If
you are planning a trip to Hawaii, you might be worried about how
you will get around once you get to the islands. After all, Hawaii
is one vacation destination that you cannot drive to! This means
you are going to need to rent a vehicle after you arrive if you
hope to have the freedom and independence to choose your own path.
Although you will certainly need to
plan for rental cars within your vacation budget, you still don
’t want to blow your entire budget on it. Therefore, there
are several things you should take into consideration in order to
help reduce the cost of renting a vehicle when you visit Hawaii.
Planning the Best Time to Visit
The first thing you should consider when planning a Hawaiian vacation
is the time of year. The reality is that most car rental agencies
increase the rental price during high traffic times of the year.
Namely, summertime and the holiday season are major tourist seasons
on the islands, which mean you can expect to pay more when visiting
Hawaii from mid-June to mid-August as well as from mid-December
to the end of the year. You will also
get a better deal if you make your rental arrangements well in advance.
In fact, it is best to set up your rental at least three months
before you plan to visit the islands. Many Hawaii
car rental agents sell out their vehicles well
ahead of time – particularly during the busy seasons –
which means you will be limited in your choices. Obviously, the
more limited your choices, the more you are likely to spend on a
rental.
Choosing Your Rental Agency
When picking out a rental agency, keep in mind that those on the
Big Island and near the airports tend to run out of rentals sooner.
Therefore, you may actually be more likely to get more options if
you deal with agencies on other islands. In addition, you may get
better pricing with these other agencies because many of them set
their prices for the year and keep them the same regardless of the
season. This means you might still be able to get a good deal during
the popular summer months if you choose the right agency.
Deciding How Long You Will Stay
When visiting the Hawaiian
islands, you will likely want to stay forever!
Though this probably isn’t going to be possible for you, you
might want to plan a longer stay and take advantage of the price
breaks that a longer stay can bring. The
majority of rental agencies on the island give special discounts
to those that rent vehicles for a full week. In fact, many will
charge you for just the first five days and then give you the next
two days for free. It is important to note, however, that you cannot
use the same vehicle on each of the islands. Therefore, if you want
to enjoy a little island hopping, you will need to reserve a different
vehicle for each island. Even if you deal with the same agency,
you will have to pay additional costs for each vehicle you reserve
on the different islands.
Picking the Type of Car
The type, or class, of car you choose will also have an impact on
the cost of rental. High demand vehicles such as Jeeps and convertibles
tend to cost more to rent. Similarly, those vehicles that are expensive
to purchase will also be expensive to rent. These include SUVs and
luxury cars. If you are taking your family to visit the islands,
you should also expect to pay a little more for rental of a mini-van.
In fact, in general, vehicles with more seats will cost more to
rent.If you are traveling with five people, you can save on rental
by renting a mid-size car. In addition, if you are willing to take
a risk, you can reserve a mid-size and hope one won't be available
when you arrive on the islands. If this happens, most rental companies
will automatically upgrade you to a higher class of vehicle.
Determining Where You Will Pick Up
the Vehicle
It may seem convenient to choose a rental that is to be
picked up "on
airport location" Unfortunately, picking
up "on airport location" can push your costs up 8% more
than what you would pay with other pick up locations. This is because
the airports charge the rental agencies with a concession fee for
each rental "on airport location". The rental agencies
then pass this fee on to the customer. By
choosing to pick up your vehicle away from the airport, you won't
be causing much of an inconvenience. In fact, most "on airport
location" pickups still require taking a ride on a shuttle
bus in order to reach your rental vehicle. This ride will take you
about three minutes, but it only takes about eight minutes to ride
a shuttle bus to a pick up location that is not considered "on
airport location". The extra few minutes will certainly be
worth it when you save a significant amount of money on your rental.This
article contributed by HawaiiDrive-O, a Hawaii and Maui
car rental specialist. We also provide Florida
discount car rental.
