Logistics of car rental

[94bruin]

I am thinking about booking a zipline adventure with Climbworks on the North Shore. You have to be there 30 minutes prior to the start of your tour. Google maps says that it can take anywhere from 1hr 5 mins to 1hr 25 mins. For a 9am tour(the latest morning tour), we'd have to be there at 8:30, which means we'd have to leave the resort around 7:15. We have a one-day car rental. The rental desk opens at 7am. I wanted to book an earlier tour to avoid the midday heat, but typing this out makes me think that trying to time the rental procedure is just cutting too close. Thoughts? I'm pretty sure I know what the answers are going to be but I just want to confirm my suspicions!

 

[nkereina]

Agreed. I would rent the car the day before and keep it overnight, or shoot for a later tour time. The time Google Maps is quoting you is how long it takes you barring no traffic. If you needed to be there at 8:30, I'd be leaving at 6:45-7 at the latest. When we went to Kualoa Ranch, Google Maps quoted a 57 minute drive time. We also needed to be there at 8:30 so we left Aulani at 6:45. We pulled in the parking lot of the Ranch at 8:30 exactly.

 

[intlhotdog]

Or earlier today was terrible

 

[94bruin]

Agreed. I would rent the car the day before and keep it overnight, or shoot for a later tour time. The time Google Maps is quoting you is how long it takes you barring no traffic. If you needed to be there at 8:30, I'd be leaving at 6:45-7 at the latest. When we went to Kualoa Ranch, Google Maps quoted a 57 minute drive time. We also needed to be there at 8:30 so we left Aulani at 6:45. We pulled in the parking lot of the Ranch at 8:30 exactly.

Thanks for confirming. I was just wishfully thinking. We'll aim for a midday tour.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

You’ll never make it to the North Shore in under 90 minutes in the AM, unless it’s a weekend day.

 

[cgattis]

If you come back through Wahiawa, stop for a WowWow Lemonade! A yummy treat for the road

 

[newdeal]

rent a car for your whole trip would be my advice. There is so much to see and do but you need a car for it

 

[scrappydew]

It can also take a while to get your car...especially if others are waiting in front of you. When we rented a car, there were always several people waiting for it to open.

 

[nkereina]

rent a car for your whole trip would be my advice. There is so much to see and do but you need a car for it

I tend to agree, but sometimes it can break the budget if the person is not staying on points and has to pay for parking. $37 a day plus the fee for the rental itself can add up quick!

 

[newdeal]

I tend to agree, but sometimes it can break the budget if the person is not staying on points and has to pay for parking. $37 a day plus the fee for the rental itself can add up quick!

parking is $37 a day?! Damn thats insane. Glad I stayed on points. A week with a mustang convertible was like $250 through Costco when I did it. So the car rental really isn't that much. A one day rental I assume would get you a worse deal than a full week rental does

 

[nkereina]

parking is $37 a day?! Damn thats insane. Glad I stayed on points. A week with a mustang convertible was like $250 through Costco when I did it. So the car rental really isn't that much. A one day rental I assume would get you a worse deal than a full week rental does

Yep, $37 a day to park for anyone not on a points reservation. We don't have Costco where I live, so I booked a car rental through AAA and paid around $300 for 6 days I think. It was a standard size car through Alamo, but it was a Camaro convertible. We also stayed on points, so parking was free, and the cost was easily justified for us.

For someone not staying on points, a day rental at the on-site Alamo can be anywhere from $80-$100 for the day depending on season and availability. So the per day rate is more expensive than a weekly rate, but if you have to add on $260+ in parking fees, then it still makes sense to just rent it for a day if someone is on a tighter budget.

 

[94bruin]

Yep, $37 a day to park for anyone not on a points reservation. We don't have Costco where I live, so I booked a car rental through AAA and paid around $300 for 6 days I think. It was a standard size car through Alamo, but it was a Camaro convertible. We also stayed on points, so parking was free, and the cost was easily justified for us.

For someone not staying on points, a day rental at the on-site Alamo can be anywhere from $80-$100 for the day depending on season and availability. So the per day rate is more expensive than a weekly rate, but if you have to add on $260+ in parking fees, then it still makes sense to just rent it for a day if someone is on a tighter budget.

Exactly this. We're not staying on points. Figured we will not venture out daily, so makes no sense to pay for daily parking. Our package included airport transfers plus one daily rental. We only need to pay for two additional rental days. If I rent for the week, it'll be over $500. If I rent for two days, I only pay $200. We have six full days at the resort (excluding travel days), three of which we plan on exploring elsewhere.

 

[Toreby]

Does anybody have suggestions as to how far in advance it's best to reserve the rental car? I've seen people saying prices tend to fall about a month before. We're arriving in late June.

 

[nkereina]

Does anybody have suggestions as to how far in advance it's best to reserve the rental car? I've seen people saying prices tend to fall about a month before. We're arriving in late June.

You can just book it now and if you come across a better deal, book that and cancel your original reservation. Typically no payment is taken at the time of reservation, so there is nothing to lose.

 

[JFox]

Try Discount Hawaii Car Rental. Their prices are competitive. I booked a car for 4 days for $84.

https://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com

 

[94bruin]

As soon as I know my dates, I book a car rental through Costco. I check back almost daily to see if rates drop. The rates have dropped for the Waikiki portion of my trip, but unfortunately, they have only risen for the Aulani portion of my trip. Well, actually, I do have a rental to and from the airport for our entire Aulani stay (which I probably won't take unless it drops in half). One day and one day only, the rate did drop about $25 from my original rate. It's now $25 *above* my original rate. (I have the rate booked for $25 under the original rate.)

 

[Toreby]

You can just book it now and if you come across a better deal, book that and cancel your original reservation. Typically no payment is taken at the time of reservation, so there is nothing to lose.

Yeah I know, but I was hoping to avoid booking and cancelling 17 times.

 

[94bruin]

Yeah I know, but I was hoping to avoid booking and cancelling 17 times.

No one is forcing you to rebook. If you're happy with your rate, just leave it alone. There are just some of us who don't mind playing the game. I always have a few spare moments at work to check on rates, but on my days off, I don't. In my experience, it's hard to pinpoint a specific time when car rental rates will be the lowest.

 

[nkereina]

Yeah I know, but I was hoping to avoid booking and cancelling 17 times.

The rates will only increase as availability decreases. This is why its best to book now because otherwise you run the risk of paying more than today's prices. Most car rental agencies should allow you to cancel and re-book right online if need be.

 

[MamaBear58]

You’ll never make it to the North Shore in under 90 minutes in the AM, unless it’s a weekend day.

I am still in the early stages of planning, but i think you put one in the Turtle Bay column. 90 minutes each way to go to the North Shore from Aulani?