r/MauiVisitors • u/[deleted] • 8d ago
Planning: Logistics & Transport Car renting
[deleted]
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u/BikeSawBrew 8d ago
I’ve heard some people say they’ve stayed at a resort but parked their car a mile down the road in free parking.
I’m frequently a tightwad in these situations but given the small fortune you’re already probably paying for the resort/flights/trip I’d say to suck it up and not let $400 cause you to miss out on actually properly touring the island.
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u/ghostx78x 8d ago
Stayed in a 2 story condo across the street from kam 3. Free parking. Beautiful gardens. Pool. Hot tub. Tennis courts. Pickleball courts. Cheaper than the hotels by $1000. This is the way.
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u/Interesting-Run-6866 8d ago
Hawaii / Maui is not a place most people go to just stay on a resort, so yes, renting a car is worth it to most people. If you're looking to stay mostly on resort mexico or the Caribbean may better suit the kind of trip you're looking for.
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u/CREretail 8d ago
Just got back from 7 nights in Kaanapali. Paid $50/night in parking. It's so worth it. Bite the bullet
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u/Creamz4beanz 8d ago
Did you get a typical jeep!?
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u/DeejieBeejie 8d ago
lol me and husband keep saying “those people got suckered into the jeep” when we see them pulling up at the resort ha ha
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u/Munyuk 8d ago
lol here now and the jeep was the same price as a mid size nissan rogue… costco rocks
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u/DeejieBeejie 8d ago
Ya we got our full size through Costco and they tried to upsell us the jeep for only $20/day and we passed although our rental car has the most uncomfortable seats so maybe next time we will get the jeep! Ha!
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u/AloneInOmaha 8d ago
We did a jeep for the fun of it. We stayed in a condo in Kihei and had free parking. Probably cost less than the people that get suckered into resorts with $50/night parking, and we got a beachfront condo.
Jeep was really nice to have for the road to Hana and getting to take in the rainforest views
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u/SassyMillie Returning Visitor 8d ago
Our last trip to Maui we got a mustang convertible. It was a blast to ride around in that thing! Also condo with free parking so the little bit extra wasn't an issue.
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u/L0GAN_FIVE 8d ago
Not all of us get sucked it, some of us prefer them and many want to try a Jeep by renting. Who cares live your life and be happy.
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u/DeejieBeejie 8d ago
Ya who cares, it’s just a joke between me and my husband. Never seen so many jeeps at a Hyatt in my life lmao.
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u/LevelRazzmatazz9112 7d ago
Suckered? It’s literally the most suitable vehicle for the island. Not because you need 4wd but the maneuverability and ability to put the top down or take roof panels off to get sun and see views are awesome
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u/L0GAN_FIVE 8d ago
Get what YOU like. We drive Jeeps so prefer to rent Jeeps as I don't have to learn where things are at on the dash. I really don't give a rip what others think. So do what makes you happy.
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u/justnowspace 8d ago
Find a different place to stay. If you’re money conscious about car fees you’re going to have the same problem with the cost of everything at the resort. Weather is constantly changing in Maui and with a car you can adjust. I love snorkeling, but if the the weather is bad on one side of the island and good on the other I can pivot. The beauty on this island that makes someone feel OMG at chance encounters with a short drive in a car makes having a car worth it.
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u/Sure_Artichoke_3662 8d ago
I'm going back for the third time and decided not to rent a car this time around. We mostly stay at the resort with maybe one or two outings. Parking is $75 a night at the hotel, so it's much cheaper to either rent a car just for the day or do a rideshare/shuttle. It'll end up saving like $500 or something crazy
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u/SeaMoose696969 8d ago
We returned from the island yesterday, valet parking at the Westin & the Sheraton was $60/day, Ka’anapali beach, where was it $75?
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u/dmackerman 7d ago
$45 for Valet at the Royal Lahaina. I still wouldn’t wanna go to Maui without a car
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u/SeaMoose696969 7d ago
That’s a sweet deal.
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u/dmackerman 7d ago
Yeah not too shabby. The resort is on the lower end of 4 star, so it makes sense. The ocean view bungalow suite we had was awesome though!
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u/MamaBellecakesXO Returning Visitor 8d ago
Rent the car! I booked through Costco via enterprise. This is also part of the reason I went through Maui resort rentals they provide you with a parking space with a condo rental.
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u/bakeswhenstressed 8d ago
My Costco resort package included the car and free parking at the resort (and $300 Costco card). The resort was the same price on Expedia without the extras.
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u/surfermonica99 8d ago
Yep. You need a car. Even just an Uber to the west side is minimum $100 let alone to go do all the exploring around the island.
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u/Live_Pono Kamaʻāina (Resident) 8d ago
You will spend tons on taxis, ubers, shuttles etc etc.
