Rental Cars on the Hawaii Superferry can be Costly

With the recent surge in both interest in and usage of the Hawaii Superferry, this is a good time for us to summarize some of the particulars for you.  The latest development is that some rental companies have reached agreements with the ferry company, allowing you to take your rental car to Maui – and soon to Kauai – if you choose, or from the outer islands back to Oahu.  You make those arrangements with the rental car company, not the Superferry, and there are no differences in the Superferry rates between rented and privately-owned cars.  With the charges we discuss here it probably doesn’t make sense to use the ferry for a rental car unless you plan on taking it round trip. If you take it  to another island and leave it there, be prepared for a hefty drop-off charge tacked on by the rental car company.

Beware the Drop-off Charges

If you plan to rent a car on either island, take it to the other island and leave it there, be prepared for a hefty drop-off charge tacked on by the rental car company.

Dollar rental car requires an additional addendum allowing you to take the rental car off the island attached to your rental contract. If you want to pick up your car on either island and drop it off on the other, the current charge is $405.

Alamo rental car requires no additional paperwork for the Superferry.  You will be charged a drop-off fee of about $400 in addition to the normal rental rate if you rent your car on Oahu and drop it off on Maui or rent it on Maui and drop it off in Waikiki, or a fee of as much as $500 if you rent the car on Maui and drop it off at the airport in Honolulu.

Hertz charges about $200 for a drop-off on either island, subject to promotional discounts or holiday rates.

The ferry ride is a good adventure in itself.  If you take a car on the ferry from Oahu, the only way to really see Maui is drive it.  If you take a car from Maui to Oahu, you can drop it off and avail yourself of several other means of getting around the island.  With the seemingly-endless increases in airfares, the Superferry has become a reasonable alternative … but then there are those drop-off charges if you don’t plan to take your rental back to where you picked it up.

      *Additional taxes and fees apply. Fuel surcharges waived for these summer promotional fares. Promotional fares not applicable for travel dates July 3 (2nd sailing if available) & 4-6, August 14 (2nd sailing if available) & 15-17, August 29-31, September 1. Fares for these dates are $59 one-way per adult passenger, $49 one-way for children, retired military and seniors, $75 one-way per passenger vehicle and $45 one-way for motorcycles. Infants travel free during the summer promotional period.

7 comments June 2nd, 2008