ALOHA!
So, do you REALLY need to rent a car in order to have a good time on Maui?
Can you do Maui without a car?
Should you rent a car in Maui?!
Well, the answer really is… it depends!
Lame.
But it really depends on what you want out of your Hawaii vacation.
If it’s your first trip to Hawaii (and maybe even if it’s not), chances are you will have a good time no matter what! That’s whether you rent a car or not. It’s Hawaii, after all.
If your trip to Maui is to just lay by the beach all day every day, then all you need to do is stay in one of the Maui beach town areas, and then there’s no reason to have a car.
But if you’re asking about whether or not you need a car, then that’s probably not what you’re imagining your entire Maui vacation to be like.
So, then the question…
What if you’re going to Maui because you want to DO THINGS. At least part of the time.
THEN…
Do you need a car to do the BEST things on Maui?
In this case, then I would say YES, if you want to do the truly BEST things on Maui, then you need to rent a car.
Or, the alternative to renting a car would be to take one of the best Maui tours.
If you have a one week trip to Maui for example and you are looking to save a little bit of money, then I would say rent a car for 2 days or 3 days.
This will give you a chance to do do a bunch of those BEST Maui things that you can only do by car or tour.
In short:
- Day 1: Haleakala National Park and far South Maui (these are not on the same parts of the island but you can do these both in one day if you don’t mind a long day)
- Day 2: Road to Hana (FULL day)
- Day 3: Very northern shores of West Maui (half day can work)
These areas are among the best of Maui, and the bus does not go to these places.
So.
If you want to go to the Haleakala volcano summit (and do the Haleakala crater hike), you NEED a car. 👇
If you want to do the Road to Hana (and see tons of waterfalls, see the famous black sand beach, and see the famous red sand beach), you NEED a car. 👇
Well, you need to rent a car for these top Maui places if you don’t want to book a tour!
Haleakala National Park and the Road to Hana are probably THE 2 most popular tourist activities on Maui.
For the ultimate way to spend these days in a bit more detail, see how to spend 3 days on Maui!
And then if you have more time, then the rest of the days you can hang around a nearby beach and you can also find things to do by bus!
Or maybe go out for a water adventure tour.
Or if you’re staying in West Maui, you can take a ferry to another Hawaiian island.
You don’t NEED a car on Maui if you want to go for a tour!
Being among the most popular places on Maui, there are many tours to Haleakala National Park (in particular for the Haleakala sunrise), and there are many tours for the Road to Hana.
Where to rent a car (Maui airports)
The main Maui airport is OGG Kahului airport in central Maui, and this is where most people fly into, and it’s probably where you’ll find the best car rental prices.
But if you are only renting a car for part of the time and you are staying in West Maui, then there is also the small JHM Kapalua airport where there are some car rental companies.
You can also get to/from the Maui airport by bus. Probably better if you have light luggage.
There is also Uber on Maui.
More below on getting around Maui when you won’t have a rental car!
🌴
Is it worth it to travel by bus?
Well, whether it’s worth it to travel around Maui by bus will once again depend. 😜
If you recognize that taking the bus DOES take longer, then it can be FINE! It’s all about expectations.
If you’re on Maui for a longer time, then you can consider it a part of the slow island life.
If you’re only on Maui for a short time, you may feel like you’re wasting your time waiting around for the bus. It really is all in the mind!
If you’d rather NOT be bound to a bus schedule (some routes are just once an hour and some places might require a transfer to get to), then it could very well be worth it to rent a car.
Surely, having a car will give you a lot more flexibility!
You might learn about something that sounds really cool from talking to others when you get to Maui and having the car means you can much more easily go there!
Maui without a car: Where does the bus go?
In South Maui, for reference on a map, the bus goes as far south as the Shops at Wailea.
So you’ll want to do things south of there when you have your rental car. Possibly most notable that you NEED a car for in South Maui is La Perouse Bay and the Hoapili Trail.
This is a coastal hike across old lava flows with grand ocean views.