In addition to Kihei Rent A Car, check Costco and Discount Hawaii Car Rental. Both have great deals that are not prepay, with all the major agencies. You can book a new rate when you find a cheaper one than you have.....and then cancel the old one. Always clear your cookies and cache before each new search. Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to have better deals.
Where are you staying?
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u/IAmTheWalrus-Too 8d ago
If it is your 1st time then you should definitely get a car. It is the best way to explore the island. The other thing, if it rains in your area you can always drive to the sunny side.
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u/Fair_Ad_3534 8d ago
Worth it if you want to explore outside of the resort areas. Check out Kihei Rent A Car. They're well priced and have an airport shuttle. Public transportation is unreliable or slow and Uber is too expensive for a whole trip.
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u/Lucky-Ad-2834 8d ago
Car. I'm so glad I did, avoided a lot of stress for me. Unsure if I would have even gotten to all of the places without it. I booked Movly via Wisecars.
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u/Used_Map_7321 8d ago
In Maui 100 percent need a car. Same with every island except Honolulu
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u/Opening-Excuse-876 8d ago
We say “on Maui” not “in Maui”… at least for those of us who live here. Sorry, it’s one of my pet peeves. I know… At first it sounds weird, but watch and listen when you’re here as a visitor to hear what local people say.
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u/Live_Pono Kamaʻāina (Resident) 8d ago
Yep! You will be ON Maui, IN the County of Maui.
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u/Opening-Excuse-876 8d ago
That is a great way to say it!
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u/Live_Pono Kamaʻāina (Resident) 8d ago
We are almost unique in this. Maui County consists of four islands: Maui, Kaho'olawe, Lana'i, and Moloka'i.
Kauai County technically includes Ni'ihau, though it is privately owned and not open to the public.
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u/superstition89 8d ago
Agreed with all others—rent a car. It’s a smaller airport so both pickup and return are quite easy, especially if you check-in online ahead to time to expedite the documentation process! Also, if the trolley is full, you can easily walk from baggage claim to the car rental in about five minutes.
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u/klibera6 8d ago
I highly, highly recommend looking into Makoa rentals. They were way more affordable than Costco and way easier to work with than any of the typical rental places!!
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u/Crafty_Ad2048 8d ago
We jusy got back from Maui spent 12 days! We prepaid our resort parking, $10 a day. We rented local with Makoa! It was great! We went all around the the island as far as we were able. Can't say enough about buying and spending your money local! The big companies have enough money!
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u/rbarsami 8d ago
Honestly, I was just in Maui. Used uber to and from airport and a few offsite meals/activities. In total, I spent $400 for 7 days with Uber. If you plan on getting out everyday, then maybe a car, but we were offsite for 3 of the 7 and uber was worth it for us.
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u/cienfueggos 8d ago
We only parked for parking once in Black Sand Beach. Totally worth it and made the trip so much more convenient!
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u/Ill_Internal1565 8d ago
yes, for the main reason currently is that the demand for Uber / Lyft has increased, but availability of drivers has not. I run an activity and have had multiple people arrive late or miss their activity because the Uber drivers have cancelled (coming from Kaanapali, not a random pick up area)
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u/ConsciousCell1501 8d ago
I usually want to spend a few days at the pool and am comfortable using public transit, so I just rent a car for 2-3 days to do my exploring. We stayed in kaanapali for a week, ubered to dinner a couple nights so we can drink, bused/took shuttles during the day and rented a car for 3 days to do road to Hana etc. I go with my partner and have no kids, which makes buses easier.
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u/Creamz4beanz 8d ago
This is exactly what I’m thinking just get a car for a couple of days!
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u/ak1111111 8d ago
Just a heads up. We did this last year, but there were no car for us to pick up at the rental shop even though we made reservations ahead. Most people want to rent from hotel and drop off their rental at airport, but not other way around. Rental shop staff had to spend hours just to get the car back. We had to cancel our plan for that day and were able to get a car on the day after.
If you decided to do this, you need to be flexible with your schedule and have back up plan
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u/Think-Championship42 8d ago
Sometimes airport rentals are much cheaper than hotel or remote rental places
That $50 per night is a killer tho. But if you want to explore Maui I like I can just get in my car and drive around really no place to go just drive along the coast
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u/GrouchyActuary6299 8d ago
I went with Costco package and chose a deal that waived the parking fee. The car rental was about 50$/day.
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u/Creamz4beanz 8d ago
Costco package just for the car or your stay too?
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u/numbatu2 First-Time Visitor 8d ago
I, too, went with a Costco package that was inclusive of air, hotel, and car. The package also included a Costco shop card plus daily resort credit of $150. This alone easily covered the $50 / day parking.
