• The TUGBBS forums are completely free and open to the public and exist as the absolute best place for owners to get help and advice about their timeshares for more than 30 years!

    Join Tens of Thousands of other Owners just like you here to get any and all Timeshare questions answered 24 hours a day!
  • TUG started 30 years ago in October 1993 as a group of regular Timeshare owners just like you!

    Read about our 30th anniversary: Happy 30th Birthday TUG!
  • TUG has a YouTube Channel to produce weekly short informative videos on popular Timeshare topics!

    Free memberships for every 50 subscribers!

    Visit TUG on Youtube!
  • TUG has now saved timeshare owners more than $21,000,000 dollars just by finding us in time to rescind a new Timeshare purchase! A truly incredible milestone!

    Read more here: TUG saves owners more than $21 Million dollars
  • Sign up to get the TUG Newsletter for free!

    60,000+ subscribing owners! A weekly recap of the best Timeshare resort reviews and the most popular topics discussed by owners!
  • Our official "end my sales presentation early" T-shirts are available again! Also come with the option for a free membership extension with purchase to offset the cost!

    All T-shirt options here!
  • A few of the most common links here on the forums for newbies and guests!

Car rental prices!

klpca

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2006
Messages
8,273
Reaction score
7,280
Points
749
Location
CA
Resorts Owned
SDO, Quarter House, Seapointe, Coronado Beach, Carlsbad Inn, Worldmark
I am preparing for an upcoming trip by printing out confirmations etc and took a moment to reprice my car rentals on both the Big Island and Kauai. I booked them last Oct. for late spring weeks. They are now almost double - from $185 to $370+. I've never seen the prices this high for off season weeks. There must be a lot of people traveling now.

This is through Costco btw. I haven't checked anyone else yet.
 

Sugarcubesea

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
4,029
Reaction score
2,940
Points
449
Location
Novi, Michigan
Resorts Owned
QH, HBC, VBHC, & Pinestead Reef
I am preparing for an upcoming trip by printing out confirmations etc and took a moment to reprice my car rentals on both the Big Island and Kauai. I booked them last Oct. for late spring weeks. They are now almost double - from $185 to $370+. I've never seen the prices this high for off season weeks. There must be a lot of people traveling now.

This is through Costco btw. I haven't checked anyone else yet.

I have been looking every day for cheaper rental car rates for my trip to SDO and the price has doubled in the last month...its weird.
 

Kapolei

Guest
Joined
Jul 9, 2014
Messages
519
Reaction score
356
Points
123
I have been looking every day for cheaper rental car rates for my trip to SDO and the price has doubled in the last month...its weird.

I always start my vacation planning by locking in car rental reservations. Sometimes I have 3 or 4 differet Costco reservations booked. Onice my travel plans are final. I cancel the reservations I don't need. It costs nothing to do this.
 

Sugarcubesea

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2014
Messages
4,029
Reaction score
2,940
Points
449
Location
Novi, Michigan
Resorts Owned
QH, HBC, VBHC, & Pinestead Reef
I always start my vacation planning by locking in car rental reservations. Sometimes I have 3 or 4 different Costco reservations booked. Onice my travel plans are final. I cancel the reservations I don't need. It costs nothing to do this.
I pretty much do the same, I booked these 3 months ago but since my trip is not for another 7 months, I'm hopeful the price will come down a bit...
 

Luanne

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
19,353
Reaction score
10,185
Points
1,198
Location
New Mexico
Resorts Owned
Maui Lea at Maui Hill
San Diego Country Estates
I had always found the best prices about 6 months out and don't bother to check as it get close to the date. However, after being prompted to do so I checked a couple of days before the trip we are on now. The rates for Alamo, which is who we were booked with (through Costco) were 4 times as much as whenI'd booked! But Budget was $60 less than the best price I'd gotten. So from now on I will check at the last minute.
 
Last edited:

Southerngirl528

TUG Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
386
Reaction score
34
Points
138
Location
Asheville
Resorts Owned
Disney Vacation Club: Old Key West & Vero Beach Marriott Maui Ocean Club Napili Tower
I do as Sugarcube and Kapolei. For our annual Hawaii trips I book the cheapest car I would be happy to drive as far in advance as possible. And then I check, check, check and re-check prices over the months. Many, many times I find a better rate as the dates draw closer but not always. with very few exceptions I have found my best Hawaii car rental rates through Costco Travel or www.discounthawaiicarrrental.com I just got back from 3 weeks on Maui and was surprised to find my best rate directly through a car company. For me, that has been rare.

One nice perk to booking through either Costco Travel or DHCR is that they generally (*read the fine print as this is not the case every single time) include a 2nd driver at no add'l charge.

