Convertible - Hilo or Kauai

[suziehmkr]

Hello All Hawaii Experts!

I am working on our car rentals since prices seem to be going up since I researched in February.

 

I would like to rent a convertible for one of the islands!! As far as scenery, weather, etc.... if you had to choose between a convertible in Hilo (touring the volcano park & other driving around) or Kauai (Waimea Canyon & surrounding areas) - which one would you pick?

 

Thanks!

[SweetEmi]

I personally would rent the convertible in Kauai. The Hilo side of the island is usually the "wet" side - and therefore you are pretty likely to run into rain, fog, overcast weather. I've always loved how beautiful Kauai is. It can rain there too of course (that's a big reason it is so beautiful I would guess), but my vote would be for Kauai.

 

Have a wonderful time,

 

Emi

[Suebee]

Just what I would have said Emi!

[suziehmkr]

Thank you so much! I had a feeling it would be Kauai, since I have read so much about the rain in Hilo. Off I go to make our reservations!!

 

If the time would just go a bit faster!!

[spleen93]

And I would agree as well. :)

 

Spleen

[RenieRaider]

Am I too late?

I would NOT rent a convertible in either port.

3 reasons........

Rain

Scorcing Sun

Thieves

We just returned from a Cruise on the Pride of Aloha. The day before we got to Maui we decided to rent a car. Roads are narrow in many spots so we decided on an Air conditioned Chey. 4 Door. $17.99 for the day with unlimited milage from Budget. It was perfect. None of us got burnt, it DID sprinkle once and a while and our belongs were unseen iin the trunk.

 

Have a great trip!

[spleen93]

Am I too late?

I would NOT rent a convertible in either port.

3 reasons........

Rain

Scorcing Sun

Thieves

 

rain - wait a while and the weather will change. Such is Hawaii. Not too hard to pull up the top on modern convertibles

 

sun - I thought that was why people came to Hawaii?? ;) Sunscreen is your friend. And if you get tired of the sun, you can always put up the top.

 

thieves - ah, the biggest problem. Just don't leave any valuables in the car. Don't forget thieves can get into non-convertibles just as easily as they can get into convertibles ... doesn't take long at all to punch a lock.

 

Spleen

[daWoods]

Spleen's right. You can't avoid theft if they really want something, whether a convertible or not. BTW, convertibles have trunks too.

 

 

As for the original question, based on personal experience, we've had convertibles in both areas and Kauai would be my choice too.

[suziehmkr]

Thanks so much for everyone's input. We did end up reserving one in Kauai. DH drives a classic convertible, so we are used to having one around... so this will be a special treat for him. We can put the top up if it gets too hot or rains.... so that isn't a problem. I just figured, not much would beat driving around Hawaii with the top down at least once. I figured Kauai would be the best bet, but I just had to check with the experts.

 

Thanks!!!! We can't wait to get there!!

[cinamongirl]

I've been watching this thread as we are also considering renting a car but I think we will rent one in Hilo rather than Kauai as there is another excursion we want to do in Kauai. So, just wondering is the rental companies are far from where we will be docking? Do you have to get a cab? Thanks in advance for any input.:)

[suziehmkr]

I reserved cars in three ports: Hilo, Kauai & Kona. Alamo had the best rates for our needs and they will shuttle us from each port to the airport. I think that I have read that most have shuttles except Avis. As far as time, they told me about 20 minutes to get to the airport... we will be calling just as we start heading down to get off the ship so we don't have to wait too long for the shuttle.

[Suebee]

I've been watching this thread as we are also considering renting a car but I think we will rent one in Hilo rather than Kauai as there is another excursion we want to do in Kauai. So, just wondering is the rental companies are far from where we will be docking? Do you have to get a cab? Thanks in advance for any input.:)

 

 

They are not walking distance....but you can catch a shuttle van. We were lucky that a van showed up whenever we got off the ship, and in Hilo, the Alamo guy had our reservation on his clipboard and was waiting for us specifically. But you will want to bring the phone numbers of the companies so you can call and ask for a shuttle van (usually about 10 minutes) in case you miss it. I think it was Kauai that we had to call Alamo but they came right over. :)

[Happy ks]

suziehmkr, Just a little heads up on the convertible. We rented one for the day on Maui, but ended up keeping the top up most of the time. Reason, we had our kids with us and the wind was just too much in the back seat.

 

This will be useless info if there are only the 2 of you.

 

Definitley Kauai, beautiful.

[suziehmkr]

Thanks Kathy,

DD will be with us, but she rides in the back of DH's car alot. I will remind her to bring her "convertible hat" with her! hee hee Thanks for the heads up! :) If nothing else, it will be great for our leisurely stops on the way back down from the canyon. I take a ton of pictures so I am sure we will be stopping often! :cool:

[Suebee]

I have to agree about the kids but if your daughter is used to the sun and wind, no problem. My kids dislike both so we didnt get much air time! ;)

[Bucky3]

What do you need to pay for a convertible?

[patti o]

We spend several months a year on Maui and on the Big Island (Hilo, Kona); just returned to our 'real' home last week. Unfortunately, car thefts are all too common everywhere in the islands. Don't think that the trunk is a safe bet; it isn't! The thieves break into trunks regularly also.

 

And also unfortunately, all rental cars look just like that....tourist rental cars, not "locals" cars, and are a hot target. Best bet, but hard to do, is don't leave ANYTHING in the car, period. Assume whatever is in your car won't be there when you return and plan accordingly. In fact, we always just leave the doors unlocked. Why have a window broken or lock punched out, go through the insurance deductible mess, etc.?

