Do You Need a Rental Car on Maui?

You absolutely will need a rental car. Hawaii is not an all-inclusive destination where you’ll arrive by shuttle and never leave your resort (I mean you could do that...but it’s pretty expensive just to get to Hawaii so most people want to actually see Hawaii. If you want a cheaper resort only vacation, just go to Mexico). 

It’s a pretty large island, and it can take a while to get around. Driving from Wailea to Lahaina can take around 40 minutes. Kahului to Lahaina can take around 30-40 minutes, and Kahului to Wailea can take around 30 minutes. And that’s not to mention destinations on the north shore, upcountry, or towards Hana. So taking Ubers and Lyfts if you’re going from place to place isn’t really feasible (you’re probably talking $100 one way). Maui also does not have a very good bus system.

So you’ll most definitely want a rental car for your stay even if you’re staying in a resort area.

If you want to book a traditional rental car, I'd book through Discount Hawaii Car Rentals. They’ll give you the very best prices, you don’t have to reserve with a credit card or pay until you show up, you can cancel and re-book anytime if you find a better rate, and they usually have a special that adds additional drivers for no fee. Plus they've really invested a lot in infrastructure at the airport to make the rental car pick up and drop off process pretty smooth. You can walk to the rental car center or take the train that runs continuously back and forth.

But more and more I've been booking cars through Turo. It's like Airbnb for cars-you're renting somebody's specific car. I like it because I know EXACTLY what car I'm booking and I can get something more like what I drive at home. Currently, if you arrange drop off and pick up at the airport, they're able to leave the cars right in the parking lot at the airport so you pick up your bags and go straight out to your car...no waiting in lines at the rental car counter. I personally don't ever find Turo to be cheaper because I always opt for their insurance (credit card companies don't cover Turo), but it still ends up being more convenient sometimes.