Planning for a vacation can take a huge chunk out of your budget. The cost of the plane ticket, car rental, hotel, food and attractions add up quickly. In my other post about airport transit, I list the financial savings of taking transit into the city. I understand this might not always work if you are traveling with your family or a large group, but it also depends on the place you are visiting too. However, with that said, renting a car from the airport can be quite expensive. If possible, there may be a way to take transit from the airport and only rent a car when you need. I am going to compare a few travel destinations to see what is more economical and practical. In all the examples below, I will assume a family of four. Two adults and two minors. The travel times and costs are all based on the time of this writing. So, if there is a crash on a freeway, then I am using the travel time based upon the crash. If there is a road closure or I am writing this during rush hour traffic, then I am using the travel times posted because of rush hour traffic or road closure. Also, if there is construction to Metro lines where there are delays, those will also be posted.
Honolulu, HI
Oahu is a popular destination. As of July 2022, according to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism of Hawaii, 2,751,405 visitors have visited Oahu YTD. That's a lot of visitors driving around in addition to the locals that need to drive.
I understand it can feel overwhelming to research how to go from the airport to your hotel without a car. As a society, we have been conditioned to think of the car first. But a simple Google Maps search can provide you the initial steps on how to start, which can save you a lot of money on your vacation. In the case of Honolulu, say for example you are going from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport to your hotel. If your hotel is in Waikiki, you can search for directions using the public transit feature on Google Maps. I will choose Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach as an example.
If you click on the "Detail" link in the first option to the left of your screen, Google, will let you know that to get to your hotel at Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach, you would take the number 20 and to get off at Kuhio Ave and Lewers St. Your hotel is across the street. Google also provides you the website of the bus so you can double check their information and fares. The Honolulu bus system is simply called
The Bus. Both Google and The Bus website confirm that the fares are $3.00 per person, and one child 5 years and under is free.
Now let's compare if you drove. Currently, as I am writing this, taking a car via I-H-1 E to your hotel is the quickest. The second fastest route is HI-92 E. So, travel time for the bus is 50min, while the travel time by car is between 21min-26min. The bus appears to be the slowest.
However, let's factor in the time it takes to get your car rental, review your contract, walk around your car for damages, etc. and determine which is a better value.
Let's say you booked your car online to save time. I will compare both Enterprise and Avis as examples. At the time of this writing, the current prices are as follows:
Car Rental Agency | Duration | Vehicle Type | Cost |
Enterprise Airport | 7 days | Econo/ seats 4 | $679 |
Avis Airport | 7 days | Econo/ seats 4 | $543 |
Waiting at the service counter in either Enterprise or Avis line for your car can be anywhere between 5-20min. This is unknown because it's difficult to know how crowded the service counter is when you arrive.
Walking or waiting for your car to arrive can be another 5-10min. This is also unknown because it is difficult to know how busy they are when you arrive. Also, do you have to walk through the parking garage to locate your car or do you wait for someone to drive the car to you? Inspect the car, sign your waiver and contract can be 3-5min. Fastest drive time from the airport to Courtyard Waikiki Beach is currently 21min.
Let's look at the comparison. By the way, Courtyard Waikiki charges $51 per night to park your car.
Transportation | Time | Cost | Hotel Parking |
Bus | 1 hr 15min | $3/person ($12 total) | $0 |
Enterprise | 34min-56min | $97 ($679 / 7 days) | $51/ night |
Avis | 34min-56min | $77 ($543 / 7 days) | $51/ night |
By renting a car, your cost for the first day will be between $128-$148. The other option is to pre-book a shuttle to your hotel. Although that can get costly for a family of 4. Lyft, at the time of this writing will cost roughly $42-$49 for a family of 4. That is not a bad option, if you decide not to rent a car immediately. You'll save on your first day of car rental and you do not need to pay for parking.