 

Another note: Don't leave your things unattended on the beach while you swim either; expect it to be gone. Bring only essentials and if you must take the camera, etc., then have someone remain on the beach...take turns in the water.

 

A sad fact in every tourist area, not just in Hawaii. Our 'real' home is also in a tourist area and it happens here also.

[spleen93]

Patti - I agree with many of your points ... :(

 

Spleen

[paradise4ever]

Kauai- its the only place for a convertable. My daughter and I did Kauai several years ago and we just had a ball driving around in the convertable. wWe went to the canyon and around to the other side at South Pacific beach. Its awesome. enjoy

[RvrCrzr]

Hawaii is starting to sound like Jamaica to me. :eek:

 

The police/military are on the streets to protect the tourists there. I understand it's a poor country (except for the super-rich!)...but Hawaii? I just can't see it as economically poor where crime against tourists would be necessary for survival.

 

Seems to me these thugs would make more money, and not risk prison by opening a t-shirt stand and being friendly! I guess no one has ever claimed criminals were smart. Lazy...yes.

 

Oh well. Thanks for the tips on staying SAFE in Hawaii.

[spleen93]

Don't get us wrong - it's NOTHING like Jamaica. :) The crime problem in Hawaii is similar to any high tourist area - Florida, LA, SF all have similar problems with crimes aimed at tourists - easy opportunities, less likely for police complaints to get registered, etc. etc. We have a fairly large crystal meth problem on the islands and a lot of people become thieves to support the habit ... (sigh)

 

FWIW, when we go to the beach here, we often bring along snorkeling gear, towels, etc. I have yet to have any of our stuff molested ... but we also make it obviously clear that there's nothing of value left on the beach as well (towel, shirts, beach mat, slippers, etc. only - I just bring my driver's license and some cash in a waterproof wallet that goes out with me in the water).

 

Spleen

[Suebee]

I agree Spleen....We've been here two years and have never had any issue. (Im worried more about the traffic death statistics here!) I've also travelled extensively in the world and have only seen a mugging or pickpocketing in Boston, NYC and Rome.

 

Its all up to you....act like you have been here before...walk like you know where youre going and don't leave stuff with easy access and nothing will happen to you. Most petty criminals are looking for the easy take.

[beachchick]

As a regular visitor to the islands, I can say that we have never felt Hawaii to be any different from any other US state in terms of crime (in terms of attitude, it's light-years ahead of most of us). Yes, there is more visible crime in the tight urban areas; yes, you need to take the same precautions you would take anywhere with a high tourist rate; no, it is not dangerous or scary or anything like that. I feel perfectly safe walking without my DH through any number of towns and areas all throughout the state, but I don't walk alone at night through the industrial areas of Honolulu anymore than I would do that even in our hometown. Common sense rules the day. Hawaii is a wonderful place to spend as much time as possible. The people are, on the whole, very welcoming and friendly, particularly when we mainlanders don't act like idiots (such as my personal favorite of saying, "Do you have such-and-so, like back in the states..." Oops--Hawaii is a state). Make an effort to learn a little about the people there, do some research before you go, and learn how to pronounce Hawaiian words and names properly (it's not hard once you get the hang of it; although, I still sometimes have to sound a particularly long or difficult word out in my head first).

 

To all the locals on this board (and elsewhere), thank you for your help and advice, and thank you for sharing your beautiful islands with us.

 

(Only 6 weeks until our next aloha! :D )

beachchick

[dmk]

What would be the average cost for renting a convertible? Anyone find one place with better deals for convertibles?

[Paulmj]

What would be the average cost for renting a convertible? Anyone find one place with better deals for convertibles?

If you are a Costco member, I recommend you check prices with Alamo, Budget, Avis & Hertz through the Costco website. We have "frequent user" business discounts with most of these guys, and invariably doing it through Costco costs less.

 

For example, we have a weeklong reservation for a convertible in Kailua-Kona for the week of Spring Break, April 15-22, 2006. We'll be staying at the Waikoloa Hilton. We're paying $290 for the week, including all taxes, etc. It's more expensive now...we booked it a few months ago. The prices move around quite a bit from week to week. I would make a reservation for a convertible at the cheapest place you can find, and then keep checking back to see if the price changes or if you can find it cheaper elsewhere.

 

You might also bid for a convertible via Priceline the week before you leave. We did it that way (at Kona) last year, and got a convertible from Alamo for $50/week more than we were paying for the full-size we reserved. We ended up with a PT Cruiser convertible, and enjoyed it very much.

 

We've been to Hawaii dozens of times, on cruises as well as resort vacations. We think that having a convertible in Hawaii is the best way to enjoy each island, every island. One of the great reasons is that it remains balmy at night, and that's a nice time to cruise around with the top down. Of course, it's also very nice in the daytime, and if the sun is warm, just leave the top down and turn the A/C on high and it remains very comfortable. If you're on a cruise and if you add up the extra cost by having a convertible in each port vs. what the entire trip is costing you, in my opinion that extra cost is trivial vs. the total.

 

Regarding safety, thievery, etc., we live in Orange County (CA) and own a 1-year old Mercedes ragtop convertible, a CLK320 model. We drive it all over So. California. We've never had an incident, and frankly we don't expect to. We never leave anything on the seat. We never park it anywhere with the top down. We never park it at airports, or the movies, or any place where it will be for awhile unattended. We have an SUV that we use for occasions like that. We are very careful, and the car has an alarm system, and of course it is insured, so what will be, will be. But we are very defensive in how we use the car. The enjoyment we get from it, just like the enjoyment you would have with a convertible anywhere in the Islands makes it all worthwhile.