Honolulu car hire
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Honolulu car hire information
| Pick-up location | Honolulu |
|---|---|
| Car types | Compact, Convertible, Economy, Full-size, Full-size SUV, Intermediate, Luxury, People carrier, Premium, Premium SUV, Standard SUV |
| Hire locations | 63 |
| Airport locations | 23 |
| Popular agencies | Dollar, Alamo, Thrifty, Avis, Sixt |
Cheap car hire in Honolulu
| Economy | R693/day |
| Compact | R574/day |
| Intermediate | R586/day |
| Full-size | R636/day |
| People carrier | R1 023/day |
| Full-size SUV | R936/day |
| Premium | R878/day |
| Luxury | R891/day |
| Convertible | R968/day |
| Premium SUV | R1 018/day |
| Standard SUV | R891/day |
Top tips for hiring a car in Honolulu
- Ready to rent a car on your vacation to Honolulu? If you are traveling to Honolulu International Airport, you will find a wide range of car hire options, both on and off-site. If you want to rent a car directly from the airport, head to the hire offices, which are conveniently located next to the baggage claim at Terminal 1. Alternatively, there are booking desks on the ground level of the Terminal 2 in the Parking Garage. On the ground level of the airport, there is also a car hire shuttle stop in designated areas along the center median, outside of baggage claim areas.
- If you want the independence that comes with having your own set of wheels, avoid the slower public transport and less safe mopeds and rent a car in Honolulu. Park up on the coast and witness the natural beauty of Waikiki Beach, or take a road trip out to heights of the Diamond Head volcanic crater for a unique view of Honolulu.
- As a visitor of Honolulu, it’s best to steer clear of driving in the Waikiki Beach area, as this is the main tourist hotspot and is naturally very busy. Driving around the town is a lot like navigating through a city so you can expect a slow traffic and lots of pedestrians. You must also embrace the “spirit of Aloha,” as locals are very relaxed when it comes to driving on any Hawaiian roads. Drivers should remember to be polite and make space for merging cars, thanking other road users. Also, unless there’s an emergency, lay off the use of your horn.
- Rush hour in Honolulu starts early, as the busy weekday traffic hits from 5 am to 8 am. By the afternoon, rush hour goes from 3 pm to 6:30 pm ,when drivers are outbound. Try to avoid taking your car on the surface streets of downtown Honolulu and Waikiki, as these tend to be busy. You should also steer clear of the H-1 and H-2 Interstates, as well as Nimitz Highway/Ala Moana Boulevard, as traffic is heavy on these routes.
- Book your car hire in Honolulu at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
- Mini car hire in Honolulu are around -18% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about hiring a car in Honolulu
What type of car is recommended for driving in Honolulu?
If you’re looking to enjoy all the outdoor sights that Honolulu offers, then you must investigate renting either a midsize car or an SUV that can handle the winding coastal roads. You want to rent something that you feel completely comfortable in, as you may end up taking a tour of the whole of Oahu island. A midsize car with good trunk space is ideal. But, if you prefer to soak up the sun, then a convertible would be perfect.
What’s the speed limit in Honolulu?
Across the islands of Hawaii, the speed limits are notoriously low. The limits on the freeways are usually 55 to 60 mph. Thanks to Honolulu’s often narrow and winding highways, high-speed driving is not advised. On some roads even 30 mph is seen as too fast. Watch out for the 35-mph S-curve on the H-1 Interstate heading eastbound, between the 18 and 19 exits, as well as speed enforcement who often patrol in unmarked police cars.
Where are the best places to park in Honolulu?
Honolulu is known to have some of the most expensive parking rates in the country. As expected, parking can be challenging in the tourist areas of Waikiki Beach; however, if you’re a savvy driver, then there are a few free parking areas to take advantage of. You can leave your car all day in Ala Moana as well as in the Waikiki Shell and Ala Wai Canal area, because of their free unlimited streetside parking. Elsewhere, there are 50 parking lots and garages in Honolulu, which can charge as little as $8 per day.