One caveat to newbies to booking Hawaii trips: make SURE to book a rental car far in advance. It is astronomical how pricey rental cars can get at busy times. Hawaiian islands have limited numbers of cars and they can't just "drive some more down from Dallas" if ya know what I mean. ;) SO prices can get CRAZY. Book something you can live with way in advance and then if you like, keep checking and hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised to find a better rate. Just make certain NOT to book a car rental that requires pre-payment or a credit card to secure as these reservations are often NOT changeable or cancellable. Hope this helps! :D
 

dougp26364

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
14,481
Reaction score
3,157
Points
698
Location
Kansas
Resorts Owned
Marriott Grand Chateau
Marriott Shadow Ridge
Marriott Ocean Pointe
Marriott Destination Club Points
Hilton Grand Vacation Club Las Vegas Blvd
Grand Colorado on Peak 8
Spinnaker French Quarter Resort Branson
I follow car rental prices pretty closely for a few destinations we travel to frequently. For the last 3 or 4 months, prices have been considerably higher than normal. I've seen this happen in the past where prices spike and stay high for several months, then just as suddenly they return to "normal". I'll only reserve a rental car when it makes sense. If the prices are to high, I'll select different destinations that have reasonable alternatives to renting a car.
 

tompalm

TUG Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
2,073
Reaction score
347
Points
293
Location
Honolulu, Hawaii
Supply and demand. Right now demand is high because of spring break. Six months ago, not many people had reserved cars and demand was low. Spring Break is the most busy time of the year.
 

klpca

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2006
Messages
8,273
Reaction score
7,280
Points
749
Location
CA
Resorts Owned
SDO, Quarter House, Seapointe, Coronado Beach, Carlsbad Inn, Worldmark
Supply and demand. Right now demand is high because of spring break. Six months ago, not many people had reserved cars and demand was low. Spring Break is the most busy time of the year.
I agree 100% but I am looking in May, which in my experience is one of the less busy times to go. Who knows?

Speaking of busy times and car rentals, in 2015 we were in Hawaii for three weeks - Kauai, then BI, then Maui. When checking all of our reservations a month before the trip, I discovered that I had booked car rentals on Kauai, BI, and...BI again. No Maui reservation for our Thanksgiving week reservation. I figured that we were screwed, but amazingly I was able to get a car and the price was about the same as the other reservation. Thank goodness because our airfare for that week was ridiculous.
 

suzanne

Tug Review Crew: Rookie
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
1,694
Reaction score
44
Points
258
Location
Las Vegas, NV
I am finding the same thing. I booked thru Costco couple of months ago, I check everyday to see if there is a price drop. I am amazed at how high the rate has gone. I reserved a standard size SUV for 2 weeks on the Big Island to accommodate me and my 2 friends and all of our camera gear. We will be there from August 26th thru Sept. 9th. Hoping the rate drops after Spring Break and before summer vacations start.

Suzanne
 

The Haileys

Guest
Joined
Feb 22, 2015
Messages
234
Reaction score
85
Points
89
Location
Sevierville, TN
Resorts Owned
Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Sheraton Flex Sheraton Vistana Villages - Bella EY
I lucked into this as well ... through Discount Hawaii, I have a full size reserved with a rate of $218 all in for a week. Later checking saw the rates nearly double.
HOWEVER, I just checked again today and the rates have dropped quite a lot. I may cancel the full size and rebook an intermediate SUV for the same price!
 
Last edited:

rickandcindy23

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
31,901
Reaction score
9,001
Points
1,049
Location
The Centennial State
Resorts Owned
Wyndham Founder; Disney OKW & SSR; Marriott's Willow Ridge,Shadow Ridge,Grand Chateau;Val Chatelle; Hono Koa OF (3); SBR(LOTS), SDO a few; Grand Palms; WKORV-OF (2),Westin Desert Willow.
I had so many RCI points to use, I paid for our car rental with RCI Points (and my points are cheaper than most). Anyway, the cash prices through the RCI portal are pretty good for Hawaii. SFX also has some good car rental rates. Check those out and see if you can get a better deal. The problem with booking cars can be the fine print. If the price goes down with RCI Points, I am stuck because no refunds for cancellations. That is new.

Costco was always my go-to place for car rentals. It's not been as great the last year or so. I usually do well in Orlando, but our last trip it was quite high for a car rental.
 

LisaRex

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2007
Messages
6,792
Reaction score
317
Points
518
Location
'burbs of Cincinnati, OH
Resorts Owned
Used to own: WKORV-N; SVV - Bella
Thanks to a tip several years ago from another Tugger whose name I unfortunately did not commit to memory, if you have a Chase card and collection Ultimate Rewards, their car rental "prices" with points are some of the best I've ever found. I routinely book rental cars through the Chase portal now.

For instance, for my trip to Grand Cayman the week before Easter, I booked an SUV for ~32,000 URs. Considering I earn about 10,000 URs per month via routine spending on my Chase platinum card (annual fee $150 after $300 rebate on travel, but I earn 3x on dining), that's a great return.
 

alohakevin

unconfirmed
Joined
Oct 4, 2010
Messages
235
Reaction score
89
Points
138
We have used auto slash.com the last couple times to Hawaii and have been very pleased with outcome. The biggest advantage is they constantly check for a better price and will reserve for you. They then send an email letting you know the new (lower) price. I find this very useful given It saves me from having to stay on top of it to find a better deal.
 