You can see one of the best lava fields on Maui!
In West Maui, for reference on a map, the bus goes as far north as somewhat near the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua.
It’s about a 5-10 minute walk from the nearest bus stop. So you can go to places along the coast between Lahaina and Kaanapali and Kapalua.
This also means you can go to the Kaanapali Beach Walk by bus and Kapalua Coastal Trail by bus.
These are both coastal trails with great scenic views.
Lahaina has the boat harbor where a lot of boat tours take off from. Kaanapali is lined with a number of oceanfront restaurants.
Kapalua is somewhat quieter.
Also notable that you CAN’T get to by bus is the Waihee Ridge Trail, another one of the best hikes on Maui that is in the West Maui mountains.
If this interests you, you’ll want to do this hike on a day you have a car. If you want to make it a hiking day, you can pair it with the waterfall hike 13 Crossings Trail that’s just up the road.
There’s a small bamboo forest on your way to the waterfalls too.
See more about how to spend one day in the West Maui mountains. (Car required.)
Is taking the bus easy?
After you take a bus 1 or 2 times, you’ll feel like a pro!
Google maps makes taking the bus super easy!
Use google maps as you would for driving directions, except just select the public transit option. Expand out for the details to see how far of a walk it is from the bus stop to your final destination. See example here, Kaanapali to Kapalua.
When you’re on the bus, you can follow along on the google maps app with your GPS locator on to know when to get off.
On Maui, it’s $2 for a single bus ride, and $4 for a day pass. You want to make sure you have exact change. No change will be given.
Expect delays! (Enjoy the slow island life…)
If you don’t take public transport back at home and you feel a bit intimidated about taking the bus, see a little more about how to take the bus on Maui.
If you are splitting your time between Maui and Oahu, then also see things to do on Oahu by bus.
Free group tours at hostels
Finally, if you’re traveling alone in Hawaii or you have a backpacker spirit, there are free group tours at some Maui hostels. (Tip of $10-20 appreciated.) If you stay at one of these hostels, then you can get away with not renting a car too, AND still not miss out on some of the top spots on Maui!
So…
To rent a car… or not?!
It really depends on how much beach time you want during your trip to Maui, and how much you want to get out and explore Maui!!
Surely, there is A LOT to do on Maui and having a car for the entirety of your trip will give you great flexibility to take it easy and do as you want when you want!
It will also open up your possibilities of things you CAN do all around Maui!
Go camping with ocean views off the Hana Highway. 👆
Drive the “upcountry” of Maui. 👆
Drive the back road to Hana. 👆
Drive the backroad of West Maui. 👆
The necessary disclaimer… drive at your own risk… there are a couple of areas on Maui that car rental companies may say you are on your own if something happens to you.
Namely… the backroads.
So be sure to do your research before driving these roads to decide if it’s for you.
When I rented a car, I was shown a map and was specifically told about the 2 backroads mentioned above when I picked up the car. (I do not remember the exact wording that was used, but in any case, I was warned about these sections.)
But even without driving on these roads, there are great adventures to be had on Maui by car!!
Keanae Peninsula, Road to Hana 👆
The northern shores of West Maui 👆
The road to Haleakala volcano summit above the clouds 👆
Overflow parking lot of the coastal side of Haleakala National Park along the Hana Highway that includes the Haleakala bamboo forest hike and Haleakala waterfalls 👆
And, you can even experience the backroads without driving them. I walked along the back road to Hana, and I also walked along the back road of West Maui. A car got me to a spot that I could start walking from. Consider the walks more great hikes on Maui!
Explore the list of things to do on Maui by area:
- West Maui
- South Maui
- East Maui (Hana Highway)
- Haleakala National Park
- Plus see where the best Maui hikes are located
And… not that you need more to do 😉 but it’s also reasonable to go for a day trip to the island of Lanai from Maui! You would take a ferry from Lahaina (West Maui). See pictures:
HAPPY DRIVING AROUND MAUI FOR GRAND SCENIC VIEWS!
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