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Renting a car in Kauai advice?


prudon
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Has anyone done this? Should we consider it? How are the roads to Waimea Canyon State Park?

We rented a car on Kauai back in February on our Pride of America cruise. Highly recommend it! We went north, up to Hanalei, but our brother and sister-in-law took their car rental up to Waimea and had a fantastic time. Go for it!

 

I posted some of their Waimea Canyon and Wailua Falls (they stopped there after the canyon) pics in my review:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2014664

 

Feel free to check them out if you'd like!:)

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Has anyone done this? Should we consider it? How are the roads to Waimea Canyon State Park?

I think renting a car is the best option on all islands except maybe on Oahu which USA Today rated as having the 2nd worse traffic congestion in the US. Most if not all Kauai rental car agencies are at Lihue airport & they provide a free shuttle. Roads are well maintained however I've read to plan for traffic when returning to the Lihue area near the port particularly when returning from the north shore in the afternoon.

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We rented a car on every island except Oahu. I definitely recommend this as the best way to see the islands.

 

Renting on Kauai is easy. The major car rental companies run shuttle buses from the port to the airport rental locations, which is about a 5 or 10 minute ride from the pier.

 

The roads to the canyon are easy driving. The Canyon road itself is twisty and curvy, but it's two lanes wide, and generally well kept. Your biggest problem is that you'll be tempted to stop each time you round a curb...the views everywhere are beautiful and get even more spectacular as you go up.

 

There are two "official" overlook points, with off road parking. It's worth stopping at both, the views are very different from each. The lower, larger one also has restrooms, and there are some people there doing an unofficial business selling snacks and drinks.

 

If you want, you can go on up to the end of the canyon road where there are two view points that look down onto the Na Pali coast. The views are supposed to be spectacular, particularly from the one at the very end of the road. However, I can't vouch for this, since it was cloudy and raining up there the day we drove up. There's a lodge at Kokee state park (you'll see the signs) that has a little restaurant which makes a nice lunch stop.

 

The whole drive can be most of a day from the Port and back...it depends on how many stops you make and how far up the canyon road you go.

 

Of course, if you want you can keep your car overnight. Arrangements to do this aren't the best, though. There is no parking available at the port, and you are supposed to park up at the lot in the shops at Anchor Cove. They charge you for this, and then you have a walk back to the ship...at night you might feel this walk is a little "sketchy" since it's not well lit and there are a lot of people hanging around the bars in the area. But it probably feels worse than it actually is.

 

When you return your car at the airport, don't just climb on any bus...you might end up at the airport, not the port. Tell them you need to get back to the port, and they'll put you in a bus and take you back.

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I would also suggest renting a Jeep or SUV just incase you venture off road. The roads in Kauai are very good, but there are a few sites that are off road if you venture that far. We found our Mustang limited our adventure one year.

 

As for Oahu, the traffic in Honolulu is pretty bad, but once you get out of the city, Oahu offers some very beautiful drives. 45 minutes (give or take do to traffic) either east or west is some of Hawaii's most beautiful scenery. If you have all day, it is well worth renting a car.

 

Burt

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I would also suggest renting a Jeep or SUV just incase you venture off road. The roads in Kauai are very good, but there are a few sites that are off road if you venture that far. We found our Mustang limited our adventure one year.

 

As for Oahu, the traffic in Honolulu is pretty bad, but once you get out of the city, Oahu offers some very beautiful drives. 45 minutes (give or take do to traffic) either east or west is some of Hawaii's most beautiful scenery. If you have all day, it is well worth renting a car.

 

Burt

 

Thanks Burt!

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Thanks everyone for the very helpful advice. And Greatlakesgirl, thanks so much for the link to your review. It was immensely helpful. We will definitely rent a car!

You're welcome! So glad to be able to help and you will love having the car!

I would also suggest renting a Jeep or SUV just incase you venture off road. The roads in Kauai are very good, but there are a few sites that are off road if you venture that far. We found our Mustang limited our adventure one year.

 

As for Oahu, the traffic in Honolulu is pretty bad, but once you get out of the city, Oahu offers some very beautiful drives. 45 minutes (give or take do to traffic) either east or west is some of Hawaii's most beautiful scenery. If you have all day, it is well worth renting a car.

 

Burt

We rented a car for two days on Oahu and loved every minute of it. Yep, the traffic was bad but it was worth dealing with to get up to the North Shore and out to Pearl Harbor on our own. We saw so much. Loved the freedom a car can give!

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How do you arrange for pier pickup on Kauai when renting a car? Can you do it online or do you have to call the local agency in advance? Same question also for Hilo, if anyone has experience renting there.

Edited by Kartgv
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How do you arrange for pier pickup on Kauai when renting a car? Can you do it online or do you have to call the local agency in advance? Same question also for Hilo, if anyone has experience renting there.

All the major rental agencies send shuttles to the pier about every 15(ish) minutes or so. We rented from Discount Hawaii Car Rental. Good rates! If you decide to go that route, click on the banner at the top of the main page that says "pier pick-up for cruise ship arrivals", and then go from there.:)

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All the major rental agencies send shuttles to the pier about every 15(ish) minutes or so. We rented from Discount Hawaii Car Rental. Good rates! If you decide to go that route, click on the banner at the top of the main page that says "pier pick-up for cruise ship arrivals", and then go from there.:)

 

Thanks for the help - we've made our reservations for both Hilo and Kauai following the main page cruise ship banner instructions. Prices are great! My only concern - even though we used the pier link to make the reservations, our pickup point in both cases is shown as the airports and says nothing about pickup at the pier. Is this normal and do we just look for the shuttles and get on, or is there another step involved?

