Car rental is one of the best options for getting the most of your visit in Hawaii. It comes with a horde of conveniences that you normally wouldn’t find with public transportation system. You avoid the crowds, work according to your preferred timelines and you get the pleasure of accessing certain areas that public transportation can’t access.
But your desire for convenience and reliability should not imply that you spend expensively on rental cars. The cost of rental varies considerably in Hawaii, and if you are not keen, you may end up spending a little fortune on the rentals. However, there are a plethora of ways you can use to ensure the cost of rental isn’t high, and we share some of them with you below:
Determine if you really need to rent a car
Initially, it may sound like a silly idea, but it is important to really determine if you have to rent a car while in Hawaii. This is because there are certain vacation scenarios when renting a car doesn’t worth the trouble and the expenses.
For instance, if you are staying in a place like Waikiki Beach, you may not need a car to find your way around and consequently, you won’t need to pay for gas and parking. However, if you are in other places and you intend to move a lot more conveniently, then the thought of going for a rental car will be highly encouraged.
Rent the smallest car that suits your needs
Since you want to save money on Hawaii car rental, you should shelve the thought of going extravagant and renting the latest SUV being offered by the most expensive car rental company on the island. You should go for the smallest car that will suit all your needs, especially providing you with optimal comfort during your journey.
It may be tempting to go for all manner of jeeps and convertible and though you will get a lot of fun with them, they are not worth the extra money if you desire to save on your car rental. By avoiding going extravagant, you will not just save money on the actual cost of the rental, but also you will realize considerable saving on gas, parking and on the car’s insurance.
Carry your own GPS
Add-ons such as GPS systems to your rental car will not be any forgiving as far as cutting cost is concerned. Most rental company will try and charge expensively for them knowing that you desperately need them to move around the island comfortably. But with the current crop of mobile phones, you don’t really need to take a GPS as an add-on.
There are many applications that can now help you find your way around and even if you never had one, you can easily carry your own GPS, not just to use for the car, but also for finding your way around the island. The same case goes for all the extras you may wish to include in the rental. Be sure you take only the add-ons that you can’t do without during your trip.
Always go for self-parking and don’t use valet services
Using valet can be very convenient, especially when you are checking on at the resort, but you should know that the fees can add up very quickly depending on the number of times you use the service.
For example, if you have to use the services for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you may end up spending up to $250 in fees and parking. But this is money you can save when you avoid all the valet services and instead go for self-parking. Depending on where you are, you may sometimes hassle for parking space, but the hassle will lead you to saving some money in the process.
Always look out for car rental discounts
You can always reduce the cost of car rental in Hawaii if you know where to look for the discounts. The good news is that there are plenty of places you can check and here are a few suggestions for you-:
- Bidding sites – bidding sites like hotwire.com and priceline.com are some places you can check out for very nice discounts on car rentals in Hawaii. But before you go ahead with the deals, be sure to do due diligence to ascertain their authenticity.
- Memberships for rental discounts – you can check your various memberships and see if there are some with rental discounts you can grab. For instance, check alumni association passes if they could be having any rental discount codes you can use in Hawaii.
- If you have Sams Club, Costco or BJs Warehouse memberships, check to see if they have any discounts for rentals in Hawaii. It is common for them to always have car rental discounts for members and you can use such if available.
- Check out Discount Hawaii Car Rental Website – check out the rates available in this site and fro possible discounts. If you take your time, you may be lucky to find very good deals that will enable you spend the least amount for your car rental in Hawaii.
- Ask from the company – simply ask the car rental company for a discount, especially if you will need the car for a couple of days. The competition is sometimes tough and most of them will not want to lose business by simply denying you discounts.
Book in advance
Depending on where you are visiting and the time of visit, the rental rates may be very high and it will be prudent for you to book early and avoid the last minute rush. By booking early, you are not only increasing your chances of getting good rates, but also you will be assured of getting a car for your trip, given that sometimes the rentals are completely sold out.
Use a reputable car rental company
In as much as you desire to save cost of car rental in Hawaii, it is still important to work with a reputable rental company. Avoid the temptation to work with the cheapest company since you may exposing yourself to lots of risks. You could get a faulty car that might breakdown or a poorly maintained car that might make you spend a lot of money ultimately. Search for deals, but don’t fall for cheap, since cheap is always expensive in the long run.