brreid Posted January 7, 2010 #1 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Just booked a mid size car at the Kona hotel location by the pier at $60. That was the cheapest. Anyone get something cheaper here and how? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzalady1 Posted January 7, 2010 #2 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Just booked a mid size car at the Kona hotel location by the pier at $60. That was the cheapest. Anyone get something cheaper here and how? Try Enterprise. They will pick you up and drop you off back at the pier. Their office is 10 minutes away from the pier. When we rented, they were less expensive than the rentals at the King Kam. You need to select the NON-AIRPORT location on Luhia St. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twickenham Posted January 7, 2010 #3 Share Posted January 7, 2010 http://www.hawaiicarrentals.net/hawaii-car-rentals-promo-codes.html Just checked Thrifty. With taxes and all, I got a rate of $40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brreid Posted January 7, 2010 Author #4 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Is this an airport pickup? I want to pickup at Kona King Kam Hotel by the pier. And I'm still getting $60. I'm sure the airport pickup is cheaper but def not as convenient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachchick Posted January 8, 2010 #5 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Is this an airport pickup? I want to pickup at Kona King Kam Hotel by the pier. And I'm still getting $60. I'm sure the airport pickup is cheaper but def not as convenient. The rental companies generally do not offer shuttles from the airport locations to the Kona tender pier. It's about 9 miles from the pier and 20-30 minutes by shuttle. Traffic into and out of Kona can be a buggah in the morning and afternoon, so it can take longer. If you use an airport location, you may have to pay for a taxi (at least $60 r/t and probably more). If they do offer a complimentary shuttle, you will be spending an hour or so just getting to and from the rental location. It's up to you, but we weigh cruise port time against cost for things like this and generally will spend a bit more for the convenience. Enterprise might be a good compromise for you if you select the location in Kona town. I don't know what their rates are, but they're likely lower than the small King Kam Hotel "cruise passengers only" rates. It's also best to decide early if you do want to book at the King Kam locations or with Enterprise in town because they do tend to sell out on cruise days. Many passengers have been quite disappointed when they tried to do walkup rentals there. (Actually, that's true for most ports in Hawaii because cruise passengers are competing with all the visitors arriving by air for a finite number of cars. Even with tourism down substantially, we hear steady reports of car rentals being sold out for reservations weeks in advance or of only the most expensive cars being available.) beachchick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen4 Posted January 8, 2010 #6 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I booked with Enterprise at this office and it was only $32.00 total for a compact 1 day. They are 5 min from pier and they told me they will pick us up just call them. Rental Office Address and Phone Number: BIG ISLAND-KONA *NO A/P SVC NON-AIRPORT: 74-5583 LUHIA ST. KAILUA KONA, HI 96740-1698 Tel.: (808) 331-2509 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brreid Posted January 10, 2010 Author #7 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Yup, that's what I figured. We are paying for the convenience and time savings. But that's ok. Gives us more time to explore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hal2008 Posted January 11, 2010 #8 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Few things to note: Kona is a tender port - a lot of time is wasted and hence much shorter day Tendering is right in heart of downtown with beach and lagopn good enough for kids or just for sun-bathing Private vendor run frequent bus to nearby beaches for $5 roundtrip However, for more sightseeing, car rental is recommended. Worth paying up for Kin Kam locatiom (even if it is $100 a day, it is fraction of Ship Excursion especially if it is a family) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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