Bring Your Own Accessories for a Long-Term Rental Car

When you plan to stay on Oahu for an extended time, it may be important to look through the interior of the vehicle you drive every day to determine those items you don’t want to be without. What favorite things do you keep in your car? While bringing your favorite coffee mug may not be practical, there are many things you’ll want to consider, such as: 

  • Auto insurance card
  • Extra glasses case to keep in car
  • Folding fabric sunshade to cool your parked car
  • Stuff-able raincoat or mini-umbrella if your long stay includes dress clothes
  • Roll-up cloth shopping bag for groceries, beach trips and etc.
  • Music for the CD player
  • Portable GPS
  • Charging cords for your electronic devices
  • Maps
  • Park passes/memberships that can be used on Oahu
  • Steering wheel lock if theft is a consideration
And, we suggest, once you have rented your car and for peace of mind, that you put your rental company’s emergency number in your phone, purse or wallet.
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Taking Kids on a Hawaiian Vacation

When you plan a family vacation to Hawaii, Oahu makes a great destination. Not only can you take advantage of what is offered in Honolulu, but Waikiki Beach has lots to do, all within close proximity to lodging. Most families operate on a fairly strict budget and Oahu will stretch your budget well.

Distances are fairly short on Oahu (see maps), making it simple to hop in your rental car to shop at Ala Moana Center, snorkel at Hanauma Bay, visit the Honolulu Zoo or visit famous beaches of the North Shore.

The mini vans and SUV’s we rent make lots of sense when traveling with a young family. These vehicles provide ample room for strollers and car seats.

Teenagers might find a Jeep to be  a more appealing rental vehicle. We rent 2-door and 4-door Jeeps with removable tops. The open-air advantages of Jeep-travel are many. They can carry boards, traverse the more remote roads, and provide photo ops on the fly.

Keep in mind that most airlines now require strollers and car seats fly as checked baggage (no more whizzing through the airport with your kids in a stroller)  Although our national car rental desks (except Enterprise) rent child seats, availability is dependent on demand.

For those who are traveling with young children, we suggest you visit Paradise Baby Company. They receive great reviews and rent everything you’ll need to keep your little one happy and safe during your vacation. They deliver everywhere on Oahu.

Teenagers have a lot to do on Oahu. Fun can be booked– for every interest:

  • Zip-lining
  • Helicopter riding
  • Eco-tours
  • Ice skating (north of HNL Airport)
  • Indoor electric kart track racing (west of Honolulu near Ewa Beach)
  • Swimming and snorkeling
  • Horseback riding
  • Hiking
  • Learning to surf, snorkel, sail
  • Be sure to take appropriate gear for the activity, such as close toed shoes or sun screen.

Honolulu is a big city, with a wide variety of residents and travelers. Not everyone shares the same views on “entertainment”. We suggest older kids be kept safe with simple guidelines such as staying with groups of other people, avoiding pickpocketing, and walking only in well lit areas after dark.

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Pick-Up and Drop-Off your Rental Car with ease at Honolulu International Airport

Passing through Honolulu International Airport’s (HNL) terminal to reach your rental car destination is a quick process. Even though 50,000 passengers travel through the 3.75 million sq. ft. terminal each day, ample signage and open-air architecture make it easy to get from airplane to baggage claim. First-time visitors to Oahu and Honolulu are often stopped in place by the tropical fragrances and breezes that greet them on arrival at this airport.

Baggage Claim is where you’ll want to go to pick up your rental car. Depending on the rental car company, counters will be found outside the carousel area or via a short shuttle ride away. (individual instructions for locations are included in all rental car reservations)

Avis, Budget, Dollar and Enterprise are located on-airport.  Paperwork takes place at counters that  are located on the ground level opposite Baggage Claim. Following check-in, their shuttles will take you the short distance to your rental vehicle.

Alamo and Thrifty provide off-airport car rentals. Their shuttles stop in designated areas along the center median, on the ground level outside of the baggage claim area, taking you the short distance to their offices and rental vehicles.

As you drive away from your rental lot, make a note of its location. This is where you’ll return your vehicle. Confusion during departure is no fun when you have luggage toting, security and airline schedules ahead of you.

When you return your vehicle, check for any misplaced personal items that may be in glove boxes, center consoles, door pockets, and between or under the seats. Make sure you’ve unloaded all your luggage. We suggest you connect with one of the attendants, not only to sign their returns form, but to give him or her an opportunity to briefly check for vehicle damage while you are still there. This only takes a moment.

Airport departure at HNL is simple as long as you allow time to fill your vehicle’s fuel tank (if you’ve previously arranged to do this with your rental company), return your vehicle, be shuttled to the terminal, pass through the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture check station, go through TSA security lanes and arrive at your airline gate.

You’ll soon discover that the Hawaiian experience is all about Aloha. It’s good to keep this in mind at arrival and departure times.  Why rush through beautiful HNL?  With a little forethought, relaxation and a smile, you too, can live Aloha.

For those of you who’d like to “visit” HNL’s airport layout before arrival, we recommend you look at this map provided by Honolulu International Airport: http://hawaii.gov/hnl/terminal-information

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Flying Home with Gifts and Souvenirs from Oahu Hawaii

Visitors to the Hawaiian Islands are bound to see souvenirs or gifts that are perfect for office or home, their child’s teacher, their best friend and the house-sitter.  But, how is the best way to get your treasures back home?