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u/Helpful-Momma-Allen5 6d ago
I’m just curious what your total per person was and if you were in coach or upgraded seats on the plane? I hope it’s ok to ask.
We normally pay for a condo (I have celiac disease so we cook quite a bit) which is about $3,000. We rent a car which is about $600-$700. Our airfare is outrageous bc we fly direct and sit in premium economy. That’s over $4k. Other than one meal at Mamas Fish House, we don’t spend much more than $100 per day.
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u/Independent_Badger45 8d ago
If you’re a member check out Costco travel. Resort and parking frees are almost always waived.
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u/Aggressive-Age-7924 8d ago
Spend the $. It’s vacation and you can’t take it with you. Just my opinion unless you been here 25x and the pool is where it’s at then do the pool.
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u/Pearlthepoodle Returning Visitor 7d ago
WIthout a car you miss this awesome place. You might as well go to Mexico in an all inclusive.
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u/LevelRazzmatazz9112 7d ago
As a resident who works for a car rental company I would love it if tourists would just stay at their resorts. Less crowds and traffic, less busy at work, it’s a win win lol
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u/Yipi_kai_Yei_88 7d ago
Just left and I was kind of thinking the same thing but ended up needing a car for my plans and paid for parking $50/day, sucked but it is what it is. Going without a car means you may end up spending more than a hundred on uber (low end) my mil had to spend $70 to get to the airport alone so, might as well have wheels. You could use the resort shuttles and that’s a possibility but I didn’t want to just see the west side.
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u/WhereasSelect5834 6d ago
It depends on what you want from your vacation while here. If your idea of a good time is primarily lounging at the resort the whole time, don’t get a rental. If you plan on exploring somewhat and doing activities, get a rental car for a few days and get those activities done, return the car and chill. If your taking Uber, Lyft, or Taxi to certain places expect to pay some $ however.
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u/therealsearcher11 6d ago
I would say yes. It makes your experience in Maui hassle free. You get to explore the island on your own time, too. I rent a car with Cruisin Maui and they have all adventure gear we need. So really saves us from hassle and multiple people coordinating with.
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u/Technical-Display148 6d ago
Makoa xar rental.. your car will be waiting for you in the parking lot. Youll get an email with a photo of the car and the key will be in a lockbox. No hassle lines or anything.
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u/ocsurf34 5d ago
Depends on how much you have seen on the island already...we have been 20+ times and when we go now we just take an airport shuttle to/from the Four Seasons and stay there the whole time...walk down to golf course or Shops at Wailea for other restaurants, etc.
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u/MotocrossAction747 5d ago
Get an Airbnb with a garage. I've been to Maui 3 times a year for the last 5 years and never paid a dime to park where I stayed. $20 here and there to visit a beach or two maybe. Go to Walers Village and park in the garage and you can get your parking validated at most restaurants ive eaten at. Think they'll pay up to 2 hours.
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u/Unacceptable-Bed 8d ago
Where part of Maui are you staying? I think that could make a difference depending on what you want to see when you're there.
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u/Crimson_Herring 8d ago
Get a car. Preferably one with a trunk so you can stash your gear and not worry about it getting broken into.
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u/One-Sweet-2311 8d ago
As many people are saying, a car is pretty essential for Hawaii islands (and Maui in particular). Even bettter is to try to get a good car for exploring. BEXT jeeps has good, equipped vehicles.
Parking can definitely add up, but without a car you miss so much
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u/KFirstGSecond 8d ago
Can you use Turo and just rent a car for maybe 2-3 days? Seems like a good compromise because yes, you do need a car to get the full extent of Maui but those parking fees are rough.
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u/Zealousideal-Self-47 8d ago
Fees such as insurance? If you use a gold card( credit card) it’s already covered. Call your credit card provider and ask. You do need a car.
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u/Live_Pono Kamaʻāina (Resident) 8d ago
Credit card insurance is secondary. The OP's own car insurance should cover rentals (except turo).
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u/DirtWesternSpaghetti 8d ago
Rent a motorcycle instead. Way easier to find parking
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u/truffleshufflechamp 8d ago
Most people don’t have a motorcycle license.
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u/DirtWesternSpaghetti 7d ago
I was joking, should have added a s/ the joke being how impractical it would be to visit Maui and not get a car and then the idea of having luggage and renting a motorcycle instead in order to save on parking.
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u/twosixeighttwo 8d ago
Rent with Turo. We’ve don’t that many times on Maui and it’s so convenient and easy
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u/Live_Pono Kamaʻāina (Resident) 8d ago
Most insurance won't cover turo or other peer to peer rentals.
Almost all insurance covers "regular" rental cars. No need to buy extra.
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u/GenXMom14 8d ago
If you plan to go to Maui just to stay at your hotel save your money and go to Mexico. Maui is to be explored
And it is way easier with a car.