If you decided to take a Lyft or bus to your hotel, a Google Map search around Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach shows a few car rental agencies. Although there does not appear to be an Enterprise near this hotel, there are other car rental agencies. There are two Avis Car Rental agencies within a few blocks of the hotel. Since Avis was one of the agencies I selected at the airport, I will select Avis again to try and keep the comparison consistent. I selected the one at 2330 Kalakaua Ave. Even if you wanted to rent a car the same day you landed, at the time of this writing, you could rent a minivan for $557 including tax for one week at the Kalakaua location which is almost the same cost as economy car at the Avis airport location. Much larger car for almost the same price.
My other suggestion is to figure out what attractions you would like to visit outside of Waikiki and group them together so you would not need a car the entire 7 days. According to multiple studies, cars are parked 95% of the time (Yahoo, Fortune, Streetsblog). Maybe your car might be parked a bit less on vacation, but why would you pay to rent a car at $100 a day and $51 a night to park it when you are only using it for a trip here or there. Combine the trips to save money. The less you spend on a car rental, the more you can enjoy a nicer meal, splurge on a nicer flight, grab a few extra drinks, pay for a better room, or pay for an attraction that you really want to do. Spend the money on you and not the car.
Maintaining a car whether for everyday life or on vacation is very expensive.
Las Vegas
I chose Las Vegas because Vegas is not known for it's public transit. It has a monorail that doesn't really take you anywhere. It's also expensive at $5, for a one-way trip to nowhere. City officials also fell for the Elon Musk Convention Center Loop, which to me is a joke. So maybe having a car is the only way to get around from the airport to The Strip?
We will use the same criteria as before. A family of four going on vacation. Two adults and two minors. We will also again, use Google Maps as our starting point to figure out if taking transit is feasible. Let's assume we are staying at Cesar's Palace.
Taking the Vegas's RTC (Regional Transportation Commission), it'll take about 45min-1 hour from the airport to Cesar's.
Driving can be just under 20min. But as above, if you factor in the wait time at the service counter, getting the car, checking it for damages, signing the paperwork, etc etc, it could easily add another 20min.
If you chose to walk, it'll be about 1hr 15min, almost the same time as taking public transit. But you wouldn't want to do that in the summer. Plus, walking to or from the airport does not feel safe or enjoyable given how much space has been given to cars and how little space is available for pedestrians. I have walked this a couple times already and you can tell that the city does not care about anybody who isn't driving.
Given that hotels on The Strip now are charging for parking, it might be better to just take an Uber/Lyft to your hotel on The Strip.
But let's compare time vs money if you drive, take the bus or walk. Vegas isn't one of those places you can stay too long. So, a 3 day 2 night weekend trip staying at Cesar's Palace should be plenty of time.
Transportation | Time | Cost | Hotel Parking |
Bus | 1hr 15min | $6-$8 (2hrs or 24hrs) | $0 |
Enterprise airport location | 30min-45min | $48 ($144/ 3 days) | $18 / night |
Walking | 1hr 15min | $0 | $0 |
Once on The Strip, RTC's Deuce line runs down the Vegas strip approximately every 15min, which is convenient if you want to take a trip into downtown Las Vegas. A 2hour pass on the Deuce is $6 or $8 for a 24hour pass. You can purchase the pass on board the bus.
Do you want to leave The Strip or downtown and explore the other neighborhoods? You can use the RTC, but it'll make you wish you drove. Wide boulevards, narrow sidewalks and many bus stops with no shade. Clearly the city does not prioritize those who do not or cannot drive.
Plus once you leave the Strip and downtown, Vegas is a suburb. It's purposely built for cars and it's just too difficult and time consuming to get around without a car.
Washington DC
(Update: Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, WMATA is undergoing some major construction, so travelers will be rerouted from time to time). I love cities that have direct transit access to airports. The WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) Blue and Yellow line can be accessed from the Ronald Regan National Airport. Whether you decide to stay in DC or Virginia, the Metro makes it convenient for visitors to get around. DC also has a decent bikeshare program called Capital Bikeshare. When I was in the area last, I used the Metro to get into DC and used Capital Bikes for all the touristy stuff like riding through The Mall and visiting monuments, museums along with the State Capitol and White House.
