For our road trip in New Zealand we decided to take a vehicle for rent, which was really convenient and the best option to save time while reaching as much as places we could within the period of our stay.
If you are a couple planning a road trip in New Zealand, the best method to travel around is using a rental vehicle. There are plenty of options available depending on your preference. You can also hire a camper van and there are lot of nice camping sites all around New Zealand. If you wish to spend your nights in airbnb or hotels, renting a vehicle would be the most reliable option.
There are several vehicle rental services available in New Zealand and some are listed below, which you can decide depending on your preference.
GO rentals
Hertz
AERODRIVE car rental
AVIZ
Alamo
Europcar
Enterprise rent a car
Thrifty car rentals
Budget
East Coast car rentals
We rented our vehicle with GO rentals. The car was parked at Sudima Hotel @ Christchurch Airport, as we had arrived during late night. But if you arrive during working hours you can pick up the vehicle from the airport. We followed below instructions given by the GO rentals to get our vehicle.
Please ensure you have Checked In at least 24 hours prior to your arrival.
After you exit the arrival hall, visit the free phone desk located next to the i-Site information centre.
Dial 27 at the free phone desk or from your mobile dial +64 3 358 3139. This will connect you with the hotel reception
The Hotel will send a shuttle to pick you up from the terminal so you can collect your car.
After we went to the hotel, we just had to sign some forms to get the vehicle and that process was quick and really easy. We rented a compact SUV type vehicle (Toyota CHR); for the 7 day drive our total rental cost (NZD) was $ 682.00 and the breakdown is as follows. We paid $ 53.20 as advance payment during online booking and rest of the amount at the pickup point.
Vehicle: $ 532.00
Insurance: $ 140.00
Additional Drivers Fee: $ 10.00
We have Sri Lankan driving licences and those are acceptable to drive in New Zealand. As our licences were in English, we did not want any translation copies. But if you have your driving licence in another language, make sure you have a valid certified translated copy when looking for renting a car. An acceptable certified English translation of the driving licence can be obtained as follows.
A translation service approved by the NZTA (https://www.licencetranslation.co.nz/default.aspx)
A diplomatic representative at a high commission, embassy or consulate.
The authority that issued your licence. Note: if your driver licence is not in English, an international driving permit (IDP) – issued in accordance with a United Nations Convention on Road Traffic - maybe acceptable as a translation.
Any additional driver will also need their own driving licence. Make sure to register all the drivers regardless of who signs the agreement as an unregistered driver, if involved in an accident will not be covered and all insurances are null and void.
Restrictions on driver’s age may vary between car rental companies, so always check the requirements mentioned by the rental service before booking. In order to be able to drive basic model rental cars in New Zealand, drivers must at least be 18 years old. However, age restriction for hiring/driving a rental vehicle also depends on the rental service company you select (to hire/drive a car from GO rentals you must be at least 21 years of age). Also, drivers under the age 25 may incur a young drivers' surcharge, which the amount can be vary depending on the rental service company.
Vehicle rental prices in New Zealand are reasonably fair compared to most other countries. Also, most of the vehicles are only few months or years old. So, if you are planning for a road trip in New Zealand, it is better to look into the following details in order to find the most suitable rental vehicle.
Understand the nature of driving in New Zealand
Aware of road signs.
Familiar with driving on the left.
Conscious of speed limit variations in different areas.
Know different conditions of the roads and weather patterns.
Above 18 years old.
Have a valid and acceptable driving license.
A certified English translation of the licence (if given in another language)
Nature of the road trip.
Number of passengers.
Required luggage space.
Comfort and affordability.
Choose a reliable car rental service
Look into general customer reviews on particular car rental service, if available.
If you are looking into the website, ensure it is secured.
Look the details of the give service packages and policy.
Check the age restriction for hiring a vehicle.
Check the cost for young drivers' surcharge, if any.
Check for insurance options.
Look into the cost for additional drivers.
Check the easiness of picking up and handing over the vehicle (location, process).
Check on the possibility of online booking.
Amount of advance payment required.
Check the payment options.
For credit card payments, make sure the card holder is available.
Apart from all above, it is highly recommended to check the COVID-19 updates given by the New Zealand Government and the available vehicle rental services in order to plan a safe ride, as it has become a top priority and a huge concern for ensuring worldwide health and safety.
Check our video on Rent A Car in New Zealand, here.
We hope you all enjoyed our car renting experience in New Zealand. We would like to hear your experiences as well. Also, if you need further information, we are happy to help you. Please leave your comments below.
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