What is the cheapest car hire company in Honolulu?
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest car hires were found at Thrifty (R574/day), Dollar (R586/day) and Alamo (R693/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest hire car price was found at Thrifty 300 Rodgers Boulevard 96819 (7 kilometres from the city centre).
What is the best car hire company in Honolulu?
Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car hire companies in Honolulu are Alamo (9,0, 209 reviews), Enterprise Rent-A-Car (8,5, 136 reviews), and Sixt (7,9, 199 reviews).
How much is the price of fuel in Honolulu?
The average price of fuel in Honolulu is R77,28 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a tank of fuel costs between R927 and R1 236, depending on the car size.
What is the most popular car hire in Honolulu?
Mini (Dodge Grand Caravan or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Honolulu.
How can I find car hires near me in Honolulu?
Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.
How much does a Mini car hire cost in Honolulu?
A Mini car hire in Honolulu costs R1 416 per day, on average.
How much does a Standard car hire cost in Honolulu?
A Standard car hire in Honolulu costs R1 981 per day, on average.
How much does a Full Size car hire cost in Honolulu?
A Full Size car hire in Honolulu costs R1 775 per day, on average.
Honolulu car rental reviews and directory
Alamo
9,0
Wonderful
442 reviewsCleanliness
9.0
Comfort
9.1
Pick-up/Drop-off
9.0
Value for money
8.6
2 locations in Honolulu
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Reviews
10,0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
The service was great!Cons:
The price of rental cars since Covid is terrible-not sure if the companies are trying to make up for the money lost or additional cleaning has to be done but the cost is ridiculous.2,0 Poor
May 2021
Cons:
They were closed when we flew in-never got the car!2,0 Poor
Apr 2021
Pros:
The car was beat up, trashed, not cleaned, not covid friendly.Cons:
A car that was cleaned and had working doors.8,0 Very Good
Mar 2021
Pros:
YepCons:
Long lines at check in, waited till next day to get car10,0 Wonderful
Mar 2021
Pros:
Staff was great at both pickup and drop off!4,0 Mediocre
Mar 2021
Pros:
The drop off was very easy.Cons:
The car was very dirty at pick up. As if the vehicle is was not cleaned after the last guest. Very disappointing when paying for a vehicle of that type.Enterprise Rent-A-Car
8,5
Very Good
230 reviewsCleanliness
8.7
Comfort
8.8
Pick-up/Drop-off
8.3
Value for money
8.3
13 locations in Honolulu
Locations in Honolulu
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Reviews
10,0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
EverythingCons:
N/A8,0 Very Good
May 2021
Pros:
Ya they were very friendly.Cons:
To have a shuttle from airport.Maybe need more help so can go faster instead of waiting so long. Even drop off took long before we could leave.10,0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
I was extremely impressed with the customer service of Megan Long at the Ahua office. She resolved my rental problem by going above and beyond in getting me into a rental car.10,0 Wonderful
Apr 2021
Cons:
Great staff. Got upgraded from a sub-compact to a convertible on my wife’s 50th (without mentioning it). Note: this probably won’t happen to you. That aside, they got us in and out in no time, took COVID protocols seriously. I could not have asked for a better experience.6,0 Okay
Apr 2021
Cons:
Enterprise tried - twice - to charge us for a second driver after assuring us - three times - that there would no charge if the second driver is the renter's spouse and both drivers are on the same insurance policy. Before traveling, we called the rental office to ask if there would be a second-driver charge. We were assured by Megan there would not be. When we picked up the car, Megan assisted us, and assured us once again that there would be no second-driver charge. However, the rental agreement (which we did not review adequately in real time) showed a $435 second-driver charge. We called the rental office to find out what went wrong. Megan was not in, but Jill (the rental-office manager) apologized and assured us that the charge was being removed from our rental agreement. When we returned the car, the final rental agreement/credit card charge once again included the second-driver charge. We complained, and received an adjustment on the spot. But Enterprise's behavior was incompetent at best and blatantly dishonest at worst.10,0 Wonderful
