Kailua-Kona car rentals
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Kailua-Kona car rental information
| Pick-up location | Kailua-Kona |
|---|---|
| Car types | Compact, Economy, Full-size, Full-size SUV, Intermediate, Luxury, Minivan, Pick-up truck, Premium SUV, Standard, Standard SUV |
| Rental locations | 19 |
| Airport locations | 13 |
| Popular agencies | Turo, Thrifty, Dollar, Avis, Payless |
Cheap car rentals in Kailua-Kona
| Economy | C$ 47/day |
| Compact | C$ 46/day |
| Intermediate | C$ 48/day |
| Standard | C$ 48/day |
| Full-size | C$ 50/day |
| Minivan | C$ 66/day |
| Full-size SUV | C$ 66/day |
| Luxury | C$ 72/day |
| Pick-up truck | C$ 65/day |
| Premium SUV | C$ 93/day |
| Standard SUV | C$ 68/day |
Top tips for renting a car in Kailua-Kona
- Before you can start exploring the beautiful scenery in Kailua-Kona car rentals, it is important to know about the seatbelt laws that exist in Hawaii. Hawaii has a universal seatbelt law, which states that all passengers in the vehicle must be in a seatbelt. Toddlers must be restrained in an approved child safety seat, while kids under eight must ride in an age-appropriate booster chair. Violators of this law risk fines and having to attend mandatory driving classes.
- If you are someone that loves to use your phone, there are important rules you need to know about before operating car rentals in Kailua-Kona. It is against the law in the state of Hawaii for someone operating a vehicle to use any type of mobile or electronic device. This means that drivers cannot talk, text, send an email, or browse social media or the web while they are driving. Even though you can, in most cases, use your phone if it’s hands-free enabled, you cannot do so when stopped at either a red light or stop sign.
- While it’s easier to pick up a cheap car rental in Kailua-Kona on arrival at the airport, the airport fees charged to car hire companies often make on-site rentals pricier. If you’re traveling on a budget, you can find a couple of convenient off-site rental locations right in the heart of Kailua-Kona. For example, there’s an Enterprise Rent-A-Car agency along 74-5583 Luhia Street and a Thrifty office on 75-5660 Palani Road. There are also lesser-known car hire companies in downtown Kailua-Kona that cater to budget-weary travelers. However, it’s best to hire cheap car rentals in Kailua-Kona from well-known car companies like Avis and Dollar, which are located on 73-361 and 73-200 Kupipi Street, respectively.
- Renting a car certainly adds another dimension to any trip to Hawaii. With a car you can get around the island cheaply and quickly. This is particularly so for visitors to Kailua Kona, as from the town you can go by car to both Rainbow Falls State Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. You could also take the chance to drive up the summit of Mauna Kea.
- Is picking up the rental car step one of your trip to Hawaii? Well, if your flight lands at Kona International Airport, you will find all rental car facilities are actually located off-site, and you will need to take a shuttle to them. However, this will not be a big problem, thanks to the continuous shuttle pick up and drop off; no matter when your plane lands, the wait shouldn’t be more than a minute or two.
- If you are looking to drive down Saddle Road on the Big Island, one thing to keep in mind is that, at times, the radio options can become quite limited and even occasionally non-existent. Thus, it is highly advised to bring a few CDs or other means of music just to keep yourself and your passengers as you loop around the island.
- While Kailua-Kona may not have full-on rush hour, the town does occasionally experience varying degrees of traffic and congestion. In particular, Highway 11 and Henry Street can become backed up and bogged down during peak hours from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- 25% of our users found rental cars in Kailua-Kona for C$ 56 or less
- Book your rental car in Kailua-Kona at least 1 week before your trip in order to get a below-average price
- Off-airport rental car locations in Kailua-Kona are around 23% more expensive than airport locations on average
- Compact rental cars in Kailua-Kona are around 15% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in Kailua-Kona
What type of car is recommended for driving in Kailua-Kona?
For the most part, any size vehicle will be perfectly suitable for Kailua Kona. However, more adventurous tourists may want to consider renting a 4WD vehicle, such as a Jeep, so they can take advantage of the smaller roads in the outlying areas of the island. Parking also won’t be an issue for even the largest of vehicles, so there are no limiting factors on that front.
What’s the speed limit in Kailua-Kona?
In comparison to other states in the U.S., Hawaii has particularly low speed limits, with the highest speed limits on highways (a mere 60 mph). However, aside from the low highway speeds, the speed limits are mostly the same as they are in other parts of the U.S. In general, drivers can expect speed limits of 25 mph to 40 mph on urban roads. It should also be noted that many of the mountainous roads have very low speed limits that can vary widely, so prepare to have to drive slowly.
