Hawaii car hire

Apart from a few crowded city centres scattered across the islands, much of Hawaii is a natural landscape far removed from taxis, buses and airports. Therefore, hiring a car is the simplest way to see the best of Hawaii’s most beautiful and interesting sights, all at your own pace.

Language: Hawaiian | Currency: Dollars ($) | Avg. Flight time: 22 hrs

On the island of Oahu, Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport is where most international flights arrive and virtually all inter-island flights also transfer. All the major rental car companies are well-represented, with numerous options, including Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Alamo, Hertz and Advantage.

Once you’ve left the plane and passed through customs, simply follow the signs to ground transportation and rental cars. Besides the airport, there are also many car hire pick-up points in Honolulu, Waikiki, and other towns across the island.

On the other islands, the best place to pick up your rental car is at that island’s airport. For example, if you need to hire a car on the Hawaii Island, pick up your rental at Kona International Airport on the west and Hilo International Airport on the east. The same recommendation applies to Maui’s Kahului Airport and Molokai’s namesake airport.

Since each island is relatively small – even the Big Island! – you can easily traverse entire islands via a hire car in a few days.

An essential place to visit is the fascinating Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii Island, an easy 45-minute drive south of Hilo International Airport, while the Hilo Forest Preserve in the centre of the island is another good stop for hiking and photos. On the coast, the town of Hilo is home to the Imiloa Astronomy Centre which offers daily planetarium shows.

On Oahu, the Dole Plantation and Ewa Forest Reserve, just 30 minutes north of Honolulu, are inland spots which are well worth visiting. The former is one of Oahu’s most popular tourist attractions, home to the world-famous pineapple brand, where you can enjoy tours of the farms, a Pineapple Express Train Tour, a garden maze and much more.

Smaller, more rural islands such as Lanai and Kauai definitely require a rental car, as some areas appear almost untouched by modern civilization.

In spite of world-class golf resorts and hotels, Lanai doesn’t have a single traffic light on the island, and only 48km (30 miles) of its roads are paved. It’s a beautiful place to explore via the back roads. Keahiakawelo “Garden of the Gods,” Polihua Beach and Hulopoe Bay are a few hidden treasures to discover while there, and as it’s so small, you have plenty of time to see it all.

1. If you’re under 25, be prepared to pay an “underage” rental fee – usually between £20 to £60 a day.

2. Most rentals operate on ‘return it full’ fuel policy. Returning the car with less than a full tank and letting the agency refuel the vehicle can cost you dearly.

3. Around popular beach areas, car break-ins are common, so lock your car and don’t leave anything valuable inside the car or boot.

Fair fuel policy

A fair fuel policy (also known as full-to-full or same-to-same) means you’ll only pay for the fuel you use. All car rental deals compared on TravelSupermarket come with a fair fuel policy, so you can book your hire car safe in the knowledge there will be no nasty surprises at drop-off. More information on TravelSupermarket’s commitment to fair fuel policies can be found here.

No hidden fees

All rental deals compared on TravelSupermarket include mandatory fees (for example, one-way and young driver surcharges) in your rental quote at the time of booking, meaning you’ll know the full price of your car hire upfront.