britomart

Hello,

We've made all our reservation for Hawaii--inter-island flights and accomodations--but we're unsure how to best go about renting a car. We've actually never rented a car before... We're going to Kauai and Molokai. I'm assuming we should book ahead. Is it better to use the major agencies and book online, or would we get a better deal by contacting the agencies on the island directly? What's an average price for car rentals on these islands? Is booking a car like booking a flight, where the price fluctuates based on when you book? There's only two of us, so we're interested in something small and inexpensive. Thanks for any advice.

lesm

I think Orbitz.com is a great place to view rental car prices. Yes, they do fluctuate based on timing. I just rented a mid size on Kauai for 8 days for $250, just to give you an idea. Try to select a company that has cars at airport, as opposed to outside the terminal. It's less of a hassle.

diann24

We rented a car on nearly every island from a recent cruise. We used Dollar rental and paid $39 a day. Somewhat more for a convertible. You can book directly with them.

britomart

Any other recommendations?

Ag3046

www.kayak.com always gives me the best rates.

The rental agencies are all about the same, all in all.

Boogoo

Definetly plan ahead ... december is very busy as you get closer to the holidays. Molokai is a very tiny island. You will not have too many choices. Kauai will be a little bit easier. You should shop the internet for best prices. As a reminder, most agencies require you to be 25 years of age or older, if not, a hefty daily fee is added for those 21-24.

tmt

If you have a Costco or Entertainment card it can save you alot - especially using their discount rate and one of their coupons. Just call directly after taking a look at Orbitz prices.

The earlier you rent the cheaper. And check back every once in a while to check the prices after you have reserved.

I reserved 6 months in advance for Oahu and the price is now $200 more a week for a convertible.

chris2x

I would go to kayak.com or hotwire.com. It's pretty easy. Have a great trip! get a convertable in Hawaii.

---

Chris Christensen
Amateur Traveler podcast
http://AmateurTraveler,com

kauai_aka

on kauai as low as 13/day. you won't look like a tourist in their cars.

http://www.islandcars.net/index.htm

Barbara5353

Of the major car rental companies, only Dollar and Budget operate on Molokai. Their rates are much higher than on any of the other major islands. For the same # of days, our quote from Budget was $200 more on Molokai than on Oahu.
There is a local rental company you might want to check. It's Island Kine Rentals.
Website is www.molokai-car-rental.com

NinaM

Am off to Molokai in January for 2 weeks, and rented through Budget for about $360 (compact car). Book now though, cars are limited.

SandratheGardener

We used Budget on Kauai & booked directly through them (also used our Costco code for a discount). We paid $200 for a midsize for 8 days, I booked it about 2 months before our trip.

here_today_gone2Maui

http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/molokai.htm

kealalani

It is very important to make reservations for Molokai asap. When we were there last year, Pirates of the Carribean happened to be filming on island and got the last of the rentals for cast and crew. Play it safe and book now. You just never know with an island of that size. We actually shared a dinner table with a couple that thought they could bike the island easily from Molokai Ranch. They didn't realize how expensive the bike rentals would be, and they ended up stranded for 3 days until the film wrapped.

jamie99

Booked Alamo midsize with Orbitz.com for our trip next week to Kauai and cost is just over $200 for a week including taxes.

britomart

Thanks for all the responses. I found cheap rates through this site:

http://www.wailuabay.com/car_rentals.html

$180 for Kauai, and $243 for Molokai, with taxes. The Molokai rate was $100 less than booking directly with the car rental agency. I guess it pays to shop around!