Kauai Car Rental

[widehunters3]

Okay I just rented a car for Kauai. I just booked through Thrifty from the Lihue International Airport. Is this correct??? I'm not sure if this is the right location or not. I would appreciated hearing from others.

 

We are planning to drive early to the canyon.

 

Thanks,

Kim

[obriendan]

Okay I just rented a car for Kauai. I just booked through Thrifty from the Lihue International Airport. Is this correct??? I'm not sure if this is the right location or not. I would appreciated hearing from others.

 

We are planning to drive early to the canyon.

 

Thanks,

Kim

 

That's where the rental companies are. Thrifty has a shuttle and you can book "Lihue Cruise Pickup" on their site rather than the airport.

 

Dan

[obriendan]

Just another note. Since I just rented a car for Kauai, I've been looking at a GPS satellite view of the area. The Lihue airport and the car rental locations are very close to the Nawiliwili cruise port and, like San Diego, you can probably see it from the cruise ship. My very crude estimate of the distance in no more than two miles.

 

Dan

[FloatYourBoatSince2003]

That's where the rental companies are. Thrifty has a shuttle and you can book "Lihue Cruise Pickup" on their site rather than the airport.

 

Dan

 

I booked all my cars from Thrifty - airport locations for each port except Kona (King Kam hotel for that one). I never noticed the Cruise Pickup option - which seems to apply for Maui and Kauai but not Hilo or Honolulu. Will I have any problems getting access to the shuttle?

[widehunters3]

Thanks for your replies. I think it will work out fine. We can ride the shuttle or even possibly walk. We are totally fine walking a mile or two in the morning.

 

There was a thirty dollar price difference cruise port pick up vs. airport. I'm all about saving money.

 

Kim

[FloatYourBoatSince2003]

There was a thirty dollar price difference cruise port pick up vs. airport. I'm all about saving money.

 

Kim

 

 

I hear ya! especially since the rental (base price) was $32 per day. We even cancelled our second day and plan to do a heli-tour and hang out at the beach until the afternoon sail-away.

[Budget Queen]

Thanks for your replies. I think it will work out fine. We can ride the shuttle or even possibly walk. We are totally fine walking a mile or two in the morning.

 

There was a thirty dollar price difference cruise port pick up vs. airport. I'm all about saving money.

 

Kim

 

This car rental office, is in no way, "walkable".

[FloatYourBoatSince2003]

This car rental office, is in no way, "walkable".

 

Must we specify "cruise ship pickup" to get a shuttle ride?

[sceptic]

The walk is not easy. It is uphill on a very busy highway (I don't recall sidewalks) and then through an industrial area without much in the way of pedestrian accouterments. Do yourself a favor - shuttle or cab. Hot and tired is no way to start out a day on Kauai!

[dleighb]

Wow, I wish that our car rental had been $32 per day. I guess two days before Christmas, they had no problems jacking up the rates in anticipation of extra holiday income!

[widehunters3]

Thanks again for the valuable information. We will not plan on walking. We will shuttle for get a taxi.

 

Thank you!

[Budget Queen]

Must we specify "cruise ship pickup" to get a shuttle ride?

 

They have in the past. I've been on shuttles that you had to have your name on their list.

[Boytjie]

They have in the past. I've been on shuttles that you had to have your name on their list.

 

We had Thrifty rental reservations on all the islands and they never asked if we had reservations. People without reservations need to get there too. :)

[smrtypnts]

We had Thrifty rental reservations on all the islands and they never asked if we had reservations. People without reservations need to get there too. :)

That's not necessarily true--if they have enough reservations that they are sold out, then people without reservations are "SOL".

[Budget Queen]

We had Thrifty rental reservations on all the islands and they never asked if we had reservations. People without reservations need to get there too. :)

 

And so have I used Thrifty. I'll be on my third trip there in 3 weeks. In fact not only were the cars sold out, but they were only allowing the driver renter on the shuttle buses, because they were so packed. You then drove back and got who you were going with.

