Save up to 22% by Renting from Airport Tax/Fee Exempt Locations

How to save at least $48/week or more on the total cost of your car rentals

No Airport Tax Locations | Advantages | Disadvantagtes | Savings Examples

Rate Calculation / Cost Comparison | How to Reserve and Save

These companies do not charge airport taxes or fees at the following "Airport" locations:

Other No Airport Tax Locations 

When you're headed to Hawaii for a much needed vacation, or even for your honeymoon, it's expensive enough paying for airline tickets, accommodations, meals and a rental car without having to think about the fact that you may not be getting the best deal possible or you're unnecessarily spending money you didn't need to spend. We're all looking for the best price possible and also for ways to save money. 

Take note of this example:

The total cost (including tax) of a $135/week (base rate) Economy Car is:

Advantages of renting a car at an in-town or no airport tax location: (*The main example used is a $135/week economy car - Rate Calculation / Cost Comparison examples below.)

Here at Hawaii Car Rentals, we'd like to let you know how you can save even more than you save when you take advantage of our already discounted rates. When you rent a car from any company anywhere on earth, you'll always be charged the daily or weekly "base rate" (i.e., $27/day, $135/week). And on top of the base rate you'll be charged the usual taxes, fees and surcharges. But at airports, you may not be aware that there are additional taxes, fees and surcharges that can increase the cost substantially, especially for those on a tight budget. 

If you choose to pickup your rental car at what is called an Off-Site, In-Town, Off Airport, No Airport Tax, Non-Airport location, depending on the car you rent, you could save up to an additional 22% in taxes and fees on your total rental car costs. And that's over and above our already discount rates. This is because additional surcharges and taxes (and also taxes on those additional fees) are assessed at airport locations, whereas they are NOT assessed at off-site in-town locations.

The cheaper the car, the higher percentage on taxes and fees you'll save. As of 08/15/2012, with our current rates, we've calculated that 22% is the best percentage savings you can get. The lowest percentage savings that we've calculated would be a 12% savings on a $1,250/week 15-Passenger Van during peak season (You'd pay $177 less in taxes and fees at in-town locations).

Did you know: (*The main example used is a $135/week economy car - Rate Calculation / Cost Comparison examples below.)

• You PAY 28% MORE at airport locations on the total cost of your vehicle rental.

• You can SAVE 22% (at least $48) by renting at a non-airport location.
  (28%, 22% - Huh? It's not a trick. It's the same dollar amount. Check out the math: It's kind of like if you could get something on sale for $50 instead of $100, you'd be saving 50%, or be getting half off. But if you missed the sale and had to pay $100, you be paying 100% more (twice as much) as the $50 sale price. The dollar amount in both scenarios is the same - $50. It's all about from where you're looking at it.

• When you rent a car at a Hawaii airport, you're paying for the daily or weekly base rate and the usual taxes and fees...

  • PLUS - 11.11% Airport Concession Permittee Fee, 

  • PLUS - 4.166% GET (sales) tax on the 11.11%, 

  • PLUS - $4.50/day Customer Facility Charge, 

  • PLUS - (on Oahu) .0546% tax on the Base rate, on the 11.11%, and on the Vehicle Registrations Fee.

• At Hawaii airports, you'll pay over 150% more in taxes, fees and surcharges than at certain in-town locations ($79 vs $31).

• At Hawaii airports, as much as 59% ($79) is added to the base rate as taxes, fees and surcharges.

• At in-town locations, only 23% ($31) is added to the base rate as taxes, fees and surcharges.

Rate Calculations / Cost Comparisons

Car rental taxes and fees are manditory industry-wide charges required by the State of Hawaii.

Car rental companies only get to keep the base rate. All taxes, fees and surcharges collected go to the State.

How much can you save?

By renting In-Town, here are some examples of how much percentage and dollar amounts you can save on various priced vehicles.

(Rates shown are for example purposes and may not be current)

Disadvantages of renting at a non-airport location:

Things to consider when renting a car in Hawaii at an "in-town" location.

How to Reserve and Save: 

No Airport Taxes or Fees Locations: 

What car rental companies have "Non-Airport" rates/locations? 
Where are they? 
What is the location code? 
Are they at the airport or in town or both?

"At" the airport, not "In" the airport, so-called "non-airport" locations: (Free shuttle bus)
Some rental car agencies, such as Dollar and Thrifty at the Honolulu Airport and Avis, Budget, Dollar and Enterprise at the JHM West Maui Lahaina/Kaanapali Airport, even though they are located "at" the airport and have airport location codes for reservation purposes (ie HNL, JHM), they are not physically located "in" the airport. This means their reservation desk and car lots are not within the airport terminal or property. These off-airport locations are a very short shuttle bus ride away, usually 5 minutes. The shuttle busses are free. They have the rental car company logo printed on the bus, and take you to and from the usual airline arrival and departure points. 