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All the rental companies send shuttles to the pier to transport people to the pick up sites at the airport where you'll complete any paperwork and get your car. You don't need to make any shuttle reservations if you have reserved a car for the airport location. But just don't jump on any car rental shuttle. Use the one you booked with.

Edited by punkincc
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Thanks for the help - we've made our reservations for both Hilo and Kauai following the main page cruise ship banner instructions. Prices are great! My only concern - even though we used the pier link to make the reservations, our pickup point in both cases is shown as the airports and says nothing about pickup at the pier. Is this normal and do we just look for the shuttles and get on, or is there another step involved?

They will be there, just look for the company you booked with, as punkincc noted.

 

Have fun!:)

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  • 2 weeks later...
How early do we need to book a car in Kauai and other islands? Is it possible to book a car at a reasonable rate at the last minute for October/November? Any tips or hints on renting a car would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you!

The rates will like rise the closer you get to your trip. Also, if you wait too long, or try to get a car when you get there, you may not be able to get one at all!

 

If you don't know about Discount Hawaii Car Rentals, please do check them out!

 

http://www.discounthawaiicarrental.com/?gclid=CjwKEAjw9eyeBRCqxc_b-LD8kTESJADsBMxSSdKWIC8Bo6EfbYOdMOcJvMIlo92lSQkAiDDznWPBkhoC0bHw_wcB

 

Click on the banner at the top that says "pier pick up for cruise ship arrivals" if that's what you'll be doing, and then go from there.

Edited by greatlakesgirl
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How early do we need to book a car in Kauai and other islands? Is it possible to book a car at a reasonable rate at the last minute for October/November? Any tips or hints on renting a car would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you!

 

There is really no advantage to making a reservation last minute. The car reservations are very easy to cancel with no penalties. Just get your car reserved and if you later find a rate you like better, just cancel and reserve at the new rate.

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Thank you both punkincc and greatlakesgirl! We didn't know about Discount Hawaii Car Rental and will check it out. Good to know that there is no penalty for cancellation. Sure helps with price comparison and getting the best rate possible. Able to get a cruise pickup is a bonus too. Thanks again!:)

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Just to make sure I am doing this right, I went to the banner on the DHCR page that said cruise ship pick up. Then I choose which car rental company I wish and make the reservation directly with them? I choose airport pickup and they will know (since I went through the link) that it is cruise ship pier pick up? There is no where that asks which ship etc. Just want to make sure I am not missing a step somewhere. Thank you for the help.

 

For Kahulul are we better to rent it 2 separate days or keep it overnight?

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Just to make sure I am doing this right, I went to the banner on the DHCR page that said cruise ship pick up. Then I choose which car rental company I wish and make the reservation directly with them? I choose airport pickup and they will know (since I went through the link) that it is cruise ship pier pick up? There is no where that asks which ship etc. Just want to make sure I am not missing a step somewhere. Thank you for the help.

 

For Kahulul are we better to rent it 2 separate days or keep it overnight?

Yep, click the banner, then you choose your port, in your case, Kahului for Maui and Nawiliwili for Kauai. Then you pick your "brand". If you choose, say, brand 6, which is Thrifty and you don't like Thrifty for whatever reason, pick a different one til you find whichever one you like (Dollar, Avis, Budget, etc...) Clicking on the "brand" will take you directly to the car rental company's website.

 

The shuttle will come 'round to the ship every 15 minutes or so. You'll see signage directing you to the waiting area for the shuttles. If you're unsure, just ask someone. Everyone's super friendly!

 

As for keeping the car overnight in Maui, I know some people do. There's limited parking right by the ship and also there's an overflow lot not too far away. We only had the car the first day, so I can't speak to it otherwise.:)

Edited by greatlakesgirl
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For Kahulul are we better to rent it 2 separate days or keep it overnight?

 

If you think you will use the car for the second day in Maui, I would definitely do a 2 day rental and keep the car overnight. There are lots at the port for parking with no fee, so it is convenient to keep the car overnight. You will save time the second morning by not having to shuttle to the airport and go through the rental process a second time. You can already be on your way. If you do change your mind and decide to return the car early, my understanding is that you are not charged for any unused time.

 

It is a little different in Kauai. The parking is at the shopping mall lot within walking distance away for a fee, or by free mall shuttle if you return within the hours it is running. I think the fee to park is $20 for overnight, but I have heard that depending on the time you park, no one is there to collect the money, so it could be free. We plan to return our car on day 1 as we will be at the Kalapaki Beach close to the ship on the second day. But you could easily keep it overnight for touring the next day.

Edited by punkincc
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We did the 2 day rental in Maui and it worked well. We returned to the ship just before dinner and were able to park in the closest lot. The next day with our car right there we had more time for sightseeing.

 

For kuaui we rented the car only the first day, then took the airplane tour the second, shorter day. It was a good use of time and the perfect way to explore the island.

 

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Forums mobile app

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