ronandjoan

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2005
Messages
2,398
Reaction score
405
Points
443
Location
Seattle area
Resorts Owned
Telemark, Townhouses at St Augustine Beach and Tennis Club, Stoneridge Resort (ID)
We have used auto slash.com the last couple times to Hawaii and have been very pleased with outcome. The biggest advantage is they constantly check for a better price and will reserve for you. They then send an email letting you know the new (lower) price. I find this very useful given It saves me from having to stay on top of it to find a better deal.
We always use autoslash! Love how they do things --
 

bobpark56

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2008
Messages
1,694
Reaction score
375
Points
444
Location
Gibsonia, PA (just north of Pittsburgh)
Resorts Owned
Westin Lagunamar, Westin Aventuras, Marriott Grande Vista, Sandos Caracol, Festiva, Diamond Resorts (Hawaii Collection)
We always use autoslash! Love how they do things --
We do, too...but on our last visit to Oahu, it took me more than 40 minutes to get Budget to find/recognize our autoslash reservation. They kept insisting I had no reservation.
 

bobpark56

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2008
Messages
1,694
Reaction score
375
Points
444
Location
Gibsonia, PA (just north of Pittsburgh)
Resorts Owned
Westin Lagunamar, Westin Aventuras, Marriott Grande Vista, Sandos Caracol, Festiva, Diamond Resorts (Hawaii Collection)
I am finding the same thing. I booked thru Costco couple of months ago, I check everyday to see if there is a price drop. I am amazed at how high the rate has gone. I reserved a standard size SUV for 2 weeks on the Big Island to accommodate me and my 2 friends and all of our camera gear. We will be there from August 26th thru Sept. 9th. Hoping the rate drops after Spring Break and before summer vacations start.

Suzanne
Higher than usual prices are not just in Hawaii. I just rented a Hertz car to be picked up in Malaga, Spain in March of next year, and the price has gone up about 50% over the rates I paid for 2 rentals this year. And it's not just Hertz...Avis was even more pricey.
 

easyrider

TUG Review Crew: Elite
TUG Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
15,046
Reaction score
8,002
Points
948
Location
Palm Springs of Washinton
Resorts Owned
Worldmark * * Villa Del Palmar UVCI * * Vacation Internationale*
For next winter we reserved an intermediate suv with Thrifty through Discount Hawaii car rental. 2 weeks in Maui for $404. I will be checking Costco and others on price until we go but I think this is it.

Bill
 

blackjack

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
210
Reaction score
0
Points
376
Location
Los Angeles
Yeah, the prices are high enough where I am considering not renting a car as we don't drive some of the days while on the island. I will be traveling with my wife and a four year old. Any suggestions on best ways to get resort from airport. Assuming there is uber, will they let me put a car seat in the car? What are some of your experiences without renting a car with small children on Maui? Thanks.
 

Terri Decker

newbie
Joined
Apr 7, 2017
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Resorts Owned
Marriott Ko Olina
I am preparing for an upcoming trip by printing out confirmations etc and took a moment to reprice my car rentals on both the Big Island and Kauai. I booked them last Oct. for late spring weeks. They are now almost double - from $185 to $370+. I've never seen the prices this high for off season weeks. There must be a lot of people traveling now.

This is through Costco btw. I haven't checked anyone else yet.

Costco has always been the best for me- Have you tried Priceline- name your own fare?
 

Luanne

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2005
Messages
19,353
Reaction score
10,185
Points
1,198
Location
New Mexico
Resorts Owned
Maui Lea at Maui Hill
San Diego Country Estates
Costco has always been the best for me- Have you tried Priceline- name your own fare?
I used to use Priceline. But the last time I tried bidding (which was quite a few years back) I didn't do any better than the reservation I already had. The two strikes I find with Priceline:
  1. You're locked in. Once you book it you can't cancel or change.
  2. They don't always include the extra driver. Found this out the hard way with a Pricline rental we did some years back.
 

DianeG

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2005
Messages
300
Reaction score
96
Points
388
Location
Canada
The second driver is the big bonus for me with www.discounthawaiicarrental.com. The second driver doesn't need to be your spouse or someone from your household. The fact that I can cancel any time also scores big time.
I no longer pay attention to the actual rental company, as they're all the same (especially at KOA) in terms of car stock and staff (musical chairs). You'll always risk hitting that one counter person who is a pain and really pushes the 'upsell', even to the point of telling you that you cannot get the car that you booked - that's when a call to DHCR comes in useful and they can talk to a supervisor on your behalf. DHCR has the volume edge on the other brokers and that counts on the islands.
 

bobpark56

TUG Review Crew: Expert
TUG Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2008
Messages
1,694
Reaction score
375
Points
444
Location
Gibsonia, PA (just north of Pittsburgh)
Resorts Owned
Westin Lagunamar, Westin Aventuras, Marriott Grande Vista, Sandos Caracol, Festiva, Diamond Resorts (Hawaii Collection)
Costco has always been the best for me- Have you tried Priceline- name your own fare?
Those of us who are USAA members will usually find that the USAA discount on car rentals beats the Costco discounts. The USAA discount has also been good for us for Hertz rentals in Europe...but that may be changing, as prices seem quite a significantly higher now. Autoslash has at times been the winner in Hawaii.
 
Top