Ready to rent a car on your vacation to Honolulu? If you are traveling to Honolulu International Airport, you will find a wide range of car rental options, both on and off-site. If you want to rent a car directly from the airport, head to the rental offices, which are conveniently located next to the baggage claim at Terminal 1. Alternatively, there are booking desks on the ground level of the Terminal 2 in the Parking Garage. On the ground level of the airport, there is also a car rental shuttle stop in designated areas along the center median, outside of baggage claim areas.
If you want the independence that comes with having your own set of wheels, avoid the slower public transport and less safe mopeds and rent a car in Honolulu. Park up on the coast and witness the natural beauty of Waikiki Beach, or take a road trip out to heights of the Diamond Head volcanic crater for a unique view of Honolulu.
As a visitor of Honolulu, it’s best to steer clear of driving in the Waikiki Beach area, as this is the main tourist hotspot and is naturally very busy. Driving around the town is a lot like navigating through a city so you can expect a slow traffic and lots of pedestrians. You must also embrace the “spirit of Aloha,” as locals are very relaxed when it comes to driving on any Hawaiian roads. Drivers should remember to be polite and make space for merging cars, thanking other road users. Also, unless there’s an emergency, lay off the use of your horn.
Rush hour in Honolulu starts early, as the busy weekday traffic hits from 5 am to 8 am. By the afternoon, rush hour goes from 3 pm to 6:30 pm ,when drivers are outbound. Try to avoid taking your car on the surface streets of downtown Honolulu and Waikiki, as these tend to be busy. You should also steer clear of the H-1 and H-2 Interstates, as well as Nimitz Highway/Ala Moana Boulevard, as traffic is heavy on these routes.
25% of our users found rental cars in Honolulu for C$ 73 or less
Book your rental car in Honolulu at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Off-airport rental car locations in Honolulu are around 1% cheaper than airport locations on average
Compact rental cars in Honolulu are around 29% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in Honolulu
Some car rental companies in Honolulu which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Thrifty, Hertz and Dollar
On average a hire car in Honolulu costs C$ 88 per day.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest rental cars were found at Dollar (C$ 41/day), Thrifty (C$ 47/day) and Avis (C$ 50/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest rental car price was found at Thrifty 300 Rodgers Boulevard 96819 (7 kilometers from city center).
Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car rental companies in Honolulu are National (9.0, 65 reviews), Alamo (8.7, 510 reviews), and Enterprise (8.5, 349 reviews).
The average gas price in Honolulu is C$ 5.97 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a gas tank costs between C$ 72 and C$ 95, depending on the car size.
Compact (Hyundai Accent or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in Honolulu.
A Compact car rental in Honolulu costs C$ 62 per day, on average.
A Intermediate car rental in Honolulu costs C$ 77 per day, on average.
A Supplier choice car rental in Honolulu costs C$ 69 per day, on average.
On average a rental car in Honolulu costs C$ 613 per week (C$ 88 per day).
On average a rental car in Honolulu costs C$ 2,627 per month (C$ 88 per day).
If you’re looking to enjoy all the outdoor sights that Honolulu offers, then you must investigate renting either a midsize car or an SUV that can handle the winding coastal roads. You want to rent something that you feel completely comfortable in, as you may end up taking a tour of the whole of Oahu island. A midsize car with good trunk space is ideal. But, if you prefer to soak up the sun, then a convertible would be perfect.
Across the islands of Hawaii, the speed limits are notoriously low. The limits on the freeways are usually 55 to 60 mph. Thanks to Honolulu’s often narrow and winding highways, high-speed driving is not advised. On some roads even 30 mph is seen as too fast. Watch out for the 35-mph S-curve on the H-1 Interstate heading eastbound, between the 18 and 19 exits, as well as speed enforcement who often patrol in unmarked police cars.
Honolulu is known to have some of the most expensive parking rates in the country. As expected, parking can be challenging in the tourist areas of Waikiki Beach; however, if you’re a savvy driver, then there are a few free parking areas to take advantage of. You can leave your car all day in Ala Moana as well as in the Waikiki Shell and Ala Wai Canal area, because of their free unlimited streetside parking. Elsewhere, there are 50 parking lots and garages in Honolulu, which can charge as little as $8 per day.