Apr 2021
Pros:
Easy and fastCons:
Specify that this IS NOT the Enterprise at the Honolulu airport. I searched for car rental at the airport and this location came up. There’s 2 Enterprises near the airport. One is the official location with a shuttle, this one was off site and required a cab/Uber/Lyft. Was not happy to discover this after a long travel day.Sixt
7,9
Good
187 reviewsCleanliness
8.4
Comfort
8.3
Pick-up/Drop-off
8.0
Value for money
7.6
2 locations in Honolulu
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2,0 Poor
Nov 2022
10,0 Wonderful
Nov 2022
10,0 Wonderful
Oct 2022
10,0 Wonderful
Oct 2022
4,0 Mediocre
Oct 2022
2,0 Poor
Oct 2022
Budget
7,3
Good
125 reviewsCleanliness
7.7
Comfort
7.5
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.3
Value for money
7.1
3 locations in Honolulu
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2,0 Poor
Aug 2022
2,0 Poor
May 2022
8,0 Very Good
May 2022
2,0 Poor
May 2022
2,0 Poor
Apr 2021
Cons:
Budget have us a car with bad brakes. We paid extra for a nicer car but instead had a scary car that sounded like a rust bucket every time I tapped the brakes. Will never let this happen to me in again.6,0 Okay
Apr 2021
Cons:
The check in process. The agent seemed flustered and not really sure how to process some things.Advantage
7,0
Good
569 reviewsCleanliness
7.0
Comfort
7.1
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.9
Value for money
7.1
One location in Honolulu
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6,0 Okay
Mar 2020
Pros:
The car was nice. It performed well. A customer service person, after some work on the phone, help me fix two of the issues.Cons:
The car was not completely clean, inside and out. But, the worst part, was that they rewarded me for spending more money - extending my rental - by almost doubling my daily rate. Also, they would not offer a weekly rate, even though I had the car for 8 days, because I initially started renting for only 4 days.8,8 Very Good
Feb 2020
Pros:
Helpful, recommended upgrades which we chose to do.Cons:
Pick-up wait was over 40 minutes, which happens but other company’s lines shifted faster or had less people. But grateful for the service, thank you!4,4 Mediocre
Jan 2020
Pros:
Easy drop offCons:
Really aggressive upsell attempts at pickup for better model, insurance, gas. Car was a worn out Kia Optima which felt like a big step down from the Camry pictured when I booked the car. I got the strong impression the agent gave us the worst car he had because we booked through Kayak and refused all the upsells9,2 Wonderful
Dec 2019
Pros:
Staff helpful in explaining billing, fuel cost options, insurance concerns2,0 Poor
Nov 2019
Pros:
Nothing10,0 Wonderful
Nov 2019
Pros:
very easyCons:
Not muchThrifty
6,9
Okay
282 reviewsCleanliness
7.6
Comfort
7.8
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.7
Value for money
7.2
2 locations in Honolulu
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2,0 Poor
May 2021
Pros:
Car was goodCons:
Had to take a cab from the airport after waiting 45 minutes for thrifty shuttle. Awful6,0 Okay
May 2021
Cons:
Only 2.5 employees writing up contracts, it took about 50 minutes to get the car4,0 Mediocre
May 2021
Pros:
Staff was good. Drop off was easy.Cons:
Pickup was atrociously long. Car was dirty inside and out. Still dont have a receipt and have been charged an additional $174??10,0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
My flight got in late at night. I usually use Enterprise but the airport branch was closed so I took a risk and booked Thrifty. I'm glad it panned out. The staff member was efficient and kind. I feel like given the rental car shortage in Hawaii the price was reasonable. Pick up and drop off was a breeze.Cons:
When we came to drop off the car, since the lot is both Dollar and Thrifty I wasn't 100% sure where I was supposed to park because all of the signs say Dollar. An un-uniformed man motioned for me to park in a spot then wandered off. Once we unloaded the car he popped back up, collected our rental contract and keys and sent us to the shuttle line. Overall 4.9 out of 5.4,0 Mediocre
May 2021
Cons:
The wait for pick up was AWFUL. An hour to get the car. No sense of urgency from staff and they were not apologetic for the long wait. The long wait was not unique to the day I picked up because when I returned the following day to drop off the car the lines were just as long.8,0 Very Good
Mar 2021
Cons:
No was goodHertz
6,4
Okay
497 reviewsCleanliness
7.3
Comfort
7.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
5.8
Value for money
6.9
8 locations in Honolulu
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8,0 Very Good
Nov 2022
2,0 Poor
Dec 2022
2,0 Poor
Dec 2021
6,0 Okay
Dec 2021
2,0 Poor
Dec 2021
2,0 Poor
Dec 2021
Dollar
6,3
Okay
407 reviewsCleanliness
7.3
Comfort
7.2
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.2
Value for money
6.6
6 locations in Honolulu
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Reviews
5,9 Fair
Jul 2021
5,9 Fair
Jun 2021
1,9 Poor
Jun 2021
10,0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
Drop off super easy! And great serviceCons:
Have a number to reach for the particular dollar rental in order to get direct information not just from a hotline10,0 Wonderful
May 2021
Cons:
Great vehicle at a great price in this time of vehicle shortages.10,0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
Lady at the checkin and the end. Staff and the car spectacular. Second time in a row with SIXT. I would not use anyone elseEconomy Rent a Car
5,7
Fair
102 reviewsCleanliness
6.6
Comfort
5.3
Pick-up/Drop-off
5.3
Value for money
5.3
One location in Honolulu
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10,0 Wonderful
Mar 2021
Pros:
I loved the unlimited mileage, the customer service was phenomenal they came and picked me up from the airport at 7:10pm even though they close at 7pm. The whole process was quick and easy!3,2 Poor
Jun 2019
Pros:
Process was super easy!Cons:
the employees were VERY rude8,4 Very Good
Feb 2018
Pros:
Car was reasonably clean and in good condition. Some upholstery stains. Only when asked the shuttle driver explained "tips" in an understandable manner without putting pressure or guilt on us. Insurance was available in 3 price ranges. I bought it this time. Representative explained insurance coverage on an island costs more than on the mainland. Even with coverage from my car insurance company there could be uncovered costs. Check with your insurance provider and try to get it in writing. They took reasonable photos off the car sides and hood. The photos covered us, but just barely. I would rent again!...just a little more wisely! Happy Travels!Cons:
Car had smoke smell that cleared out the end of the week. Shuttle drivers hope for larger tips because they are only paid a base like restaurant staff. A little bit of pressure to buy insurance. I decided to buy this time. Almost had an accident twice while there, but got lucky. Accused of damaging the car. Damage was not clear in the photos when we picked up the car. We were assured that the photos got everything. DON'T TAKE ANYONE'S WORD FOR THE QUALITY OF THEIR PHOTOS. INSPECT THE CAR HIGH AND LOW YOURSELF!! We were lucky this time, but from now on I will inspect the car myself and ask for extra photos. I may even take some myself before I leave the lot.6,0 Okay
Jan 2018
Pros:
Almost made me go with a smart mini car even though I had prepaid for an economy size. Finally relented and let me take a Honda Fit.Cons:
The shuttle from the airport to the rental place only comes every 30-45 min. Had to call the company and ask where the shuttle was.3,2 Poor
Jan 2018
Pros:
That it was cheap.Cons:
Representatives took forever to assist me even though there was only one other customer there. They’re online system was glitching when I placed my reservations so I got 4 reservations for the same dates so I had to cancel 3. They charged me $108 cancellation fees for the 3 reservations I had to cancel. When I ask the representative when I returned the rental, she didn’t know why and later called me to let me to call customer service, who couldn’t do anything but told me to email the customer service email. Worst customer service ever.2,0 Poor
