Booking much or all of your Maui activities through one travel service will likely save you money in the long run. RELATED LINKS Back to Maui City Guide

As a general rule, retail pricing for the various components of a trip to Hawaii favors those who purchase package vacations over independent-minded travelers who book everything à la carte. In other words, the more bundled travel services you book through a single source, the lower your overall cost is likely to be — and thanks to the World Wide Web, comparison shopping is easier than ever.

Two longtime packagers of Hawaii vacations, Pleasant Holidays (www.pleasantholidays.com) and Suntrips (www.suntrips.com), offer flexible online tools for planning and pricing custom packages that combine air transportation, rental cars and hotel or condominium accommodations. Similar deals can be arranged through the major travel booking sites such as Expedia (www.expedia.com), Travelocity (www.travelocity.com) and Priceline (www.priceline.com). For travelers who are redeeming or collecting frequent flier miles, booking packages directly through the airlines can be a good option as well.

Bundling of meals and activities is another way to save money. For example, reserve a room at the Maui Prince Hotel through a discount hotel booking service and you're likely to get a very competitive rate for the room only. But if you go to the resort's own Web site (www.mauiprince.com) and click the "Special Packages" link, you can choose from a variety of deals that add breakfasts, spa treatments, golf and other activities at significant savings.

A word about charters: In some cases, budget packages to Hawaii involve travel on low-cost charter flights to the islands. At their best, these no-frills flights are an affordable and practical alternative to scheduled carriers. Yet travelers should be aware that charter companies typically have less flexibility than the major airlines in coping with missed connections or canceled flights, so lengthy delays may ensue in cases of bad weather or technical problems with the aircraft.