In-Town locations:  (NO shuttle bus!)
In town locations means the car rental agency reservation desk and car lot is NOT located at or even sometimes near the airport. For example, locations in downtown Honolulu or Waikiki are considered in-town locations. Except as mentioned in the above section, please note that Avis, Budget, Dollar, Thrifty and Enterprise DO NOT provide shuttle service from the airport to their in-town locations. It will be your responsibility to arrange for and take a taxi, hotel shuttle, limousine or private shuttle service to these locations, many times at your expense.

To locate non-airport locations along with contact information and location codes for Avis, Budget, Dollar, Thrifty and Enterprise, please see below. For their phone numbers, locations, hours of operation, etc., please refer to our Hawaii car rental locations page. Many of these location have a courtesy shuttle bus to pick you up locally at your hotel, condo or home within a certain distance, but they won't pick you up and drop you off at the airports. Contact each location to arrange pickup service.

Companies, Islands, Locations, Codes to use:

Check rates and or reserve from our Rates Page or click a company logo below. Then enter a location code from below.

Check our Avis Corporate Discount Rates and/or Reserve Where:   Location: (NO airport taxes, fees, surcharges)  Code: Maui Kihei Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates K2H Maui Lahaina, Kaanapali (Airport tax/fee exempt) Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates (Cruise ship shuttle info) JHM Kauai Princeville Airport Pay only $4.50/day customer facility fee. HPV Kauai Hyatt Poipu No corporate discount rates or waivers K3H	Check our Budget Corporate Discount Rates and/or Reserve Where:   Location: (NO airport taxes, fees, surcharges)  Code: Honolulu Hyatt Regency Pay only 0.546% Oahu tax on base & reg HN6 Maui Lahaina, Kaanapali (Airport tax/fee exempt) Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates (Cruise ship shuttle info) JHM Maui Wailea Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates OG1 Kauai n/a No Non-Airport Locations n/a Big Island n/a No Non-Airport Locations n/a
Check our Dollar Corporate Discount Rates and/or Reserve Where:   Location: (NO airport taxes, fees, surcharges)  Code: HNL Honolulu Airport (Airport tax/fee exempt) Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates HNL Waikiki Hale Koa Hotel (cars limited) Pay only 0.546% Oahu tax on base rate HNLC02 Waikiki Pacific Beach Hotel (cars limited) Pay only 0.546% Oahu tax on base rate HNLC03 Waikiki 2002 Kalakaua Ave Pay only 0.546% Oahu tax on base & reg HNLC04 Kauai Sheraton Poipu Beach Hotel location - discount rates only 10% higher LIHC01 Kona King Kamehameha Hotel No corporate discount rates or waivers (Cruise ship shuttle info) Kona - King Kamehameha Hotel Maui Lahaina, Kaanapali (Airport tax/fee exempt) Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates (Cruise ship shuttle info) JHM	Check our Thrifty Corporate Discount Rates and/or Reserve Where:   Location: (NO airport taxes, fees, surcharges)   Code: HNL Honolulu Airport (Airport tax/fee exempt) Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates HNL Waikiki 2002 Kalakaua Ave Pay only 0.546% Oahu tax on base & reg HN9 Kona King Kamehameha Hotel No corporate discount rates or waivers (Cruise ship shuttle info) KONA KING KAM HTL Kauai (effective 5/15/13) Kauai Airport (Airport tax/fee exempt) Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates LIH Maui n/a No Non-Airport Locations n/a
In 2013 Enterprise substantially raised their non-airport in-town base rates. Total cost at the following locations are no longer lower than at airport locations. Where:   Location: (NO airport taxes, fees, surcharges)  Code: Waikiki 445 Seaside Ave Ste 3c Pay 0.546% Oahu tax on base & reg 36E6 Waikiki 1778 Ala Moana Blvd Ste 202 Pay 0.546% Oahu tax on base & reg 36E7 Honolulu 609 Ahua Street Pay 0.546% Oahu tax on base & reg 3603 Honolulu 1221 Kapiolani Blvd #Ste 114 Pay 0.546% Oahu tax on base & reg 3604 Honolulu 677 Ala Moana Blvd. #101 (Cruise ship shuttle info) Pay 0.546% Oahu tax on base & reg 3611 Honolulu 1130 N. Nimitz Hwy Pay 0.546% Oahu tax on base & reg 3618 Maui Kahului, 40 Hana Hwy Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates 3620 Maui Wailea-Makena Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates 36E9 Maui Lahaina, Kaanapali Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates 36E8 Kauai Lihue, 310 Rice St Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates 3643 Hilo 875 Kanoelehua Ave Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates 3632 Kona 74-5583 Luhia St. (Cruise ship shuttle info) Full 12-22% savings plus our discount rates 3630	Save the Most Save quite a bit Pretty good savings Not the best savings Spend the Most No Savings at all Cruise ship shuttle info See all Hawaii car rental locations