Whenever I ask new acquaintances what part of the United States they would most like to visit, many say Hawaii.
Indeed it probably qualifies as the most exotic state, and it is without a doubt a beautiful place. (I’ve been to three islands.) However, many never make it there because of the perception that the trip will be too expensive. I am here to tell you that visiting this paradise may be possible, even on a budget.
I was just speaking with my sister recently, and she mentioned that she and her husband are off to Hawaii (yet again) during the Thanksgiving holidays in November for two weeks. They have been making this pilgrimage for 15-plus years after my brother-in-law finishes his busiest work period and needs some rest.
By now, they know the islands like the backs of their hands and they know how to hunt for bargains. The total cost of their trip this time, including round-trip airfare, condo rental in Oahu, and car rental for two weeks, will be coming out to approximately $1,500 per person. Now that is a good deal!
Here are my sister’s pointers for how to bargain hunt and find deals to make your dream vacation come true:
1. Pick your dates and hunt for airfare: Since she knows what month out of each year she wants to travel, my sister is able to watch key websites every day (yes I said every day, sometimes three times per day) such as Kayak.com or Bing.com to find the best airfare deals.
It is best to start this process as soon as your travel plans are fairly set, preferably six to eight months before your trip. Although, she says that sometimes deals can pop up two months from your trip date. Watching airline prices is like following the stock market. For no rhyme or reason, prices will sometimes drop to astronomical lows. Using this approach, she was able to get direct flights round trip this past April from Charlotte, N.C., to Hawaii for $327 per person.
2. Consider rental properties vs. hotels: I know that everyone dreams of going to the posh Hawaiian resorts we see in advertisements, but rental properties are almost always better options if you are on a tight budget. My sister always uses VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner) to find condos.
You simply find a property you like and contact the owner directly. No hassle of travel agent middlemen. On her last trip, she was able to have a chat with the owners and asked for their best price, which they surprisingly dropped even lower than was listed. It is worth exploring this avenue, especially if you have several people joining you and you can divide the costs among you.
3. Search for car rental deals: Having a car to leisurely explore the Hawaiian Islands is an absolute must, since there is so much natural beauty to see. As for finding the best car rental deal, I think that there are many different opportunities out there to use in your search.
For instance, think of cashing in your credit card points to cover this, explore AAA membership options, or shop around warehouse store websites like Costco.com to get price quotes. My sister was able to get a rental car for two weeks totaling $184.
As always, I wish you all the happiest of travels!
