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.
