Is a car necessary on Maui?

lmg1115

We're doing a honeymoon to Hawaii and will be spending 7 days on Maui and 3 days on another yet-to-be-determined island.

We want to do a mix of relaxation and adventure... ziplines, whale-watching, snorkeling, exploring.... is renting a car on Maui necessary?

We're staying either at the Ritz Carlton (Kapalua) or the Hyatt (Kaanapali)

THANKS!

jemmini6

Yes!  Maui is not nearly as developed as Oahu and there is slim to no public transportation.  Depending on where you stay, you'd probably have to drive everynight just to get to a restaurant for dinner.  I highly highly recommend renting a car.

AllyG303

Yes

kcollins11

I agree, you should definitely rent a car. The road to Hana was one of my favorite parts of Maui, and it was so nice to do it at our own pace and to stop at the things we wanted to see. Plus, some of the best snorkeling (off of Molokini) is a bit of a drive from where you're staying.

Also, I don't know if you've booked your ziplining tour yet, but we did ours with Skyline Eco Adventures in Ka'anapali, and it was great!!

Hope you have a wonderful time

lmg1115

thanks everyone! i figured we would need a car, but just wanted to make sure!

fallbride1109

We stayed at the Ritz in Kapalua and it is a quiet area but also away from everything--you absolutely need a car if you stay there.  They do offer free parking which is nice.

ajroark

Yes, a car is essential if you want to really explore the island (drive the road to Hana, see the top of Mt. Haleakala, and bascially just to get anywhere away from your hotel). I would recommend using Hertz as a rental car company. We weren't charged for anything extra at the end of our week on Maui (no surprise fees!) and the cars generally drive better than say, Dollar or Thrifty.

almost-a-bride

We stayed at the Ritz as well and rented a car. I would definitely say yes you need one. We used it everyday. We rented a luxury convertible and had so much fun joyriding! Our honeymoon in Hawaii was absolutely amazing!

mica178

YES

kellybee83

We're going to Maui (and Kauai) for our honeymoon in July and rented a Jeep.  Our travel agent as well as friends we've spoken to say a car is pretty much a necessity unless you don't plan on leaving your resort much.

girlinchicago

As pps have already mentioned, a car is essential on Maui.  I can't recommend highly enough using Priceline to rent a car.  We've been to HI twice,  bid our own price both times and were able to get convertibles for 50% off the listed asking prices we were finding everywhere else.  I always put in a reservation somewhere to ensure I have a car and then start bidding half of what that rental would cost me about two weeks before we leave.  Reservations for cars don't require any payment or guarantee (as long as you book through the rental co and not somewhere like expedia), so you can easily cancel. 

ndruley

Oh I'm glad you asked this question!

kgrealy

To the ladies who stayed at the Kapalua Ritz--how was it? FI and I are thinking of staying there for our honeymoon at the end of September but we've read mixed reviews. Specifically, did you find that it was too windy to enjoy the beach/pool? Thanks!