Kauai rental car

[Roziewear]

Hi all! Looking for some recent info on renting car in Kauai. After researching I think it seems easy enough to drive island. Very straight forward!!! Saying this why should we rent from that will drop off and pick up? Or do we have to shuttle ?

 

Also Popei beach is close to cruise ship like 25 mins??? Can u use hotel beaches!

 

 

Also want to do smith luau same day as rental. What will have time to see driving and musts???

 

So excited!!!!

[punkincc]

Hi all! Looking for some recent info on renting car in Kauai. After researching I think it seems easy enough to drive island. Very straight forward!!! Saying this why should we rent from that will drop off and pick up? Or do we have to shuttle ?

 

Also Popei beach is close to cruise ship like 25 mins??? Can u use hotel beaches!

 

 

Also want to do smith luau same day as rental. What will have time to see driving and musts???

 

So excited!!!!

 

Car rental in Kauai works just like it does for Maui. Go through Discount Hawaii Car Rental and indicate pier pick up. The airport is more or less adjacent to the pier. The only thing that differs is parking if you intend to keep the car overnight. Maybe someone who has done this can chime in, but I believe you may have to park in a designated lot in the shopping area a block or two from the ship, and they charge for overnight parking, I think around $20. But I have seen people report that when they returned for the car early, no one was there and they never had to pay. You can easily walk to this shopping and beach area (Kalapaki Bay) from the ship. There is a Mariott a hotel there with a Dukes Restaurant and Bar facing the beach. Lots of people spend the short second day in Kauai here. There are 2 free shopping shuttles to that area which run till 5:00 or so. Only caution would be re the park you pass on the way back to the ship if walking. I have seen a caution posted by a former ship's officer saying this park is not safe after dark and to avoid the vicinity after dark. You will be fine during the day.

 

You can view a Google map re the Poipu ( I assume you mean ) area and also for the location of the luau which I saw marked on the map I looked at. I would suggest heading West to see things like the spouting horn and Waimea Canyon and then on the way back swing down to the Poipu area for a little beach time or lunch at one of the beachfront restaurants. Or just forget the beach for that day in favor of more touring, maybe a drive up to the scenic Hanalei Bay Area to the north, ( you will pass Smiths on the way back ) and do the Kalapaki beach, a quick walk or shuttle away the next morning as the ship leaves early that day.

 

Is your Smith's Luau a tour you will meet at the ship, or are you going there direct? It is not far from the ship going North(?) past the airport toward Wailua. In any case I would think you would have no problem getting back in time to get there.