You’ve been to Hawaii on vacation before and you’d like to come back, but there’s a problem. You don’t want to spend as much. So what’s the cheapest deal going to Hawaii?
The answer is probably not what you expect: packages. The latest travel trend is package vacations. They are often cheaper than airfare alone, and many include both car rental and hotel.
Check online at multiple sites and compare deals. Expedia, Travelocity and Priceline have lately been offering extremely good deals. Expedia offered a 4-night pacakge in Maui at a mid-range with economy car for $855 in early July, compared to $600 for just the airfare from LAX. This same trip booked separately would cost about $1,450: Rooms rates on Maui average $175 and car rentals go for about $30 per day, with a package saving you $595 or 40% on a 5-day vacation. If your travel plans are flexible, you may score an even better deal with last-minute vacation packages.
The only caveat is that packages typically don’t allow changes or substitutions, so you may not be able to use preferred vendors. However, if you really want to stay at a nicer hotel, for instance, you can always book the package and just not use the hotel portion.
Note: I don’t have any financial connections to any of the companies mentioned and don’t stand to benefit in any way from mentioning these promotions.
For a great deal on a Maui rental car, go with Frank’s Friendly Cars Maui Car Rental, it’s a small, locally owned company with much better service and better prices than the majors.