Car Rental Rates in Honolulu Almost Triple for Christmas, Survey Reveals

HONOLULU--Dec. 21, 2011:  Travelers who are yearning to be home for the Christmas holiday in the Aloha State better make sure they have some extra cash handy. Otherwise, they might find themselves stranded on the Big Island. A recent survey compiled by CheapCarRental.net has uncovered an almost triple increase in car rental rates in Honolulu, Hawaii over the Christmas period.

Normally, renting an economy car in the Hawaiian capital costs visitors $50 per day. Come the Christmas season, however, the cheapest daily rate will be $147. That's a 194% increase over regular rates and it gives Honolulu the dubious distinction of leading the pack in late December car rental rates. Indeed, the second and third place finishers, Miami and New York, lagged considerably far behind at $111 and $99 per day respectively.

Ushering out 2011 and ringing in 2012 away from home, however, doesn't have to break the bank. In some other major U.S. cities, car rental costs over the holidays won't come as quite so much of a shock to the wallet. A few popular locales are even giving visitors a Christmas gift and dropping their rates.

In New Orleans and Atlanta, car rental fees at the end of December are coming in at 25% and 18% hikes respectively. Washington, D.C. and Dallas, however, are showing decreased costs of 6% and 16% respectively.

The following table shows the ten cities with the most expensive car rental rates for the 2011 Christmas period. The percentage increase, based on a comparison with regular rates, is shown next to each city making the cut. The prices illustrated reflect average rates for the cheapest available car during the period spanning December 23 through December 28, 2011.

1. Honolulu: $147 (+194%)
2. Miami $111 (+268%)
3. New York: $99 (+70%)
4. Boston: $70 (+135%)
5. New Orleans: $69 (+25%)
6. Jacksonville: $68 (+118%)
7. Philadelphia: $57 (+90%)
8. Orlando: $51 (+218%)
9. San Diego: $50 (+85%)
10. Las Vegas: $49 (+63%)

For more information about this survey and its methodology, visit: Cheap Car Rental