Once you’ve planned your flights to Hawaii, then you’ve got to figure the logistics of getting around. Each island has some public transportation, but for the most part, they’re not designed to help tourists get around. So, most likely, you’re going to need a rental car for part or all of your vacation. You won’t have to spend a fortune on car rental if you use these 7 tips to help you save money on your car rental.
1. Determine if you need a rental car for your stay
At first glance, that may sound like a silly idea, but you may not need a rental car at all. There are a couple of Hawaii vacation scenarios I can think of that will allow you to skip renting a car altogether. For example, if you are staying in Waikiki Beach, you can get away with not renting a car at all. And, when you don’t rent a car, you don’t have to pay for parking and gas. These two posts will help you determine if you need a rental car on your Hawaii vacation:
- Do I need a rental car if I stay in Waikiki Beach?
- Will You Need A Rental Car in Hawaii? (From Oahu, Maui, Kauai to the Big Island – Where a Rental Car is a Must.)
2. Rent the smallest car to suit your needs
Not only will the car rental cost less, but you’ll also save money on gas, which is good for your wallet and the environment. We’ve rented convertibles and Jeeps in Hawaii and they were kind of fun, but in our experience, they were not really worth the extra money. In addition, we discovered that Jeeps and convertibles are more likely to carry some unwanted “passengers” in Hawaii. We’ve had just as much fun in the economy cars as the fancier cars.
>> If you have a choice, we recommend renting an economy car with a concealed trunk. Ideally, you shouldn’t leave your car with any valuables in the trunk, but if you have to leave valuables unattended, at least they won’t be visible to would be thieves.
3. Use self-parking and avoid using valet services
Valets can be a convenience, especially at your resort check-in, but depending on the number of times you use the service, fees and tips can add up. After one of our our rental car was damaged by the Sam Choy’s Breakfast, Lunch and Crab valet service in Honolulu in 2007, we’ve vowed to avoid valets when possible. That valet service ended up costing us an additional $250 that we didn’t bargain for.
4. Bring your own navigation system
Anytime you are traveling on unfamiliar roads, it’s always helpful to use some sort of navigation device to help you get around. A navigation system can really be a stress-saver on your Hawaii vacation.(Andy and I are convinced that our GPS navigation system has saved our marriage. 🙂 )
In all our many visits to Hawaii, we’ve only had one rental car with a built-in navigation system. The rental car agencies can rent a GPS, but they come at an extra expense at a cost of more than $10 per day plus taxes and fees. Unless you know that the car you’re renting has a navigation system, you should plan ahead for navigating. Some solutions for you to use:
- A navigation app on your mobile phone can work fine, assuming you’re not paying roaming fees outside of your designated plan.
- Bring your own GPS device, if you have one
- Use maps
- Print directions to places you plan to go to before you go on your vacation
5. Snag a discount
It’s not too difficult to find discounts if you know where to look. Here are some ideas for getting the lowest rental prices:
- Check your memberships for rental car discounts. If you are a Costco, Sams Club, or BJs Warehouse member, definitely check their rates. I’ve gotten some great deals over the years through those memberships. Sometimes they’ll even add an extra perk like one extra driver at no additional cost. Our Costco membership has practically paid for itself from the rental car discounts alone.
- Another place we check rates is with Discount Hawaii Car Rental for comparison. Sometimes they’re cheaper than anywhere else.
- Use the bidding sites like Priceline.com and Hotwire.com. Personally, we’ve never used this method as we like to have more control over our selections, but I’ve had friends that have gotten deals that way — like less than $20/day.
6. Keep your belongings and your rental car safe
Avoid getting some unwanted and unexpected car damage with these strategies:
- Beware of falling coconuts, e.g., don’t park under palm trees.
- Make sure you are aware of Hawaii’s forbidden roads before you drive into a potentially dangerous situation.
