Things are changing. How to save money on your Hawaii car rentals throughout 2023..
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Things are changing. How to save money on your Hawaii car rentals throughout 2023..
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I am revisiting this article again since our trip is this coming Aug. and checked Discount Hawaii Car Rental. Happy to find at least $300 saving there. We just need to confirm if all the charges are final (we clicked through all the way already).
Aloha BOH,
We are returning to Maui in November of this year, our first trip back since 2019. We currently have a rental car booked and the suggestion on the website (Discount Hawaii) is to have one person get the car while other party waits with luggage, due to long lines. Is this still the case? Our previous trips have been in May, so I thought November would be less congested. Would appreciate your feedback.
Mahalo,
Pam
Hi Pam.
That plan can never hurt. While Hawaii is slowing at least to some degree, it will probably still be busy. Recently on a flight back to Hawaii, we had to wait 40 minutes for luggage, which in your situation would have allowed you to get the car and be ready to roll.
Aloha.
Lucky Owl on Oahu is Fantastic!!
Really appreciate this article on rental cars. Thank you!
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!
Aloha Guys!
Excited to return to Kauai in May. Any idea why rental rates on Kauai are higher in that slow time then April? Any specific ideas on getting a deal? I have 12 days for a mid-size at $1265 currently
thanks
Hi Jon.
Please send your exact dates and what kind of car and we’ll have a look.
Aloha.
Aloha-
The dates are 5/9-21 and we are looking for a Hyundai Elantra or similar which is called an internediate.
thanks
Hi Jon.
The cheapest mid-size we found was $1,200 including all taxes/fees from Dollar.
Aloha.
Aloha. Lucky buggah to return to Kauai Jun 25-Jul 5 after a week on Maui in Feb. The lowest rental car I’ve seen so far is $1049. Any suggestions on when to pull the trigger and book it?
Mahalo
Hi Dan.
We do see Kauai car rentals for your dates starting on Kayak at $730 (for Dollar Supplier’s Choice). Hope that helps.
Aloha.
This is a very true and informative relay of the Rental Car shortage and issues on the island. I’ve also recommended the locally owned Car rental agencies that save money and time for folks visiting Kaua’i. Working on Hospitality, I’ve experienced many visitors arriving with or without cars, waiting at the on site rental agency lines before arriving at my hotel. Local Kaua’i businesses like Island Cars, are amazing. They all cater and offer Kaua’i style experiences. Rideshares are also great.
Aloha!
Just wanted to say mahalo for your latest article concerning rental cars! I had a rental car reserved with Budget through my Southwest Airlines trip for this summer on Kauai. Following your great advice I logged on to Costco and got a cheaper reservation by almost $68! Plus another $18.00 on a 2% back Costco reward. I will continue to check for lower rates up until we leave. Can’t thank you enough for your wonderful advice.
Mahalo again!
Grant
Hi Grant.
Thanks. We appreciate the feedback.
Aloha.
Not far from Airport Beach at OGG there is a field full of new cars as far as the eye can see. Any suggestions by the rental companies of a depleted fleet is completely bogus. A little aloha helps, too. When asked by our Alamo checkin rep if there was anything they could do better, she responded to our flippant comment about whether anything could be done about the sky-high rates by giving us a free day on the spot. Also, thanks to BOH for so many helpful tips to make our trip memorable.
Hi Lou.
Thanks. We appreciate your first-time comment.
Aloha.
Question. We always bundle our AA flight and car with substantial savings. Could it be cheaper to not do that based on the direction the car rentals are going?
I joined Hertz gold and had been able to “skip the counter” and go right to my rental in the past on the Big Island. I was told(by email) that this time I had to go to the counter. I tried calling Hertz at every phone number I could find, but no humans answer, I did email and got a response, but want to talk to someone. Any ideas?? Do other car rental companies have the same issue ?
Sorry, I didn’t realize that I asked the above question about Hertz once before. I just scrolled down and found it.( But I still can’t speak to a human on the phone at Hertz )
I had no problem with Avis… I went directly to my key pickup on Maui in May ‘22…
Thanks to BOH for the tip about Discount Hawaii Car Rental. I’ve used it a couple times now and it’s worked out great for us and saved some money too.
Hi Adriana.
Thanks for letting us know.
Aloha.
I reserved a car several months ago on Kauai from Discount Hawaii Car Rental for $1824 for 29 days. Yesterday the price came down to $1349. That makes me very happy. Traveling 4/24-5/23. Will still check again just before we leave home. Aloha!
Hi TB.
Thanks for the feedback on the process that’s working for you. A significant savings.
Aloha.
Try Hilo Auto Sales & Rentals. They are the cheapest!
How about not letting visitors stay in illegal Airbnb rentals anymore around the islands? How about using hotels that is what they are there for there is no reason for visitors to be staying in local communities none whatsoever
FYI, there are legal vacation rental districts on Kauai and I’m sure on the other islands… On Kauai, they’re in the Poipu, Kapaa, and Princeville areas. So, you can stay in a legal vacation rental in those areas and enjoy staying in a home or condo. Some people prefer to stay in a vacation rental compared to a hotel where you don’t have a kitchen and usually less space. A whole family can share a home or condo which is likely less expensive then renting multiple hotel rooms…
I have been to at least 4 of the islands and to Oahu on several occasions, and find the islands are all gorgeous and relaxing. No other place I have visited would compare. However for all you who are willing to pay the excessive and extreme high prices for rental cars flabbergasts me. Have you rocks loose in your brains that affect your thinking? Together you all can drive the prices down by not visiting and renting! That is the way to stop price gouging! It works always. You control!
…not sure I understand your reply…?
Do you mean don’t rent cars, don’t rent Airbnb? I’m not understanding your reply….
Thanks.