[Boytjie]

That's not necessarily true--if they have enough reservations that they are sold out, then people without reservations are "SOL".

 

Thrifty and Dollar often share shuttles and are usually close to each other so maybe if one is sold out the other can accomodate.

 

 

And so have I used Thrifty. I'll be on my third trip there in 3 weeks. In fact not only were the cars sold out, but they were only allowing the driver renter on the shuttle buses, because they were so packed. You then drove back and got who you were going with.

 

I can understand capacity issues. On our cruise the shuttles were never packed and I do know some got on without reservations. I guess they were lucky.

[CruisingGoddess]

We got back last month. You do not need to select "Cruise Pickup" in your reservation. We chose airport location for all of our rental cars and we rented from Thrifty at every port, except Kona. There was only one port where the driver would not let people on who did not have a reservation. I'm guessing because their cars were sold out. When on the shuttle, the only thing they will ask is if you are a Blue Chip member and if so, they will ask for your name and radio the office to let them know you are coming.

 

By the way, we found the best rates by using the code provided on this site:

 

http://www.hawaiicruisecars.com

 

Hope that clears things up!

[Boytjie]

We got back last month. You do not need to select "Cruise Pickup" in your reservation. We chose airport location for all of our rental cars and we rented from Thrifty at every port, except Kona. There was only one port where the driver would not let people on who did not have a reservation. I'm guessing because their cars were sold out. When on the shuttle, the only thing they will ask is if you are a Blue Chip member and if so, they will ask for your name and radio the office to let them know you are coming.

 

We were never asked our names at each of the ports where we rented - all Thrifty (Maui, Hilo, Kuaui and Ohau)

[CruisingGoddess]

We were never asked our names at each of the ports where we rented - all Thrifty (Maui, Hilo, Kuaui and Ohau)

 

That's odd. They definitely asked our names if we said we were Blue Chip Members. When we arrived at the office, the Blue Chip counter had our paperwork ready to go.

[Boytjie]

That's odd. They definitely asked our names if we said we were Blue Chip Members. When we arrived at the office, the Blue Chip counter had our paperwork ready to go.

 

Not even once! I am a Blue Chip member and the cars were always ready when we got there.

[CruisingGoddess]

Not even once! I am a Blue Chip member and the cars were always ready when we got there.

 

LOL! I'm glad it worked out anyway then. I think we were asked at every port, except for maybe one. But yeah, I guess people shouldn't be alarmed if they aren't asked then. :)

[grandma13]

That's odd. They definitely asked our names if we said we were Blue Chip Members. When we arrived at the office, the Blue Chip counter had our paperwork ready to go.

 

I tried to sign up for that, but it insists on a corporation name and we are retired. Has anyone signed up for the Blue Chip program without being able to put in a corporation name and phone number?

[CruisingGoddess]

I tried to sign up for that, but it insists on a corporation name and we are retired. Has anyone signed up for the Blue Chip program without being able to put in a corporation name and phone number?

 

Just put your full name and phone number.

[J&RLOVESTOCRUISE]

Okay I just rented a car for Kauai. I just booked through Thrifty from the Lihue International Airport. Is this correct??? I'm not sure if this is the right location or not. I would appreciated hearing from others.

 

We are planning to drive early to the canyon.

 

Thanks,

Kim

 

We just returned and yes you are correct, very easy! The canyon is beautiful and the driving is slow and winding!

[bronxite]

We got back last month. You do not need to select "Cruise Pickup" in your reservation. We chose airport location for all of our rental cars and we rented from Thrifty at every port, except Kona. There was only one port where the driver would not let people on who did not have a reservation. I'm guessing because their cars were sold out. When on the shuttle, the only thing they will ask is if you are a Blue Chip member and if so, they will ask for your name and radio the office to let them know you are coming.

 

By the way, we found the best rates by using the code provided on this site:

 

http://www.hawaiicruisecars.com

 

Hope that clears things up!

 

Thanks for the link; was able to get a mini-van for a great price. Do you know if all the passengers in the car take the shuttle to the airport so we don't have to go back and forth. :)