes/coupons.
SA,
I think it’s still a good joke.
No offense intended, I’m sure.
I think you should lighten up on Patrick.
Happy New Year!
Well at least RODW has a sense of humor and knows the “history” of that saying.
And Happy New Year to you RODW
And to you, Patrick.
What state do you live in?
Happy New Year,
Rod
What state? The state of confusion. I hope that doesn’t offend anyone. 😉
Missouri… but I was born in HI.. before it was a state! 🙂
Great insights and tips to holiday travel in Hawaii. Thank you
Hi Robert.
Thanks for saying that and for your first comment.
Aloha.
Over time I’ve read many comments about Turo.
Do Turo and similar peer-to-peer rentals come with insurance? If not how do renters get full coverage?
Mahalo!
Hi Rod.
Turo has insurance options for both parties via Liberty Mutual. We aren’t familiar with other peer rental companies.
Aloha.
Thank you BOE!
Major credit cards like Chase And Barkley/Hawaiian Airlines offer full primary coverage. Then decline any add on’s.
I am an educator and I suggest anyone look into car rental discounts through NEA, up to 25%. I’m trying to book for Kauai May 27-June 3. A small SUV is about $1050 for 7-8 days.
I’m a university adjunct – is NEA still the place to go?
Thank you!