I just cannot afford these car rental prices. And am flabber gasted that so many can pay out all this money. I have delayed my hawaii trip for 3 years now, but am older so years are valuable to me, yet my wallet is thin. There is just no sense in these prices being so out of hand for condo and car rentals. And the only way they will come down is if people run out of the money the dear President gave us and stay home. I do hope finally I can return to the islands. Please let’s hope so.
Leaving TURO cars at LIH public parking lot is a mess. They should not be able to leave TURO vehicles parked there. The parking lot is now overcrowded and if you want a parking space, you have to wait until a TURO guest leaves. ABM and the State of HI DOT need to remedy this immediately. Iʻve seen tempers rising over the past months. Nothing good will come of this.
Please check your prices source info again. Costco, about the least expensive for week of April 29…about $1000 week for economy/compact car.
We are heading to Maui 4/20 for 3 weeks, booked a rental car through Costco…mid size/intermediate for $1105 includes all taxes/fees…but I did book it about 5 months ago.
We used HUI app for car rental in Oahu and Expedia in Maui for rental car. I think those were the cheapest one we got.
I’m continually checking car rental prices in Kauai, and the prices have always been above the $110 per day price. The price I got several months ago is still $100 less than reported now… sorry, but I see no discounts 😢
Hey Jerry…not sure when your trip is or what site you’re checking but in the past I’ve found that the prices start dropping when you get within 30 days of your arrival. We have a 3 week trip to Maui in April and right now rental car prices for then are about $2500 but I booked about 7 months ago for $1100, I doubt they’ll get below that price but I do expect them to drop well below $2500, just keep watching.
Jerry, Try local car rental companies, my guests have always used them. Especially Island Cars I’ve had more amazing feedback about them. Local special!
Thanks for the tip to reserve far in advance. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to rent last minute. That would be a nightmare that I have no desire in dealing with.
I’ve been trying to speak on the phone with someone from Hertz to ask a question about an upcoming rental. I have tried every listed online Hertz phone number, but none of them will connect to a person. Is this only with Hertz, or are all of the rental companies “online only”. I am doing it through email now, but would prefer to speak to someone to explain my situation. I always use Hertz, but if they don’t answer phones and I find a rental company that does I will change.
Thanks for the info.
I actually stopped using Hertz because of their sketchy customer service as of late. I am sorry you are having trouble reaching them. I had to go into a store to connect with a human that was not roadside assistance. They did respond to my email but it took a couple of weeks.
Book through Turo and you can speak directly with the host. Once you book the car you get the owners personal contact for calls or direct messages in addition to messaging through the Turo app. It’s great, the personal service is really reassuring.
Lopaka15… have you tried calling Hertz at the airport? I call Avis directly at OGG and have always been answered by a person with Aloha!
I have been looking at rates for the Big Island for a week April, and the rates are still outrageously expensive! Why is the Big Island staying so much higher than the other islands still?
I’ve been tracking rates on Kauai for my June trip, and they’re exorbitant as well. Fingers crossed that they drop in the last 90 days before departure as I’ve read about here on BOH (thanks guys!). I plan to keep checking regularly.
Hi Marsh.
Thanks. We hope that works out for you as well.
Aloha.
We’re going to Maui in a few weeks (Feb 11-18) and I have been watching rental car rates for the past couple of months. They started out around $1000 per week and are now down to around $500 per week, with free cancellations and pay at the counter. It’s just a peek at a specific window, but I’m certainly happy to have $500 more in my pocket for plate lunches! I booked mine a couple days ago and they have even dropped $10 since then. I plan to keep checking until just before we leave. Aloha!
Hi Dan.
Which company did you use? Thanks a lot!
Sharon,
I used Thrifty thru the Hotwire app. I noticed that if you keep checking regularly, every once in a while, a rate will pop up in an email and if you’re quick enough, you can snag one. One warning, though, is that the cars are returned, cleaned, washed and run out to a waiting guest, pretty much hand-to-mouth. Give yourself plenty of time after you get to the rental office. We ended up with a Chevy Impala. Helpful and friendly staff, but they only can get you into a car as fast as they process them. Of course this was a busy Saturday, so day of the week may make a difference.
Dan T
Dan, thanks so much for replying! Appreciate it. Saving your info. Very kind…and very helpful! Thanks! Have great travels.
I am less worried about COVID and more worried about getting my rental car when I arrive! I booked back in April and have a monthly rate that is about $1k less than what is being quoted right now. I’m considering contacting Alamo and asking to prepay for my car so that may help? Can anyone (including BOH) chime in on getting your rental car on the Big Island? Are they over booking and leaving people standing at the rental counter?
Appreciate any feedback from you all!
Hi Thom.
We have not really heard of any such issues you are concerned about. Others may comment on their own experience.
Aloha.
We have visited the Big Island twice in the last year… spring break and thanksgiving so prime times. No issues with the rental cars we reserved actually being available. Long lines to check in for the car (recommend someone getting baggage while the other goes to get the car). Think you will be fine getting your vehicle.
First off, you needn’t worry about being left without a rental. The major rental companies in Hawaii have sufficient inventory to service existing reservations.
As far as the rate goes, rental prices rise and fall–sometimes multiple times per day. It’s not uncommon for some folks who book to be confirmed at a very low rate, while others are booked at a much higher rate.
In short, you should be fine, and Alamo won’t let you change to a prepaid rental anyway, so it’s not worth worrying about.
Prices do fluctuate a lot – so its always good to recheck prices. We at Discount Hawaii Car Rental have not heard of Alamo not having cars available right now. There was a period of time when there were more travelers than cars available, but that has cleared up, and all is good now. We are always happy to compare prices for you – we have some cars with free extra drivers, so if you need that as an option, keep us in mind as that can add up.