Hawaii car rental rates
Jun 25th, 2012, 10:06 AM
#3
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You should book (not on a nonrefundable) site, and then start to check frequently. I started at $980 for my BI rental and have gone down to ~$440 for my dates (the price is back up in the $900s now).
Have the best rate you can find reserved, and then do due diligence; sometimes a couple/few weeks out is when the prices will drop (if they don't, you are at least guaranteed a vehicle).
You can always do Hotwire or PL at a MUCH later date (never this early) if the prices haven't moved enough for you.
Have the best rate you can find reserved, and then do due diligence; sometimes a couple/few weeks out is when the prices will drop (if they don't, you are at least guaranteed a vehicle).
You can always do Hotwire or PL at a MUCH later date (never this early) if the prices haven't moved enough for you.
Jun 25th, 2012, 10:26 AM
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Jun 25th, 2012, 01:47 PM
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I found I can get lower rates at the off-airport rental offices near the hotels. I take a shuttle to and from the airport. Another way I have saved is to only rent the car for the days I really need it. For days just hanging out at the pool or beach, there is no sense in paying for a car to sit in the parking lot.
Jun 26th, 2012, 11:05 AM
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Tried to post this yesterday when Fodors was down so here goes again.
sf - Maui seems to always be a little more expensive for car rentals. I go there frequently for work and even last Nov which was a pretty slow time, I paid $125 for two days. So the $305 isn't too bad. I would book it and keep checking back for discounts or price drops.
cd-montereybob makes a great point about off airport rentals. I was in Maui this Feb for a convention/work. I usually book with either Dollar or Enterprise because they are the cheapest. The best I could get for 6 days was around $900. There is no way my company was going to pay for that. I went to the Enterprise office in Kahului on Hana Highway. It's about a 5-7 min ($10) car ride from the airport. My rental from that office was $323. When I returned my car to that location, the staff there drove me to the airport. They just have a policy that they can't pick people up at the airport.
I'm sure some of the hotels may have good deals, too. I guess depending where you are staying, you'd have to factor in the cost of a shuttle to and from the airport. But Enterprise in Kahului was a great alternative.
sf - Maui seems to always be a little more expensive for car rentals. I go there frequently for work and even last Nov which was a pretty slow time, I paid $125 for two days. So the $305 isn't too bad. I would book it and keep checking back for discounts or price drops.
cd-montereybob makes a great point about off airport rentals. I was in Maui this Feb for a convention/work. I usually book with either Dollar or Enterprise because they are the cheapest. The best I could get for 6 days was around $900. There is no way my company was going to pay for that. I went to the Enterprise office in Kahului on Hana Highway. It's about a 5-7 min ($10) car ride from the airport. My rental from that office was $323. When I returned my car to that location, the staff there drove me to the airport. They just have a policy that they can't pick people up at the airport.
I'm sure some of the hotels may have good deals, too. I guess depending where you are staying, you'd have to factor in the cost of a shuttle to and from the airport. But Enterprise in Kahului was a great alternative.
Jun 26th, 2012, 11:36 AM
#12
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Thanks - we actually did already find a better rate on Avis, and we'll keep checking.
As for renting a car for the days we want it, no can do -- I have to have a car at my disposal so I can go somewhere on a whim, even if it's just out for breakfast!
As for renting a car for the days we want it, no can do -- I have to have a car at my disposal so I can go somewhere on a whim, even if it's just out for breakfast!
Jun 26th, 2012, 01:58 PM
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check utahtea's post of Feb 10 for a link to a Maui car discount:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ay-in-maui.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ay-in-maui.cfm
Jun 26th, 2012, 09:02 PM
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if you are a member of Costco, they have car rental ratess. Costco travel.com..we have booked 3 vacations with them to hawaii which included a car and I have looked at their brochures on car rentals which appear to be reasonabale.
Jun 27th, 2012, 07:50 AM
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Thanks tracy2cents for utahtea's post. I booked a car with DHCR(OGG) and Costco Travel (ITO) for next February (Feb. 10-22) on Maui & Big Island. I thought I got a great rate as I had really search around. Wow, I tried utahtea's site and I will save approximately $60 on Maui and $100 on the Big Island!
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