Aside all the fun and fanfare of Maui’s tourism, there are certain things that you may need to know about laws governing the Hawaii city’s car rental services. Some of these are highlighted here. In addition to the basic rental charges, you need to pay Maui state taxes such as sales tax, surcharge, on-road tax, excise tax etc. There are also fees such as license fee for vehicles, airport concession and recovery fee etc. Gasoline charges are also not included in the rent. Sometimes you may be asked to make an additional deposit of around $200 for renting full size vans and big trucks. Additional drivers are charged separately at around $25. Dollar Rent a Car charges a concession rate of $6 for spouse as the additional driver whereas Budget, Avis, Thrifty Car Rental Companies don’t charge at all. Pick up and drop costs, if not provided free of cost, may also be charged separately. More often than not you need to make pre-arrangements for them. Insurance is charged separately; it is included in the rent only on your request. You may have to shell out around $20 to $25 per day towards extra insurance.
The agencies provide an array of coverage such as Supplemental Liability Coverage, Personal Effects and Accident Coverage, Supplemental Liability Coverage etc. You can refuse the agency’s insurance by signing a waiver and use your own insurance. You can provide your insurer’s name and your policy details to the police should you meet with an accident. Before making the reservations study the tariffs of as many agencies as possible and zero down on what you consider the most economical offer. You can fill up the on-line booking form giving the necessary details such as your name, age, type of the car you want, duration of the trip giving both arrival and departure dates etc. Reservation is usually free and you don’t need to give your credit card number to fill up the on-line application. Confirmation of your reservation and your confirmation number is e-mailed to you within 24 hours or one business day. However, no guarantees are given regarding the color and make of the car. It is possible to upgrade to a better model depending on availability without paying extra amount.
The agency reserves the right to replace your request with a similar or better model. You have to pick up the car within two hours from the appointed time on the appointed day; otherwise the reservation lapses and you will also have to forfeit the deposit, if any. You need to present your driver’s license, credit card and confirmation number at the time of picking your car. If you have a second driver, s/he too should be present with a valid driver’s license at the time of singing the renting agreement and should be a co-signatory. Usually many agencies allow you to cancel the reservation for free by filling up an on-line cancellation form. Cancellation rules tend to be slightly strict if a deposit is necessary to make the reservation. You need to inform the agency at least 72 hours before the appointed time to get a refund; otherwise the deposit is forfeited. Maui’s busiest tourist season starts in December and ends in March. Renting agencies charge highly inflated prices during this time. Again, the summer period is very busy. Of all the categories, mini-vans are the most popular and their bookings sell out the fastest.
SUVs are the next most popular category. Once mini-van bookings are sold out it won’t take much longer to exhaust the SUV supply. Therefore, six month advance reservation is compulsory to book either one of them during the peak season; for summer bookings three months is necessary. For other types of cars December season requires three months advance reservation. Summer season is relatively less busy and one month advance reservation would suffice. It is essential to know the driving laws of Maui for driving your own car. Usually the renting agency provides detailed driving instructions. You can also buy a ‘Maui Driver’s Manual’ for a nominal price. Foreign tourists should be aware that just like everywhere in the United States, Maui also uses the right hand traffic. It’s not just the driver but everybody sitting in the front seat must compulsorily wear the seat belt. Children aged below four must sit only in a child booster-seat. Now you know all the basic details of car rentals in Maui, you are assumed to be adequately equipped to plan your trip to this tourist paradise.