Dec 2017
Pros:
Nothing to likeCons:
We paid the price for a four door car which was supposed to be Hyundai elentra equivalent. It turned out to be a Smart two door. The waiting time for the pick up was more than an hour?? We really hope the company operators themselves try using Economy Rent A Car and experience how terrible it is as so many reviewers have mentioned.National
9,2
Wonderful
52 reviewsCleanliness
9.4
Comfort
9.2
Pick-up/Drop-off
9.1
Value for money
8.8
3 locations in Honolulu
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10,0 Wonderful
Apr 2021
Pros:
Excellent staff. Nice choice of cars.7,2 Good
Feb 2020
Pros:
Drop off was greatCons:
Line in terminal was interminable. Really bad service at pickup.9,6 Wonderful
Jan 2020
Pros:
Pickup and drop off was easy and people friendly. Pick up area was tricky to find.Cons:
I reserved an intermediate sedan and they tried to give me a compact car. Should stick to size reserved. But was quick to correct it so we had no issues.7,6 Good
Jan 2020
Cons:
So many add-on fees really drove up the total cost.10,0 Wonderful
Dec 2019
Pros:
Staff was very friendly, both at pick up and drop off. Very efficient, little wait to pick up. Car was in good shape and easy to pick up and drive out.Cons:
Interior of car could have been a bit cleaner (one or two spots needed a wipe with a damp napkin) but nothing egregious.10,0 Wonderful
Jul 2019
Pros:
Staff at both the desk and up in the rental garage were awesome. We received an amazing upgrade which enhanced our day's driving experience!Cons:
The car's service light went on for Oil Chage almost immediately after we left with the car and by the time we returned in the afternoon the Add Engine Oil light was on, so while it didn't really impact our drive, I was a little worried by the time we got back.Avis
7,6
Good
95 reviewsCleanliness
7.9
Comfort
7.8
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.6
Value for money
7.3
4 locations in Honolulu
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10,0 Wonderful
Apr 2021
Cons:
Everything was great4,0 Mediocre
Jan 2021
Pros:
Size of vehicleCons:
We rented a Chrysler Pacifica for Two weeks in Hawaii. The air conditioner worked intermittently which was very inconvenient when traveling with a family of six.2,0 Poor
Dec 2020
Cons:
No Avis location at that address!!!2,4 Poor
Jun 2020
Cons:
Clean smoke free car more than one agent checking customers8,0 Very Good
Nov 2019
Pros:
Friendly, quick pick-up/drop offCons:
First car smelled bad and I had to switch. I also was upgraded to car but that car (jeep wrangler) had no charger for cell phone or bluetooth. So it was a nicer car but with less amenities.6,4 Okay
Sep 2019
Pros:
The drop off was easy and quick. The car was clean for the most part. Drove fine.Cons:
When we arrived to pick up the car we waited in line for the desk for an hour. Then we went upstairs and proceeded to wait another one hour 45 minutes. So altogether we waited 2 hours 45 minutes. And the waiting area was 90 degrees because it was outside.Ace
6,3
Okay
58 reviewsCleanliness
6.0
Comfort
6.4
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.2
Value for money
6.3
One location in Honolulu
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6,4 Okay
Mar 2020
Pros:
The staffCons:
I had a vehicle with an expired tag and got pulled over multiple times, Was not able to use the car as much because I was afraid to get pulled over. I was not able to get ahold of the facility to exchange the vehicle2,4 Poor
Nov 2019
Pros:
Price was good.Cons:
I had rented a minivan 2 weeks before my vacation. When I arrived to pick up my rental vehicle they did not have the minivan I rented. Instead they tried to give me a small suv that did not have enough room for my family. They did compromise and rented me a 16 passenger van. For the same price. The thing was a beast. It was very uncomfortable but I didn’t want to deal with getting another vehicle and just sucked it up. Also the office seemed very unorganized and not costumer friendly. I will not be renting from this company again.