Car Rental at Lihue Airport

Airport travel guide

Lihue Airport is the main airport for the island of Kauai, which is the northernmost island of the state of Hawaii. The majority of its flights are to and from Honolulu, the capital of the state where most from the mainland and abroad arrive in the state.

The island of Kauai is the fourth-most visited island of Hawaii. It is known as the “Garden Island” as it is full of lush vegetation and tropical plants due to the large amount of rainfall the island receives.  The island also has the longest sandy coastline of the islands. Much less crowded than some of the other islands, Kauai is certainly worth exploring and a with a rental car is by far the best way to do so.

Most travelers will transit through Honolulu to reach Kauai. Since there are no ferries from the island of Oahu, travelers must arrive by air and Lihue airport is where they are most likely to land. Rental cars are available at the airport and are all but completely necessary for travelers. 

Though Hawaii’s main gateway from the mainland U.S. is Honolulu International, there are a number of direct flights from the mainland to Kauai’s Lihue Airport. 

Lihue Airport is also the place where the famous doors off helicopter rides on Kauai depart from. There is also a helipad servicing the entire island at this airport.

Top international routes

• Vancouver (seasonal)

Main airlines

The largest airline by number of passengers is Hawaiian Airlines which serves routes between Lihue and Honolulu, Kahului, Kona, Oakland, and Los Angeles. American, Delta, Alaska, and United are the other major airlines located at the airport together serving mainland destinations including Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver, and San Jose. Westjet also has a seasonal route (November through April) from Vancouver.

Terminals

There is only one terminal in Lihue Airport which is called the Kawakami Terminal. It has eight gates, each of which is usually, but not always, dedicated to certain airlines. Arrivals and departures both take place on the ground level of the terminal. The only security checkpoint is right in the center of the check-in desks.

Location

Lihue Airport is located directly on the coast about two miles east of the downtown area, if you can call it that, of Lihue, which is itself located on the southeastern coast of the island of Kauai. From Lihue, the main roads of the island run to the south and west side as well as the east and north side. A loop around the island is unfortunately not possible due to the lack of roads at Na Pali.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from $74 per day
• Medium cars - from $71 per day
• Large cars - from $54 per day
• SUVs - from $68 per day
• Convertibles - from $115 per day

Car rental desks

All car rental companies serving Lihue Airport have desks located at the airport. These desks can be found across the street from the center of the terminal.

Europcar partners with Advantage to serve all of its U.S. rentals. Therefore, if renting a car with Europcar, you should proceed to the Advantage desk.

Services and facilities

Note that passengers are not allowed to take any fruits (as well as plants, snails, and other agricultural items) from the islands back to the mainland. All baggage, both checked and carry-on are inspected prior to departure. The inspection stations are located at the check-in counters and the security checkpoints. Unfortunately, it won’t be possible to savor your last island fruit while waiting for your flight.

Though the unimaginative pun for it may have long ago lost its humor, lei greeting is still a popular, culturally relevant tradition in Hawaii. Visitors can organize, or someone can organize for them, a lei greeting service to welcome them to the islands. Alternatively, there is one flower shop in the airport building where travelers can purchase leis but it is located past security. Sometimes a cart sells them in the baggage claim area. There is only one lounge in the airport. It is a Hawaiian Airlines Premier Club and is located across from Gate 5.

The closest hotels to the airport are Motel Lani and Kauai Palms Hotel, both located about a mile south of it near Rice Stree. No shuttle is offered, though. More hotels are located south near the beach of Kalapaki.

As the airport is quite small, there is not an overly large selection when it comes to dining and shopping. In the area of the gates, there is only one food kiosk and no shops. In the area near the check-in desk (but past the security checkpoints) there are two bars serving food, a cafe, and a Starbucks.

Visitor Information centers are located in both baggage claim areas. Both provide information about the airport and the island and can assist you with any questions you may have.

Nearest gas station

A cluster of stations south of the intersection of Ahukini Road and Kuhio Highway are the closest stations to the airport. They are 76, Shell, and Texaco stations. The prices of gas at all three are competitive and similar to that which you will find on the rest of the island (though, it should be noted that the average price on all Hawaiian islands is higher than on the mainland).