Maui - car rental question
 

We're Canadians looking for info on car rentals in Maui. I don't know a lot of american car rental co's and the ones I know sure seem to be expensive. We're there from Feb. 26 to March 12.Any opinions on best rates, etc.? I notice a lot of people from US discussing some code or something with some companies but I'd appreciate advice on how to get a good deal!!!! Thanks

We were in Maui a couple of weeks ago and rented a PT Cruiser convertible through Thrifty (www.thrifty.com). The rate was about $260 for six days, which was $70-$100 cheaper than the other companies we looked at. We did not have a special discount or code. It was the regular rate.

You might want to wait until December or January to look for realistic prices, this is too early. Try a search on Expedia to get a list of the common companies (Budget, Hertz, Alamo, Dollar, Thrifty) and an indication of prices, then search the individual car companies' sites themselves. Look for "spring specials" and the like. Maui may be a bit more, but I just booked a compact car with Dollar for $136 a week on Oahu in October. Happy searching!

We are going to Maui in Januaury and I have been researching car rental prices also. We want to rent a convertable and am finding them to be over $400.00, especially if you go through the car company directly. BUT, I went on United airlines web site and looked up car rentals and got one through Alamo for $299.49 for a Sebring Conv. That is definatley the cheapest so far. You might want to try United or another airline's web site too!! Good luck.

For some reason, Thrifty seems to usually be the cheapest deal we can find on Maui.

But always check rates ON-LINE. You will almost always get a cheaper rate at the car rental's website than calling them directly.

Some good advice has been given in previous responses. I would like to add - after checking various sites to get an idea of what the daily rate would be (car rental companies give a weekly rate but if you are renting for 9 days - you will see a weekly then a daily rate for the other 2 days). Then go to Priceline.com and ask for a price that is less than the daily rate but something you can live with. You may get a response that your rate is accepted. But be aware once they come back you are hooked into that price. I did this recently and got a decent rate via PriceLine and National Car Rental. Got a Sebring Conv. for $35.00 a day. Gas is around $2.65 a gallon. Not much different than Canada. Feb to March is a busy time in Maui - so I am not sure how competitive pricing will be.

Try http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/

and

http://rentalcodes.com/

Just saw a convertible with Alamo for our dates in January on Orbitz.com for $247 a week - total $295.

We were in Maui late Feb to early March this year and got a comfy mid-sized car for far less than the price of an economy/compact car. Start checking each of the rental car company's websites on a weekly basis (as the specials change every week or two) until you see a price you like and then book it. They didn't require a deposit so if we came across a better price later we could cancel and rebook. Many Visa Gold cards (like the RBC No Fee Visa Gold) include free collision waiver insurance which can save you at least $15 a day provided you pay for the car rental with that card. Also some hotels have special arrangements with rental car companies which you might want to check as a comparison. Have a great trip!

Hey! travelinfamily -
thanks for the tip! i had a thrifty conv. for early Jan for $54 a day, but with the extra charges... really, i just saved 12 bucks with your info, but hey...
the extra driver is included, which my DH will be glad to take a turn at the wheel. i keep checking back for better rates, so thanks!
d

I used this link to get a car in Williamsburg.
May have some discounts for Hawaii as well.
http://www.rentalcodes.com/

I am from Canada as well and have researched the car rentals quite a bit as I will be in Maui the first two weeks in Feb. I found "Island Car Rentals in Maui" to be the best deal. If you have children the car seat is free! Also free is any additional drivers in which the big rental co's charge extra $. Has anyone else used this co?

http://www.rentacarinmaui.com/pages/1/index.htm

Sorry if this is a duplicate post--I have no idea what happened to my first reply to this.

kpoe! Be aware that Island Car Rentals may not be the best choice for your vacation car rental. They do fill a definite need, but unless you are under 21, require a long-term, cheap rental or truly can't afford the extra 15-20 bucks for a weekly rental from a known agency--thihk twice. The cars are older, may have no A/C, are known to break down--and there is no guarrantee they will come and get you if you break down. Search here and on the web for other opinions/experiences.

I might rent from them if my car was going to be in the shop for a while, just to get back and forth to work, but not for my vacation. YMMV

Check Hotwire and http://www.carrentalinhawaii.com/fleetinfo.htm for car rental deals. You can rent a new economy car, WITH A/C, for $150 - 200 a week, plus taxes.

Also, Island Car Rentals requires pre-payment.