- Never, never, ever leave anything valuable in your car. See A Friendly Reminder: Plan Ahead & Protect Your Valuables
7. Don’t wait until the last minute to book your car
Depending on when you visit Hawaii, demand for rental cars can be high. How high? Well, sometimes rental cars are completely sold out. See my article: Planning a Trip to Hawaii? Book Your Rental Car Early!
Bonus: Since originally writing this post, a reader shared a tip for saving money simply by rechecking the rental car rates. See the details of why you should check and recheck rental car rates for potential savings.
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What other tips have you used to save money on your Hawaii vacation car rental?
Sheila Beal
21 comments
Great advice!
Another tip: you can reserve most rental cars without a credit card. Grab the best deal now and if you find a better deal later, you can cancel without penalty. 😉
Thanks for adding that one.
The GPS is a lifesaver when driving in Honolulu. It’s not easy to try to read the street name (especially at night) to decide whether it’s Kapiolani or Kapahulu. On the other islands, it seems easier to drive because the cities are much smaller.
On the other hand, the GPS’s pronounciation of Hawaiian names can be a hoot.
Great tip about the GPS, especially in Honolulu (lots of one-way streets) and up country Maui. I’ve used Discount Hawaii Car Rentals now for the past 5 years and have ALWAYS gotten the lowest prices on the best cars, and with GREAT service too!!! You can’t lose. Mahalo for making it so easy to rent cars in Hawaii.
We were able to also use rental car coupons from our Hawaii Entertainment Book (see https://govisithawaii.com/2008/04/12/hawaii-entertainment-coupon-books-worth-the-price/).
Excellent, Karl! Thanks for adding that tip!
Just saved a bundle by booking with Discount Hawaii Car Rental – thanks so much for the tip!
Just booked through Costco.com. I had no idea they did rental cars and by far got the best deal around. Only $28 a day for an suv. Thanks for the tip.
That’s a great rental deal on a SUV, Kris. Congrats on snagging it and thanks for letting us know.
Hi, I see that Waikiki Parc offers complimentary parking. Do you know of other hotels on Oahu that offer this benefit?
The Royal Hawaiian’s supposedly free parking is actually paid for with the daily resort fee.
Thanks.
Not to my knowledge, but fees and parking policies are always changing in Waikiki.
Since Sheraton Waikiki, Sheraton Princess Kaiulani and the Moana Surfrider are all Starwoods properties like the Royal Hawaiian, you might want to check to see if they have a similar policy of parking included in the resort fee.
Also, check out this post that’s periodically updated with free and low cost Waikiki parking: https://govisithawaii.com/2007/11/13/finding-reasonable-parking-in-waikiki/
Thank you SOOOOO much for the tip on Discount Hawaii Car Rental. I was in despair about having to pay almost $1000 for a rental car when I waited too long to book. I was able to save over $600 by using Discount Hawaii, even incredibly last minute!
Saving over $600? Wow, that’s fantastic! Thanks for letting us know.
SO helpful! The car rental was so much cheaper! Thank you. 🙂
Great to hear!
Question about additional drivers. We are picking up the car as we are the first family arriving in Honolulu. If one of the other additional drivers is coming on a later flight, will they need to go back to car rental and show any ID?
Rental car companies have different policies. Check directly with your rental car company for their policy.
I’ve read that there are car rental companies at HNL that are “On Airport” and some that are “Off Airport”. Does it make a big difference? Should I only be looking to book through companies that are “On Airport”?
I’m not certain what “on airport” or “off airport” means. Most rental car companies have their rental center about 5 minute shuttle ride from the airport. There is no charge for the shuttle.
Great article!
Just wondering, do you think that collision damage waiver is necessary? It would be my first time renting a vehicle so I do want all necessary protection but I don’t understand how that works.
Thanks!
We’re not experts in rental car insurance so we shouldn’t be giving advice. Perhaps a good place to start is for you to contact your current car insurance agent to find out what coverage you might already have for rental cars. He/she might also be able to advise you on any additional protection you might need.