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Consolidated "Renting Cars on Kaua`i" Thread

Consolidated "Renting Cars on Kaua`i" Thread

Old May 11, 2007, 1:00 am
  #46  
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Last night I tried again after the 3 day lockout, for a $25 convertible for a weekly rental on PL.

No success on the first time, so this time I tried again.
I was couonter-offered a win for $33/day but I declined, thinking a 1/3 hike a but much.

Just beware that reducing the rental by a day will NOT increase your chances, as it will mean PL will ask you to pay more per day!

I tried $27 & $30/day on reduced periods but no luck.
As I'm doing this 10 days before the rental, stock may be low thus prices higher than normal.

So... is $33/day for 7-8 days a worthwhile saving or do we try something else like a 2dr 'standard' car?

The other factor is that unsuccessful bids are probably not posted to the same degree as successful bids, so we remember the $25 wins but are unaware of the $25-$30 unsuccessful bids - so keep trying!
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Old May 13, 2007, 4:44 pm
  #47  
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Postscript: As this is a Memorial Day weekend I should have expected some companies to be sold out.

In the end I accepted the $33/d counter offer and wound up with a Hertz convertible (happy with that ^) for under $300 including taxes and charges.

The alternative was my $139/wk ($189 total) booking with Budget, so I hope that I can still add my #1 Club Gold number and try to make sure the car is reserved for a 9PM pickup.

Mahalo for your aloha spirit, FTers.
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Old May 14, 2007, 7:37 am
  #48  
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Originally Posted by mw3538
Ok, I have seen on here where people are getting a convertable for around $25 or so per day. I have tried and keep getting shot down. Am I trying to reserve too far in advance? We will arrive on Sept 14, 2007
Yeah, I think it may be too soon. Since September is low season, keep trying. I'm also waiting for airfares to drop in September. I have a $25 convertible beginning this week. I bid about 6 weeks in advance and kicked myself right after as $25 was my first bid and it was accepted.

Originally Posted by cndij
I assume you are talking about Priceline? Keep trying (you can try every 3 days) and try increasing the bid by 2 or 3 dollars. It took a couple of attempts but I got a minivan for week of June 17, (on Kauai) for almost half the best rate I could find using coupon/promo codes. You can always have a backup reservation in hand in case priceline doesn't work out.
Cindi
Actually, it's now every day, not every three days, unless it's different for cars.
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Old May 14, 2007, 7:38 am
  #49  
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duplicate post
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Old May 14, 2007, 7:59 am
  #50  
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Priceline Tips...

1) always clear your IE cache and Priceline cookies before returning to the site to rebid

2) if possible, create 2-3 accounts with different names and CC numbers (husband/wife, etc.) and alternate between those accounts when bidding

There is some evidence that PL tracks your repeated rebids and tries to deny you until you end up bidding too much
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Old May 14, 2007, 7:19 pm
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Kauai Convertible

I got a convertible in Kauai through National for $33/day (PT Cruiser). Anyone know if you can search for Jeeps in Maui on Priceline? Currently I have a jeep for $317 w/taxes and fees for 5 days.
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Old Aug 10, 2007, 8:03 pm
  #52  
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What kind of rental car on Kauai?

Realistically, what kind of rental car am I going to want on Kauai? I currently have a SUV booked, based on what I've read about off-road options. Am I being realistic, or would or normal car really do what I need it to do? I don't plan on off-roading, but would like to not worry if I'm going to see a sight and it turns into a two-track.
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Old Aug 10, 2007, 8:15 pm
  #53  
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A regular car will do. We pretty much were able to do all the exporing we wanted with a regular intermediate size car.
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Old Aug 10, 2007, 8:20 pm
  #54  
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Consolidated "Car Rental on Kauai" thread

Realistically, what kind of rental car am I going to want on Kauai? I currently have a SUV booked, based on what I've read about off-road options. Am I being realistic, or would or normal car really do what I need it to do? I don't plan on off-roading, but would like to not worry if I'm going to see a sight and it turns into a two-track.

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duplicate, please delete
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Old Aug 10, 2007, 8:31 pm
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Depends where you are going to stay and where you want to go. If going around east side north to end of the road to Napali Coast an intermediate car is max. (Avoid full size car or bigger because of narrow roads and parking areas). If going clear around the west side north to the end of the dirt road to Polahali Beach (remember I can't spell in English or Hawaiian) or a few other really out of the way beaches you could use a jeep (but if careful can get by with a car going slow).
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Old Aug 11, 2007, 2:57 pm
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We like convertibles on Kauai. One time we had a Lincoln Towncar and it wasn't as fun. You don't get the same wide open feel, smells and sounds of the ocean surf.
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Old Aug 11, 2007, 6:48 pm
  #57  
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Having ordered (and received on the night) for our last Kauai trip the last Mustang convertible, the next people in line unhappily took a soft-top Jeep.
A resident who used to be on this forum, who I respect highly, recommended the convertible option. ^

In hindsight a Jeep soft-top would have suited us better, considering our off-road adventurism.

Though it was nice to have a convertible in the early morning and evening, for some drives, particularly the '4WD only' dirt road past the Waipuli Falls where a Jeep would have gotten us there in half the time, with half the stress and allowed us to get all the way to the end.

If you want to park at the northernmost beach try to have a car that allows you to drive a short rutted track to some parking spaces that are away from the paved ones. Any of the convertibles or smallist cars should be fine.

Last edited by BiziBB; Aug 11, 2007 at 6:53 pm
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Old Aug 11, 2007, 10:00 pm
  #58  
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My trick, which I have posted here before, is to reserve the size car (for me that is usually compact or intermediate, whichever is cheaper) you would otherwise get with one of the major rental car companies. A convertible may be twice the price of that car. So, what you want to do is PRICELINE a convertible, bidding up to amount you reserved your other car for. If you get the convertible (and you probably will), great. If not, you still have the other car at a reasonable price. The only flaw I have discovered with this system is that you will more often than not, end up with an Alamo car (not my favorite company on Kauai), but hey, it's a convertible!

There is NOTHING like a convertible on Kauai! You won't regret it!
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Old Aug 11, 2007, 11:00 pm
  #59  
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I just turned in a Chevy Impala yesterday morning, putting about 320 miles over 4 days. We went all the way up to Ke'e Beach and to the last overlook in Waimea Canyon without the slightest hint of anything needing 4WD - regular US highways.

I believe that reaching the beach at the far southwest of the island is the only need for 4WD - we ran out of time to get there - but from what I hear it's very passable in a regular car (just quite bumpy) except when it rains.
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Old Aug 11, 2007, 11:04 pm
  #60  
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We had an intermediate reserved but upgraded to full with an entertainment coupon. We went everywhere from Polihale to the end of the road in the North Shore. We didn't need so much car with only two of us but those places can be reached (in style). With today's gas prices I would recommend the most fuel efficient car that holds you and your stuff. FT member Clark Howard recommends reserving the cheapest car you can find and waiting to see what upgrade possibilities exist when you arrive. I have often seen convertibles offered for $10 per day extra.
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