Car rental - book ahead or per day in April?

Okay, rental car question now! (I really do appreciate everyone%26#39;s help so far - such a lifeline for those who LOVE to research and plan for fun!)

My hubby and I disagree on some things re: rental cars. First I wanted to rent the car for the full three weeks so we can be spontanious and drive around whenever we like. He wants to rent per day or two once we get on the island. We%26#39;ll have to do some looking into it though to see which is cheaper, per day or week.

So my question is do the rental places require early booking ahead of time before we leave for Kauai or will they be readily available whenever we need one (to just walk in that day if we plan to do some sightseeing.)

We are going April to May and staying near Lihue/Kapaa area at the Kauai Coast Resort at the Beachboy. Is this a really busy time and are there car rental places near us within walking distance?

Thanks so much!

Jen

Car rental - book ahead or per day in April?

If you book right at the time I think you will pay more. You will need a car every day. Kauai does not have good transportation. Renting by the week is cheaper anyway. I%26#39;m not sure if The Beachboy has a rental agency. You usually have to get the cars at the airport. I think renting a car on Kauai is mandatory unless you are a backpacker and hitchhiker. Again bus system are unreliable and SLOW!!!

Car rental - book ahead or per day in April?

jebett is absolutely right. You need a car on Kauai. Granted you can walk to some resaturants and shops from the Beachboy, but you are not going to see much of the island that way. And you would waste a lot of time going abck and forth to get the car. Besides, the daily rate is almost always much higher than a weekly rate.

We usually get our car rental reservation way in advance, and reserve a compact, or whatever good deal is around. Then, when we get to the airport to pick it up, we can quite often upgrade to something better depending on wht is available for a small amount.

Aloha from Michigan!

Wow I would never rent by the day! I have found with this trip the prices are just going up up up! I booked mine back in April I think and it went down about 3 weeks ago but not by much, though I was fortunate to book it at the lower price. The price I am paying for an SUV is like $460 for 2 weeks, today it is ranges anywhere from $700 and up. Kauai here we come! 4 days to go

Yes, I totally agree! I was trying to explain that we need a car everyday!

That%26#39;s it, I%26#39;m gonna print this out and make him read your responses! :)

Thanks so much for confirming what I figured was the right way to go...

Jen

Most of the car rental places are at the airport (their lots are just off the airport, and their shuttles will take you to the lot for car pickup and paperwork). Weekly is cheaper. You do not have to pay in advance if you book through the car rental web sites or use a site like Sidestep or Kayak (if you use something like Orbitz you do have to pay upfront).

If you want to save some money get a compact car for two weeks and get an SUV for one week and plan your ';offroading'; during that week.

I am so jealous of all you on the West coast with your five hour flight to the islands!

Aloha from Michigan!

Gomike, I agree a 5 hour flight would be great - I think I am a bit further than you!

Now on the cars -- wow what is going on?? I am 3 days away and checked the rates! SUV is now at $843 for 2 weeks AND the real shocker is the compact at............$742 for 2 weeks! Glad my rate is $460!

I%26#39;ve noticed rental prices are trending higher now. My corporate rate (that includes with insurances) is now actually a savings on the Costco/Web rates sometimes. But Hotwire usually has a small car for $24-26/day, although you have to pre-pay that.

To add something useful for the OP, I can say that we stayed at the Beachboy last November, and it was fabulous! But keep in mind that there is not much to do on the grounds. The beach/pool/grounds are good for a couple hours, but the real attraction is the rest of the island. It was perfect for a base though, as you can check the weather and find out if it%26#39;s better north or south, and nothing is more than an hour away. But try to avoid driving through Kapaa around typical rush hours. 7-9AM and 4-6PM can be pretty brutal in Kapaa if you%26#39;re driving out/in of Lihue respectively. You%26#39;re within a healthy walking distance of a few places. There%26#39;s a beach walk you can use instead of the highway. Plan on AT LEAST one dine at the on-site restaurant, the Hukilau Lanai.

Everyone is right. I cannot even imagine NOT renting a car when coming to Kauai, it%26#39;s just a given. We always rent for the entire time we are there and renting by the week is a lot cheaper. We found that the Costco rate is usually the cheapest but there a lot of other discounts available.