The Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu is your gateway not only to Honolulu but to the entire island of Oahu. The Honolulu Airport is the largest airport in Hawaii, and compared to the airports we saw on the Big Island and Kauai, it’s certainly much bigger.
It’s a good idea to leave the airport with wheels because while you can get away with visiting Honolulu without a car, renting one to see the rest of the island is vital. You definitely don’t want to miss out on everything else Oahu has to offer, especially in areas like the Northshore.
From hitting the north shore waves in spots like Sunset Beach to visiting the Byodo-In Temple just outside of Honolulu, your whole trip will be made infinitely easier with a rental car to get you around.
We recently visited Oahu with 4 of our friends, so we ended up renting a minivan to fit all 6 of us. Based on our experience and what we learned when searching for rentals, these are the best car rental companies in the Oahu airport.
Hawaii Discount Car Rental
Hawaii Discount Car Rental is one of the best ways to rent a car in Oahu. While it doesn’t offer cars of its own, it gives you an easy way to see all the cars available from the major car rental companies in the Honolulu Airport. We used the website when we rented a car from the Lihue Airport in Kauai and from the Kona Airport on the Big Island.
You can easily select which rental car you’re looking for based on the type of car as well as the dates you need it for. When you get to the counter for the given company that you choose, they will already have your reservation on their system. We didn’t even need to show our confirmation email from Hawaii Discount Car Rental but had it handy to confirm they matched the price (which you’re guaranteed) and the car.
For our one-week trip in Oahu, we chose a minivan from Enterprise as it was the cheapest option for our group size. Like the other two times we used them in Kauai and the Big Island, the car pick-up went smoothly, and when we return to Hawaii, we’ll definitely be using them again to find the best car rental deals.
Enterprise
Accessible by the free rental car shuttle bus from terminals 1 or 2, Enterprise rental car facilities are easily accessed from the Honolulu airport. Globally, Enterprise is known for a great fleet of cars with an excellent selection to choose from. While Enterprise may not always offer the lowest cost car rental, it makes up for the slightly higher cost with exceptional customer service.
At the Honolulu International Airport, you can expect to find Enterprise renting four-door economy, compact sized cars all the way up to 15-seater passenger vans. There are also great all-terrain options if you plan on going off the beaten trail on Oahu with a Jeep Wrangler or a pick-up truck.
The Honolulu Airport Enterprise rental location is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., but if you need to drop off a vehicle outside of those hours, it’s possible to do so. We booked a minivan through Discount Hawaii Car Rental with them, which was the cheapest car rental in Oahu we could find for a vehicle that could fit our group size.
Avis
The Avis car rental in the Honolulu airport is reachable from both terminals by the free shuttle, which takes about eight minutes to get to, depending on your arriving terminal. Once you get to the building you’ll find the Avis desk on the second floor.
If you’re a regular to car renting, Avis is a great brand to trust. If you reach 10 rentals in one calendar year, you’ll become a Preferred member which means you can skip the line and go straight to your car and get free upgrades. This is a good option for people who travel a lot, but to be honest, we always tend to go with whatever option is the most affordable.
In Honolulu, the Avis fleet has four-door economy vehicles and up, with seven-seater SUVs and minivans being the largest in their fleet. They also offer a number of electric Teslas for rent to drive in style.
If you rent an electric vehicle, it’s important to know where the charging ports around the island are. This may not be a problem if you’re staying in Honolulu as we saw quite a few charging ports on our own hotel (Ala Moana Hotel) and the Ala Moana Center, but it may be a problem if you’re staying farther outside of the city.
Hertz
To reach the Hertz rental desk at the Oahu airport, you’ll need to head to the terminal 2 parking garage, located directly across from the terminal, and go down into the building’s basement.
Hertz is a dependable brand with global locations. If you are a consistently loyal customer, you can earn various statuses making renting easier with e-returns and dedicated customer care lines.
The Hertz car offerings in Oahu range from small economy cars to pickup trucks and 12-passenger vans. You can also rent a variety of sports cars, including convertibles and Camaros.
Any rental from Hertz can be secured with add-ons like baby seats, pre-paid gas, or extra insurance. However, we always recommend you fill the car up yourself with gas as that’s often the cheapest option, and that’s what we did on all 3 islands we visited in Hawaii.
At the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, the Hertz desk opens at 5:30 AM and stays open until midnight, allowing for a large window of returns.
Sixt
Sixt is a budget-friendly rental option, and if you remain loyal to the company you can rack up benefits like rental discounts or free upgrades. You’ll find it in the same place in the airport as the other car rental companies, so you can use the same rental car shuttle.
You’ll have a few good options from the Sixt fleet in Honolulu, including a basic sedan like a Toyota Camry, huge luxury vehicles like Range Rovers or Mercedes G-Class SUVs, as well as Mustang convertibles or BMW sedans.
The Sixt rental desk does open a bit on the later side of 6:30 AM, so if you need to return your car earlier than that for an early morning flight departure, you can simply drop the keys in the drop box and be on your way.
Alamo
The Alamo counter is found next to Enterprise and National, and the car returns are also in the same parking lot as them. Alamo is a great, budget-friendly car rental company with an impressive selection of cars.
You can expect to find simple two-door compacts alongside massive SUVs and multi-passenger vans with Alamo. There are also Jeeps, sports cars, pickups, convertibles, and luxury Cadillacs to choose from.
The Alamo rental car desk is open the same hours as the Honolulu airport, with after-hours returns available should you need them. It’s also possible to pick up your car quickly and easily without talking to an agent by using one of the kiosks.
This can save you a good amount of time if your flight arrives during a popular time since the afternoons can get very busy at the Oahu airport.
Do I Need A Car for Oahu?
I would highly advise you rent a car when you visit Oahu. While you can walk around downtown Honolulu, seeing anything outside of the city will prove very difficult without a car to get you there.
The first time our friends Miguel and Gaby visited they didn’t initially rent a car until after a couple of days already being on the island since they realized they wouldn’t be able to see all the popular attractions without it. This time, we were all well prepared.
The island has the best beaches, hikes, and waterfalls outside of the city. Don’t miss out on these beautiful landscapes, and secure a rental car for your visit.
Do I Need Car Rental Insurance in Oahu?
Whether you need car rental insurance for Oahu depends on your insurance provider and credit card. If you booked travel insurance for your trip to Honolulu, that will likely cover your car rental too.
Additionally, if you book your rental with any major US travel credit card, that card will likely cover rental insurance on it automatically. Some car insurance providers also cover car rentals as an added benefit. So check those three things before paying for additional insurance from the car rental companies.
What is Driving & Parking Like in Oahu?
Driving in Oahu feels a lot different than driving in Kauai and Big Island. For starters, since Oahu is more commercialized, there are more highways around different areas. In contrast, the Big Island seemed to have only one major highway (but more like a long road) from Kona to Hilo. Another thing that stood out to us was that there were actual lights on the highways and streets.
Unlike Oahu, Kauai and The Island of Hawaii didn’t have any street lights. On one hand, this is good since it minimizes light pollution, but at the same time, the lights made it much easier to drive in Oahu at night.
The downside of Oahu is that parking isn’t always the easiest to find. Honolulu is just as busy as the major cities in the United States, so the parking situation is just as difficult as any downtown area.
Outside of Honolulu, in areas like the North Shore, can be a struggle when it comes to parking. It’s the same for busy beaches and hiking trails. It’s best to get up and drive early to popular places to find a parking spot. If you’re staying in a resort or hotel like we did, they may offer free parking or charge a daily fee as the Ala Moana Hotel did.
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