Is it cheaper to buy vacation packages to Kauai or book things separately?

Question

If you recommend vacation packages, any tips on sources for great deals you've gotten in the past for Kauai?

If you recommend booking things separately for Kauai, any tips on that? Gotten great deals on condos and/or car rentals? Also any bad experiences with condos and car rentals that i should avoid?

What about booking travel agents?

Answer 1

Robert's overnighter's- rooms/car/airfare & different combinations. That's what many of the locals do.Airfare/rooms get a discount. Rooms /car get a discount. you can still go independently wherever you want & also book some tours on the side.Robert's of Hawaii is the name of the company. I've used them at least 100 times.So the answer to your question is...I reccommend room/car/air packages but choose carefully if you decide to book tours with 15 people in a van, but sometimes that is a better option because the tour guides are top nltch 7 thy cook you BBQ lunch & they know places you will never find, but Kauai is a very small island, you can go exploring. A must is a 2.5 mile hike to Hanakapiai, at the end of the road at the wet caves take a short 2,5 mile hike. This is part of an 11 mile hike which you would need a 40 lb. pack & stayin for a week. That was one of the best vacations of my life!

Answer 2

Package deals make it look like you are saving a lot of money by using the double room rate to show a savings. If you try to book a package for one person it will be much more. You can not save on airline tickets buying either way. The price you see will be the same on all websites. The savings come in the hotel prices. Normally when you see a package price, they will give you an off time flight that is usually the cheapest and more than likely a redeye in either or both directions. Another way for them to make the price look lower is to use two different airlines. If you change the flights then you will see a big jump in the price. You do not state your travel dates but the prices change considerably on the days of the week. Most expensive days to fly are Fridays, Sunday and Mondays as business travelers normally travel on those days. If you found a package with all of that at that price then I would get it. However a rental car is not a necessity and driving in Vegas can be a challenge. If staying on the strip you will probably have no need to leave the strip and it is very walkable.

Answer 3

When we went to Kauai, we found it to be cheaper to book things separately. We found some good deals through AAA. We also found staying in a condo to be cheaper than a hotel, but it you're going to stay in a hotel, the Hyatt near Poipu is definitely the best. We weren't totally happy with the condo we rented, I can't remember the place we used but this place were the units that were actually closer to the ocean and were a little cheaper. It was the same kind of unit as ours which was nice. It has a kitchen so you don't have to eat out the whole time. Here's a link: http://suite-paradise.com.

Answer 4

Talk to a travel agent. Usually package deals are cheaper if the package is what you want to do. I booked a trip to Kauai after I arrived in Honolulu. But all I wanted was a tour of the island including the fern grotto. So we booked a one day trip flew over and back the same day through the hotel in Honolulu.

Answer 5

I've been to Kauai a few times and have always had the best luck with Classic Aloha Vacations (www.classic-aloha.com). They do the hotels, and told me where to get the best deals on everything else. Really friendly people.

Answer 6

I recently returned from a trip and booked everything with Hawaii Travel Bureau...Everything was smooth and cheaper then I was able to find elsewhere....Try them at www.hawaiitravelbureau.com. You won't regret it.

Answer 7

You definitely get better rates on package deals. Try http://www.stardiscounttravel.com

Answer 8

I find it is ALWAYS better to book things separately.