Hi - we arrive in Maui on December 13. My Aunt said she has always waited to arrive - to rent a car. Should we book now? Or will there be cars left?

Thks!

No way would I take a chance on that - and in high season. I'd reserve a car now.

Thanks - who do you usually reserve through? I bought my airline tickets through Orbitz.

I just checked out hotwire and they are even cheaper than Orbitz - anyone booked through them?

I always go with whoever's least expensive. This time I booked a package through Pleasant Holidays and they chose Dollar. When I'm booking everything myself, I usually book directly with the company online and often find that Hertz has the best deals.

THks - my FI is a gold card member but their rates are the most expensive according to orbitz. will have to ask him to call.

I have used
http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/
when I did not get a car/air with Pleasant Hawaiian, but someone mentioned here last week that they found a phenomal price with Hotwire.

here_today warned people off island rntal, and that was excellent advice!!

Do reserve now. getting your car at OGG will save you money on taxi/shuttle service.

It's early to get good rates for December. That being said, if you see a rate you like - book it, it costs nothing. Then if you see a better rate at either the same company or a different one, simply make another reservation and cancel the first, and so on. IMHO I wouldn't arrive mid December without a reservation.

P.S. My comments above assumed you were dealing with the rental agencies' individual websites. If you use Hotwire and the like you have to pay in full when you book so you're locked in. For Maui I've had good rates from Alamo but, like air fares, you have to watch and pounce

If you use http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/ you are guaranteed the rate they confirm, but you can always cancel your reservation, as they do not charge anything when they make your reservation. I have used them for a few years now and I can pretty much guarantee you, you will not find a better fare from them closer to the date, and they always beat the prices direct from the rental agencies. But if you reserve from them you have locked in a good rate and you can still search up until the day before you leave.

Thanks - where is this car rental agency located?

Message: If you use http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/

Did you look at the site? It is not a car rental agency, but rather a rental car booking service. They book with the major agencies, e.g. Thrifty, Dollar, Budget, Avis, Enterprise. They simply arrnage your reservation at a guarranteed rate below rack rate. You still rent directly from the agency, and still get all your points and membership perks.

I've just noticed that someone in this thread said that here today gone2maui has warned people off Island Car Rental. Why? Have there been problems with this company? Thanks for any advice.

Yes - I looked at the site, scanned through it. Prices looked good - but I did not see WHERE they were located. I assume they are at the airport. I think I would feel better off dealing direct with the car rental agency. Thks.

I used www.rentalcodes.com to find some good deals in Hawaii through National. To use some of the codes, you must be a member of the respective organization, but that isn't true for all. I found something called Vacation Outlet, which provided a discount code plus additional coupons.

I compared prices for a rental in December using www.sidestep.com. This site gives you a variety of quotes from the major companies and you can access the company's site to make a reservation directly from sidestep. I found a quote for the minivan we wanted from Dollar that was $200 less than the closest competitor. Even discounthawaiicarrental couldn't beat the price.

beachgirl, you are renting directly from the rental agency. This is just a booking agency, the same as Orbitz that you said you used to book your air. They take no money, they simply send you a confirmation of you reservation, which is made directly through the respective rental company. I don't understand what your concerns are. At one point you were asking for hotel brokers but placing your car reservation is giving you pause? Booking your car here would be no different than booking your air through Orbitz. I have used them on average 4 times a year for cars on Maui.

http://www.carrentalinhawaii.com/ is their homepage if you want to read more about this.

Here today--Are you lurking about today? I've already booked with Island Car Rental and have spoken with them twice and paid for the car. Should I be concerned? Both agents I spoke with sounded informative and helpful. Others on this site have said good things about them. Please alert me if I need to change. thanks a bunch.

Uhhh yeah - because others are saying there is reason to be CONCERNED! Not so with Orbitz!

"At one point you were asking for hotel brokers but placing your car reservation is giving you pause? Booking your car here would be no different than booking your air through Orbitz. I have used them on average 4 times a year for cars on Maui."