Final Thoughts and Advice The good news is that rental cars in Hawaii are relatively inexpensive on most islands. Four-wheel drives and convertibles tend to be pricier, of course. Gas in Hawaii is more expensive than on the mainland. On Molokai and Lanai, gas prices are considerably higher. Sheila Beal is the founder and editor of Go Visit Hawaii. Hi Andrew. Molokai and Lanai have the highest gas prices. I prefer the freedom of coming and going as I please to riding one of those tour buses.
I would rather have music a conversation and look at the sights as I drive. Hi Emma — we prefer to have the freedom of a rental car, too. I called several other rental places and they were about the same regular price so Enterprise was truly half off! We find it best to simply call all of the numbers for the major companies and give them your appropriate discount codes.
I usually make a quick Excel sheet with the company name, dates and times, discount codes, and best offer from each company, then keep the one that is lowest. That was a pretty good deal.
People have a perception that Hawaii is outrageously expensive. We plan to take an inter island cruise for part of our visit. Are there car rental places at the ports? Hawaii Discount Car Rental makes it easy to book a rental from the ports, plus their rates are usually really good. We have booked through Hawaii Discount Car Rental for our own car rentals many times over the years. I can see how the need to rent a car depends on where you will be staying. I imagine some busy places with lots of foot traffic, renting a car would be a nightmare.
But places that are a bit more spread out would be easier to drive a rental car around. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
The rate is usually extremely high; therefore, we highly advise you not to choose this option unless you absolutely have to. As far as insurance goes, expect to hear the sales pitch telling you it's needed. We can almost hear the statistics now on Hawaii roads and accident costs.
Don't let the rental folks talk you into anything you don't need. Consider the following: The rental insurance they want to sell you is temporary insurance, but the fact is, you might very well already have it. Check with your insurance agent for your personal vehicles to see if you're covered.
If you rent cars regularly, a non-owners insurance policy can provide traditional liability coverage to a rental car. If you do already have car rental insurance, you can save a bundle by avoiding this cost. Second, check with the credit card company you make the purchase with, as they may also provide you protection as a cardholder. Just be sure to clarify with your credit card company what they cover and what the limits are. We should also refer back to Tip 1 here. If you do off-road, any insurance you do have regardless of who it's with is void - even your own insurance will only cover you for what's legal by the rental agreement.
Speaking of credit cards, expect to pay with one. Some companies may accept checks, but they definitely won't accept cash. Also, don't just assume if you book ahead of time that you've paid all the fees associated with the rental. Occasionally, additional fees will be charged at the time of the rental, one of which we detail next. The "underage" curse of renting in Hawaii. This is one of the biggest and most despised surprises to all renters under the age of Welcome, young honeymooners, first-time adult vacationers, and college students!
Yeah, right. In Hawaii, you are obligated by law to pay an underage fee for the supposed risk the rental companies must take to insure you to drive on the island. Also, as far as we know, if you're under 21 you can't even rent a vehicle on Hawaii. If your car breaks down while in Hawaii, be sure to call the number provided with your rental package.
If you fail to call them first in the event of an emergency your expenses may not be covered. After you call them, call your own insurance to see if they'll cover any costs the rental agency won't- such as a blown tire, etc.
This could be a bait and switch tactic, or they may just be overstocked on larger models, so be careful. If you're good at negotiating you might be able to get a larger vehicle at a really good rate, so don't feel shy about pressing them for the better vehicle at the same rate you already paid. After all, it's their fault for not having your model. Usually, you'll be given the upgrade at the same rate, but if not, definitely argue it.
If all else fails, cancel your rental with them and go to a competitor. If they actually let you walk away from the desk empty-handed you're probably better at another company anyway.
Be prepared to wait once you arrive up to two hours ; the lines at most rental counters can be long and require patience. Some folks like to use the "split up" tactic of having one individual head for the rental counter as soon as they get off the plane while the other waits for the luggage. Plus, if you land right after another large flight, you can count on waiting even longer. But relax, you're in Hawaii now! This website's use is your expressly conditioned acceptance of the terms, conditions, and disclaimers found within our Disclaimer of Warranty and Limitation of Liability page without any modifications.
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All partners and related links comply with our Advertising Disclosures. For example, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. These links do not cost you anything and help provide the necessary funding to maintain this website. Download your copy of our Travel Alert: Hawaii Travel Restrictions. Hawaii Rental Car Suggestions On any Hawaiian island, including Oahu, a rental car is definitely the best option for getting around and seeing all the sights we detail both here on our website and in our physical guidebooks.
Published by: John C. Flying from Flying to Check in. Check out. Bellows is one of my favorite beaches on Oahu because you basically tailgate right there on the sand, backing your car in through the massive ironwood trees that front the sand. One of our best tricks is to hide the critical stuff like the car keys under our sandwiches and snacks in the cooler. We usually put our water-resistant iPhones in this , with these to store our credit cards. Remember, most property crimes are crimes of opportunity.
This probably goes without saying, but do your very best not to get your rental car key wet. Why is this worth saying? Because so many people have issues. If your car key gets wet in Hawaii, you can first try to shake it, blow on it and put it in the sun for a while and hope that it dries enough to function again. Sometimes that works! Even once you manage to make the call, it can take a long time sometimes a few hours to get service from a tow truck or the rental car agency, and it will be at your expense.
One of the weirdest side effects of the pandemic and travel slowdown of has been on the Hawaii car rental situation. In order to generate cash and stay afloat, many local car rental branches sold off their rental car fleets.
The cars were their only liquid assets, there was no rental revenue coming in and they still had financial obligations to meet. Unfortunately, cars are tough to get in Hawaii even in normal times since they have to be shipped in by boat. Manufacturing and transportation of all sorts of goods has been impacted by the pandemic, and cars are no exception. At the same time, Hawaii is one of the few popular destinations open to Americans and tourists are flocking to the islands as much as capacity constraints will allow.
Many rental car locations in Hawaii have struggled to maintain enough cars in inventory to satisfy the reservations that are coming in. The best way to avoid that is to book your rental car as soon as you book your flights. Calmly ask to speak to a manager and see if they can call a colleague at a different rental car company at least pay for a shuttle van to your hotel or rental and then drop off a car for you in a day or two. Stay calm, stay flexible, and remember that travel during a global pandemic inherently comes with disruptions.
Renting a car in Hawaii is the best way to explore the islands and get out of the tourist-oriented resort zones or the big city of Honolulu! If you want to see beyond the busy resort areas of Maui, renting a car on Maui is a good idea. The minimum age to rent a car in Hawaii depends on the specific rental agency. The minimum age to rent without paying an extra fee is 21 or 25 depending on the company, and a few will rent to visitors as young as 18 for a hefty extra fee. I hope these tips have helped you feel more confident in your Hawaii travel planning.
Be sure to click through the articles below or sign up for Hawaii travel planning tips by email. See all of our Hawaii travel planning resources in one place Travel planning resources: Compare rental car prices for Hawaii 5 simple money-saving hacks for booking. Is it worth visiting Hawaii with a baby?
I know nothing about traveling all over the country, what a wonderful looking place to explore. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Sharing is caring! Contents Renting a car in Hawaii is the best way to explore Hawaii car rentals can get pricey Gas in Hawaii is expensive What kind of car should you rent in Hawaii?
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