Hawaii Rental Car Courtesy Shuttle Buses

Airport Shuttle Buses | Cruise Ship Shuttles | Will You Pick Me Up | Disabled | Driver Services | Tipping

Are car rental courtesy shuttle buses necessary? 

In most cases, yes, especially at the larger airports such as at the Honolulu International Airport. Even though car rental company reservation counters may be located right in the airport terminal or outside across from baggage claim, their car lots are not always within comfortable walking distance, especially when you have luggage or children to attend to. So, for your convenience, they all provide a courtesy shuttle bus where necessary. However, at smaller Hawaii airports such as Hilo International Airport on the Big Island, the pickup counters for some companies as well as their rental vehicle lot are located across the street from the main terminal, just across from baggage claim. The cars are within walking distance, so no shuttle needed.

Do Hawaii Car Rental companies offer courtesy shuttle buses at the airports?
Yes. The five car rental companies we rent cars for, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Thrifty and Enterprise, all have airport courtesy shuttle buses where needed for your convenience. Courtesy shuttle bus availability, necessity and information can be found on our Hawaii Car Rental Locations page. It will not only show over 70 car rental pickup locations on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and the Big Island, it will also show whether you will even need courtesy shuttle bus pickup service at each location. The page will indicate such directions as, "Proceed to the Avis counter in the baggage claim area. Rental cars are parked outside the baggage claim area. No shuttle is necessary," or "Enterprise counter is at the terminal. Exit the baggage claim area to the rental car booths. Shuttle service is directly behind the booths. The enterprise/ national shuttle will take the customer directly to the main rental car lot location."

Do courtesy shuttle buses come to the docks to pick up cruise ship passengers? 
Some do and some don't. Most courtesy buses may come from the airport to the dock to pick up cruise ship passengers, but others come from the company's in-town location. At some cruise ship locations, you will need to take a taxi from the port to the car company location from which you reserved your car, whether it be an airport or in-town location. For exactly what company offers courtesy bus service at Hawaii ports of call, please refer to our Car Rental Shuttle Information for Hawaii Cruise Ship Passengers page for details.

Can a courtesy shuttle bus pick me up at my hotel, condo or vacation rental?
Mostly Enterprise, which is known for their slogan, "We'll Pick You Up," may pick you up and take you to one of their many Hawaiian island in-town (non-airport) locations. But restrictions apply such as the distance from you to them. Book online and then call the specific location for details and to arrange for pick up service. Other car hire agencies have indicated they have very limited pickup service. But it's best to call each location directly to ask if they offer courtesy pickup service. Be sure to ask if when your vehicle is returned, if they will also drop you off.

Do shuttle buses accommodate the disabled traveler? 

Avis and Budget offers the most disability equipment choices and options including swivel seats, transfer boards and airport shuttles with wheelchair lifts (at limited locations). This allows easy access to aid those customers with disabilities to go to and from the rental location. They are also called lift vans or buses with wheelchair ramps. Always call the location you'll be renting from to make sure they have a bus that can accommodate your needs. Or check out our Car Rentals for Persons with Disabilities and Equipment for the Disabled page for what is offered by each company.

What services do the bus drivers perform?

The shuttle bus driver's main task is of course to courteously and safely drive you back and forth between the airport and the rental car agency or car lot. He or she usually will also help you load and unload your luggage from the bus. Since they are always local residents, they are often helpful in answering questions.

Is it necessary to tip a shuttle bus driver?

Tipping is not necessary or required. It's expensive to live in Hawaii, so tips are always appreciated by the drivers, especially if the driver helps you load and unload your luggage. It's always a nice gesture to give a tip of at least $1.00 or $2.00 per bag.

Shuttle bus drivers are wonderful!
Sometimes our car rental customers take the time to let us know how much they appreciate the bus drivers. Here's what a couple vacationers said: 

• "The pick up shuttle drivers were WONDERFUL!"

• "When we were leaving Oahu for Kauai, we somehow left two bags in the back of one of our cars. One of the bags was the camera bag with $700.00 or more worth of equipment in it. The depot called the shuttle driver who whipped a quick U-turn and went back to get them. A real class act. Please let your contact at Thrifty know how happy we were with them."