Don’t gift-wrap anything that will accompany you on your flight.  Security staff need to unwrap it.  If you’re carrying a gift to someone whom you’ll meet on arrival, consider bringing an empty gift bag and tissue to put the package together before landing. Those handy ABC stores carry tissue and gift bags.

Liquid and gel food items packaged in larger than 3.4 ounce (100ml) containers should be mailed or shipped, but can be put in checked luggage.  Be mindful that if these break, they may cause considerable damage to the contents of your luggage. Consider container size when purchasing gift baskets with liquids.

Cakes and pies can be hand-carried through screening.  You may be surprised (as our friends were recently) by an ever-serious security person who advises you that the food must be shared now– and then smiles.   (a nice reminder that they are people, first)

Naturally, you’d want to carry delicate art objects onto a flight. Think about the difficulty of that when purchasing large, bulky or heavy art.  If possible, have the shop or gallery package the piece for carry-on. If it is too large to carry, have the piece shipped home in professional packaging. Galleries often provide this service, or will direct you to a packaging and shipping service.

Surprisingly, you can haul rocks, seashells and dried seeds home with you. However, the list of what you cannot bring is long, and includes berries of any kind, Cactus, several kinds of plants and picked cotton. You’ll pass through a Dept. of Ag. inspection station before you depart Hawaii, so know what is allowed and what is best left in the islands.
Not that snow globes are a Hawaiian souvenir we’d think to buy, but they are not permitted in carry-on luggage– regardless of size.

If you wait to make purchases until you are past terminal security checkpoints, the inside shops sell pre-screened items that you can carry on the plane with you.  This is an especially good  idea if you plan to bring fresh fruit or plants on the plane.
Don’t forget to ship in USPS flat-rate shipping boxes (free, and available in post office lobbies) when you have big bottles of sunscreen, guide books and smaller souvenirs that you don’t want to haul through the airport.

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Where to Find the Best Oahu Sunsets and Sunrises

Sunrise…. Sunset… 

Sunset at Waikiki BeachEveryone has an opinion on where the best Oahu sunsets and sunrises are found.  If you’ve just arrived in Honolulu for the first time, Waikiki Beach is a perfect place to watch the sun paint the sky.

Sunsets are magnificent on west-facing Waikiki Beach.  As palms sway and the sky runs through its  shades of gold to maroon, boats float by on the ocean, water-lovers take in their last waves, and and lovers stroll the beach.  It’s a beautiful scene.  Expect to see others around you in awe of the magic too.  Isn’t sharing what a sunset is all about?

Sunrises, too, are beautiful from Waikiki Beach. While you won’t see the actual sun rise in the east, you’ll watch the overhead sky change its colors.  And, early morning on Waikiki is a relaxed, quiet time that you won’t experience again for the rest of the day.

You can head out to other locations once you’ve had time to settle in. The summit of Tantalus Crater, above the city, is also a favorite place to watch sunsets. If you plan to stay on the North Shore, sunrises there are spectacular, too.

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Long-term Car Rental Rates

Long-term Honolulu car rental infographicMany travelers who go to the island of Oahu remain for more than a few days and may require a long-term car rental. Often these long-stay visitors go to surf, work temporarily or to avoid winter. For extended-stay visitors, a rental vehicle is necessary to get from lodging to beach or work and to pick up groceries.

Although there is good public transportation available around Honolulu and across Oahu, it primarily fits tourist schedules. Shipping a personal vehicle to Hawaii for a few weeks or months is usually cost-prohibitive.

Free price quote 888-538-6770

For those who plan to stay more than five days, we are able to offer additional discounted weekly, monthly and extended rates through our major rental car partners. We’ve proudly negotiated rates with them that are the lowest you’ll find on the Internet.

How it Works

Rental rates are defined as Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Extended. Weekly rates can start at 5 days. Learn more by reading, Things to Know about Long Term Car Rentals.

Each rental car partner individually negotiates special long-term rental rates with us. They occasionally offer additional, non-negotiated discounts.

When our reservations specialist receives your quote he or she will look at the length of stay, location, optional items and type of car requested. Using that information, your quote will be researched for the lowest possible rate available for your individual needs.

The long-term reservation you receive may include a combination of rates if that is determined to be the best value for you. For example:

If you are going to be working and renting a car in Honolulu from April 1st to May 6th, you might receive a quote with 3 rates: “1 month, 1 (5-day) week and 1 day”.

Or

Perhaps your choice of vehicle makes it so that the rate is more cheaply obtained through a partner with discounted (7-day) weekly rates. Your quote would show a rental for “5 weeks”.

Yes, our reservation specialists are amazing!

In addition, every vehicle we rent is a late-model one, coming from one of our major rental car company partners.

All cars are covered by 24 hr. roadside assistance programs.

Extended monthly rates are negotiated so that customers need only to visit the rental office at pick-up and drop-off with monthly rental charges being deducted automatically.

A new service has recently been launched for foreign travelers to the USA. They provide cheap all-inclusive rates for long-term car hire for all fifty states. Can’t make it to Hawaii?If you opt for a Florida tropical vacation you can usually save money using floridasuncarrental.com for short stays and extended visits.

See for Yourself

If you’d like to see how we can save you time and money on your rental vehicle, please fill out our no-obligation form or call us at 888-538-6770. We think you’ll like the price you receive from our reservations specialist. But, there is no obligation for you to keep the reservation. You may ignore it or simply cancel it. No personal payment information is ever requested until you take possession of your rental vehicle.

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