Where are the best places to park in Kailua-Kona?
Parking is abundantly available in Kailua Kona. There are plenty of parking garages, lots, and spaces for streetside parking in all areas of the town -- including right by the beach. Drivers should have no issue finding parking no matter where they go in town.
How much does it cost to rent a car in Kailua-Kona?
On average a rental car in Kailua-Kona costs C$ 68 per day.
What is the cheapest car rental company in Kailua-Kona?
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest rental cars were found at Payless (C$ 46/day), Thrifty (C$ 47/day) and Hertz (C$ 51/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest rental car price was found at Payless 73-361 Kupipi Street 96740 (12 kilometers from city center).
What is the best rental car company in Kailua-Kona?
Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car rental companies in Kailua-Kona are Alamo (8.9, 98 reviews), Enterprise Rent-A-Car (8.6, 67 reviews), and Hertz (7.7, 122 reviews).
How much is gas price in Kailua-Kona?
The average gas price in Kailua-Kona is C$ 5.61 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a gas tank costs between C$ 67 and C$ 90, depending on the car size.
What is the most popular rental car in Kailua-Kona?
Compact (Buick Encore or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in Kailua-Kona.
How can I find car rentals near me in Kailua-Kona?
Take a look at our extensive car rental location map to find the best rental cars near you.
How much does a Compact car rental cost in Kailua-Kona?
A Compact car rental in Kailua-Kona costs C$ 73 per day, on average.
How much does a Standard car rental cost in Kailua-Kona?
A Standard car rental in Kailua-Kona costs C$ 103 per day, on average.
How much does an Intermediate car rental cost in Kailua-Kona?
An Intermediate car rental in Kailua-Kona costs C$ 77 per day, on average.
How much does it cost to rent a car for a week in Kailua-Kona?
On average a rental car in Kailua-Kona costs C$ 473 per week (C$ 68 per day).
How much does it cost to rent a car long term for a month in Kailua-Kona?
On average a rental car in Kailua-Kona costs C$ 2,027 per month (C$ 68 per day).
Which car rental companies in Kailua-Kona have updated their vehicle cleaning and safety policies because of Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Some car rental companies in Kailua-Kona which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Thrifty, Dollar and Hertz
Where can I fuel my Kailua-Kona car rental?
You’ll need a full tank of gas to venture out to top local attractions, such as the Mauna Kea Summit, Kanaloa Octopus Farm, and Manini’owali Beach, to mention a few. You can fuel at Aloha Gas on 75-934, the Shell gas station along 75-5675 Kuakini Highway, Texaco on 74-5035 Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway, or the Hawaii Petroleum Inc. HFN along 74-5558 Kaiwi Street.
How do I navigate between the islands in Hawaii?
Hawaii is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no land connection to the nearest California coast or mainland U.S. It’s, therefore, advisable to hire separate cheap car rentals in Kailua-Kona to travel between resort islands such as Maui, Hawai’i, O’ahu, Kauai, Lanai, and more.
Kailua-Kona car rental reviews and directory
Alamo
8.9
Very good
266 reviewsCleanliness
8.9
Comfort
9.1
Pick-up/Drop-off
9.0
Value for money
8.6
One location in Kailua-Kona
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10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
Super friendly and helpful.10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
Friendly staff. Great priceCons:
Quality of the car10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
Yes very fast and efficientCons:
The price $$2.0 Poor
Apr. 2021
Pros:
the car was easy to driveCons:
Horrible experience at pick-up. Had to wait for over an hour to get a car, sitting on the pavement. Alamo did not have the cars to cover the reservations. Manager gave me, and others, a free tank of gas (by telling us to return the cars without filling up the gas tank) as an apology for the mess at pick-up. That was considerate, but, when i dropped the car off i was given no receipt from Alamo. When i checked my credit card statement, I saw that Alamo had charged me nearly $70 more than the rental agreement. Clearly, that was for filling up the gas tank that I was told to return empty as a courtesy. I sent Alamo an email two days ago about this. NO response so far.4.0 Mediocre
Mar. 2021
Cons:
One hour to get the car, and not what I wanted8.0 Very good
Feb. 2021
Cons:
It was very professional will use againEnterprise Rent-A-Car
8.6
Very good
144 reviewsCleanliness
8.5
Comfort
8.9
Pick-up/Drop-off
8.7
Value for money
8.3
2 locations in Kailua-Kona
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1.9 Poor
Jun. 2021
8.0 Very good
Jun. 2021
Pros:
Staff was friendly, very clear about the pickup and dropoff process, even though I didn't pick up my car from Enterprise (per instructions from the rental agency)Cons:
