Ten major rental companies, Enterprise, Hertz, Avis, Budget, Alamo, National, Thrifty, Dollar, Sixt, and Payless, share the Consolidated Rent-A-Car Facility (CONRAC) at Honolulu Airport, a five-minute shuttle from the terminals. Daily rates start around $38 for an economy compact and $70 to $120 for SUVs and minivans, plus Hawaii's roughly 17 percent in airport taxes and concession fees. A rental car is unnecessary for staying in Waikiki itself, hotel parking runs $40 to $60 per night, but is essential for North Shore day trips, the Polynesian Cultural Center, Kailua and Lanikai beaches, the windward coast, or Pearl Harbor. Book early, especially around holidays and big surf events, when island-wide supply tightens and prices double. Bring your driver's license and the credit card used for the reservation, and decline highway tolls (there are none on O'ahu).
"We rented for two days in the middle of our Waikiki week just to drive the North Shore and Kailua. Enterprise pickup at CONRAC was smooth, and skipping the rental on city days saved us $100 a night in hotel parking."