Why is it so expensive to rent a car in Oahu?

The coronavirus pandemic halted tourism in the islands in 2020, and that hit the rental car industry. Once tourism reopened, the demand for rental cars skyrocketed – and so did the cost. People wanting to rent a car in Hawaii saw prices go from about $30 a day to more than $700 in some cases.



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I would highly recommend you getting a rental car for at least two days. We just got back from vacationing in Oahu and loved the time we had with the car. As you probably already know, there are a lot of shuttles and buses that go pretty much anywhere in the island.

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The Hawaii Department of Transportation (DOT) said they haven't seen shortages on Oahu or Maui, which they say actually does more rentals than Honolulu. The DOT added that the beginning of the pandemic caused many rental car companies to sell their fleet or leave them parked at Aloha Stadium.

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Renting a car is an important part of the budget for a trip to Hawaii. The Covid-19 crisis has caused prices to rise dramatically in 2021 and 2022, although there has been a significant drop in prices since the summer of 2022, which is expected to continue in 2023 to reach pre-Covid prices again.

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1: Go local for the best price (no prepayment, no cancellation fees) The best way to find a good deal often is to check with the bigger local booking sites as they pre-negotiate discounts for their customers with all major rental car companies that serve Hawai?i (Budget, Alamo, Enterprise, etc.).

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On average a rental car in Hawaii costs $59 per day.

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I would highly recommend you getting a rental car for at least two days. We just got back from vacationing in Oahu and loved the time we had with the car. As you probably already know, there are a lot of shuttles and buses that go pretty much anywhere in the island.

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On average a rental car in Hawaii costs $341 per week ($49 per day).

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But, there are important differences between Maui and Oahu vacations. If you're looking for a typical Hawaiian tourist vacation, Oahu offers Waikiki Beach, historical memorials and modern culture. Meanwhile, travelers should head to Maui to enjoy outdoorsy adventures, from snorkeling to hiking volcanic peaks.

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Car rental insurance is not mandatory in Hawaii. The companies cannot require you to purchase their insurance policies. They do include the minimum state-required liability insurance as part of the basic rental car agreement.

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The nation's largest car rental corporations sold too many cars in 2020 to cushion the financial blows amid widespread COVID-19 travel restrictions. Now they can't buy enough replacements principally due to car production delays.

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If you're wondering whether 7 days is too long to stay in Oahu, I can say from first hand experience that it's not- in my opinion, it's actually the perfect amount of time to see some of the best highlights the island has to offer.

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Tours pick you up from your hotel to bring you around the island. We recommend that you do two or three tours during a week-long stay, but a daily tour will make your vacation prohibitively expensive. A rental car will save you money as you drive yourself to Hawaii's abundantly free attractions.

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The recommended number of days to spend on Oahu is at least four, with 5-7 days ideal for maximizing your experience on the island. This will give you enough time to visit famous attractions like Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head while allowing some downtime at the beach or spa.

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You can ride Hawaii's Waikiki Trolley Pink Line for free by simply showing your JCB card! Just present your JCB card when you board the trolley. See Waikiki Trolley Information above for trolley schedules and more information.

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Uber, Lyft and Holoholo are ride-sharing apps that enable you to hail on-demand private drivers. They're used prolifically in Hawai?i's major towns, they tend to be cheaper than Taxis/Cabs and more convenient.

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The Waikiki Shuttle Offers One If The Best Ways To Explore Oahu! Becca On The Blue Line Was Amazing! The Waikiki Trolley is one of the absolute best ways to explore the beautiful island of Oahu, and I highly recommend it!

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Unless you want to just relax at your hotel, the answer is yes. Driving is the best way to get around and will provide you with the most flexibility. Hawaii Island is known as “The Big Island” for good reason — spanning 10,931 square miles, it has a lot of ground to cover.

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But the main point is that Hawaii has more housing regulation than any other state in the nation, and that's limited the supply of housing, which is why we have the highest median home prices in the nation. And until people decide to rise up and change that, housing in Hawaii will probably remain very expensive.

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