I wish they'd had the car I'd reserved ready. Originally they tried pushing a crossover on me and even the car I got was not the one I reserved. Given how expensive gas is in Hawaii, I reserved a compact on purpose, and was disappointed to not receive one.10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
Yes they wereCons:
The truck was not as clean as I would have expected. Vehicles are in short supply so I get that maybe some shortcuts were taken.10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
The staff was friendly. Told me to take a photo of some scratches and mention at check out. I did this. No problem. Got an upgraded car that I really liked - Nissan RougeCons:
Had no problems10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
Very roomy for my familyCons:
Car could have used some air freshener, it was musty.8.0 Very good
Dec. 2021
Pros:
Helpful staff and a spotless interior of the car. The line moved quickly once we got moving, and the car worked great with great gas mileage.Cons:
It was booked for enterprise which was actually closed and all joined the same office at budget. None of the airport shuttles show that logo, but a few had the noted of enterprise on the doors.Hertz
7.7
Good
451 reviewsCleanliness
8.0
Comfort
8.1
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.7
Value for money
7.5
3 locations in Kailua-Kona
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8.0 Very good
Oct. 2022
2.0 Poor
Jan. 2022
8.0 Very good
Jan. 2022
2.0 Poor
Jan. 2022
8.0 Very good
Jan. 2022
4.0 Mediocre
Dec. 2021
Budget
7.3
Good
157 reviewsCleanliness
7.4
Comfort
7.5
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.4
Value for money
6.8
One location in Kailua-Kona
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10.0 Wonderful
Mar. 2023
10.0 Wonderful
Aug. 2022
8.0 Very good
May 2021
Pros:
The pick up staff was okay but was not showing warm-welcoming; the drop off was great.Cons:
Better hospitality at the pick-up counter.4.0 Mediocre
May 2021
Cons:
The quality of vehicle did not match the price. The keep was beat up and had no modern features. The soft top was not secure and did not operate properly.8.0 Very good
Apr. 2021
Cons:
Rental car prices in Hawaii are outrageous right now.10.0 Wonderful
Apr. 2021
Pros:
Perfect location! Quick shuttle from airport to facility, courteous drivers and super easy return.Cons:
A bit disorganized upon arrival to get car. Having Avis Preferred status helped but it would be great if they could handle busy times better.Payless
7.3
Good
114 reviewsCleanliness
7.3
Comfort
7.6
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.1
Value for money
7.1
One location in Kailua-Kona
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8.0 Very good
May 2021
Cons:
The cost of the rental reported by Payless was less than what we paid Priceline.2.0 Poor
May 2021
Cons:
30 minute wait to get our car. Car was dirty and in terrible shape10.0 Wonderful
Apr. 2021
Pros:
The staff was so nice and friendly. I had to wait about 5 minutes before I spoke to an agent which was fine. Then we had about a 8 minute wait till the car arrived. It was clean and good for us.Cons:
I’m not sure I agree with the “film the car as insurance that you got it in this condition”. In Maui I had a real person with a different company and I like that more.8.0 Very good
Apr. 2021
Pros:
Clean, good-working car. Drop off was easy and quick.Cons:
Picking up the car took over an hour. The staff was friendly but did not seem very concerned about getting people taken care of in a timely manner.4.0 Mediocre
Apr. 2021
Cons:
Super long wait upon pick up. And then the car had a bad battery. Had it jumped twice and exchanged the car for a worse car...10.0 Wonderful
Dec. 2020
Pros:
The staff at check out and check in were all super friendly and helpful.Cons:
I guess the Payless company is a small part of the volume as the 'paperwork' was actually paper for our rental. Would've been nice to have it electronicThrifty
7.0
Good
225 reviewsCleanliness
7.2
Comfort
7.4
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.6
Value for money
6.8
2 locations in Kailua-Kona
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6.0 Okay
May 2021
Pros:
They were friendly as they could be. I tried to keep clean but Hawaii has alot of sand!!Cons:
I had to wait for almost 2 hours to get the vehichle, it was not a 4x4, they did offer to change but after waiting I wasn't in the mood. Gas was only 1/4 tank full had to fill up the next morning and last to days change oil light came on.4.0 Mediocre
May 2021
Cons:
Got a Nissan Rogue at a compact car rate, which was OK, but a second driver wasn't included without an additional $13 per day charge, and car was expensive to begin with. Had to go off-airport, or rate would have been even higher. Not convenient.10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
The staff were very helpful and friendly. I had to modify the contract in the middle, and they gave me the same rate and was very flexible.Cons:
The car interior could have been cleaner.4.0 Mediocre
Apr. 2021
Cons:
Car was dirty the last person hotel key was on the car key and there was no gas6.0 Okay
Apr. 2021
Pros:
Staff was outstanding; process was quick. Actual car...could have been sharper and cleanerCons:
I am grateful for the service and effort despite this and all rental car companies getting caught during a perfect storm of love inventory and high demand on island during our visit. That said, despite receiving an upgrade (thx!) the vehicle had a cosmetic/service issue with the front spoiler/air dam that forced me to deal with it personally. Not a deal breaker, but an annoyance during our vacation.10.0 Wonderful
Feb. 2021
Pros:
Staff friendly. Car nice and roomy.Cons:
can't think of anythingDollar
6.5
Okay
344 reviewsCleanliness
7.3
Comfort
7.3
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.5
Value for money
6.4
3 locations in Kailua-Kona
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6.0 Okay
Sep. 2023
4.0 Mediocre
Mar. 2023
5.9 Fair
Jul. 2021
6.0 Okay
May 2021
Cons:
Dollar rental charged me for gas despite me having returned the tank full. Their customer service line has a menu option for this exact problem which means they are doing this all the time.10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
EasyCons:
Nothing. They were great10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
Easy transactionNational
8.7
Very good
54 reviewsCleanliness
8.6
Comfort
8.9
Pick-up/Drop-off
8.7
Value for money
8.1
One location in Kailua-Kona
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10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
They just rented me a car without giving me the whole rental car thing10.0 Wonderful
May 2021
Pros:
Staff was friendly and helpful. We were having to wait a long time while they cleaned a recent return that was supposed to be ours so they just gave us a larger SUV that was already cleaned and ready to go at no additional cost.8.0 Very good
May 2021
Pros:
5 of the 6 previous categories should be excellent instead of good. the excellent button didn't work as a choiceCons:
the only drawback was the inside windshield was pretty bad. Not washed very well.4.0 Mediocre
May 2021
Pros:
Nice vehicleCons:
Check in process and price8.0 Very good
May 2021
Pros:
Very easy pick up and return.Cons:
The key fob to our Jeep ran out of batteries on the 2nd day. As a result, had to get the car towed and exchange the car. While that process was fairly smooth, it effectively blew the entire morning. At the counter, the agent told me that the Jeep's key batteries commonly run out after 4 months. He also told us the trick on how to get the Jeep started again. Had we known, it would have saved the hassle of the tow.6.0 Okay
Apr. 2021
Cons:
Rental car prices are through the roof right now. Takes a big bite out of your fun budgetAvis
7.3
Good
35 reviewsCleanliness
7.4
Comfort
7.7
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.3
Value for money
6.7
One location in Kailua-Kona
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10.0 Wonderful
May 2019
Pros:
Fast car checkout and genuinely friendly staff10.0 Wonderful
Apr. 2019
Pros:
Easy to pick up and returnCons:
All was good4.8 Mediocre
Oct. 2018
Pros:
Easy and efficient drop offCons:
I paid for insurance when booking through KAYAK and was then told there was no insurance on the car. This was an unpleasant surprise after a flight. Travelling with a baby (after a flight) I didn’t have the luxury of time to go through emails and booking details to find out where the confusion (or dishonesty) was. Turned out I bought separate insurance not linked to Avis and the car through KAYAK. So I ended up paying twice and the overall deal was a lot more expensive than it should have been. The Avis attendant also wouldn’t stop chatting unnecessarily so I couldn’t concentrate on the business of getting the car asap and my family to our accommodation. The car was OK but not clean enough but I guess acceptable for a rental.2.8 Poor
Oct. 2018
Cons:
Rates when booked does not match rates when picked up5.6 Fair
Aug. 2018
Pros:
The agent was pleasant and we were assigned the correct car. Cost was what we expected.Cons:
The agent expected us to do our own car walkaround and record the results on a form attached to the key. There were several marks on the car - we took photos of the car in the rental parking lot to be safe. Be sure you do a walkaround before leaving with the car.2.0 Poor
Apr. 2018
Cons:
April 2018: The absolute WORST rental car experience I have experienced. Worst of any retail/service experience, for that matter. Over 1 hour in line to get to the counter, only to be given my paperwork and then told to wait outside for another 45 minutes for the car! Management has created a culture of not caring about the customer, and it shows. Staff are surly, slow and uncaring. Exception: Phillip who took pity and went to get our car despite it not being his job. Do not subsidize this failed business and it’s incompetent management.Easirent
4.7
Mediocre
No reviews available
One location in Kailua-Kona
Sunnycars
No score available yet
2 locations in Kailua-Kona
VIPCars Recommendation
No score available yet
One location in Kailua-Kona
Car rental locations in or near Kailua-Kona
When to book a rental car in Kailua-Kona
Airports serving Kailua-Kona
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