But for this blog, once again, let's compare the cost of renting a car versus taking transit and bikeshare.
For this example, I will use Avis and Enterprise again. Both are at the airport. Let's assume again, you are a family of 4 and staying in the DC area for one week. I will compare the cost and travel times for Residence Inn Washington DC National Mall and The Alexandrian Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia.
Below will be for the Residence Inn Washington DC.
(Note: Currently, only the Blue line will take you from the airport to Residence Inn. WMATA is undergoing major construction. I will update travel times once the Yellow line is running again. The Blue line is currently running at 8min headway).
Transportation | Time | Cost | Hotel Parking |
Metro | 45min | $58 (7 day pass/ per person) | $0 |
Avis airport location | 35min-45min | $75 ($525 / 7 days) | $53/ night |
Enterprise airport location | 35min-45min | $59 ($410/ 7 days) | $53/ night |
In the DC area, it appears renting a car outside the airport does not give you much savings. Below are a few random Avis locations I selected.
Avis at Fashion Centre Pentagon City $528 (Ford Fiesta or similar)
Avis Old Town Alexandria Sherton Hotel $580 (Ford Fiesta or similar)
Avis Downtown/ Golden Triangle DC $528 (Ford Fiesta or similar)
There are a few other Enterprise locations, but the most convenient is at the airport.
Now let's compare if you stayed at The Old Town Alexandrian in Alexandria, Virginia.
(As I noted earlier, WMATA has several construction sites, so a shuttle is used as an alternate until construction is finished)
Transportation | Time | Cost | Hotel Parking |
Metro | 40min | $58 (7 day pass/ per person) | $0 |
Avis airport location | 25min-30min | $75 ($525 / 7 days) | $33/ night |
Enterprise airport location | 25min-30min | $59 ($410/ 7 days) | $33/ night |
For both examples, I used WMATA 's 7 day metro pass. However, they have other options as well. They have 1, 3 and 7 day unlimited Metro passes. You can purchase these at the airport kiosk. A 1 day unlimited pass is $13 per person, while a 3 day is $28 per person and the 7 day unlimited pass $58 per person. So, a family of 4 could move around the area for $232 a week. That is half the cost of renting a car, not counting parking fees and gas. Trains arrive every 8-15min depending on the line and whether it is peak or off-peak hours.
Even with the current WMATA construction, I would still opt to do a combined Metro, Uber/Lyft and bikeshare. DC and Old Town Alexandria are very walkable as well. Plus, if you're on vacation, why sit in a car to rush from one location to the next? Walk...take in your surroundings. You see a lot more walking than driving. You really do not want to drive in DC and then have to pay for parking every where you go. Depending on what study you read, DC traffic is usually as bad as traffic in Los Angeles. A 2019 study by US New and World Reports ranked DC traffic worse than Los Angeles.
I also can't emphasize enough about bikeshares. If you are staying in DC, you can substitute some of your travel with Capital Bikeshare. DC has several protected bikelanes and if you haven't been on a bike since you were a kid, then you can rent the bike to ride around The Mall (it's away from traffic). Paying for single rides on the bikeshare is $1 to unlock the bike and $0.05/min for a classic bike. If you rent an ebike, it is $1 to unlock and $0.15/min. If you plan to ride more, you can purchase a 24 hour day pass for $8, and you get unlimited 45 min rides on a classic bike. So, as long as you lock your bike at a station before your 45min, you can unlock another bike (or the same bike) for another 45min during your 24 hour period. A day pass also does not have the $1 unlock fee.
DC provides you the most viable options to get around without a car.
You can rent a car for a few days in Honolulu if you are able to combine your trips out of Waikiki. As for Vegas, maybe take Uber/Lyft from the airport to your hotel. You can rely on RTC's Deuce to get you to downtown if you are on The Strip, but unfortunately, need a car if you want to go elsewhere.
Hopefully this article has helped you save money on how you get around depending on your destination, so you can splurge in other areas on yourself.
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