When you pick up a New Zealand car rental and hit the road, you’ll quickly discover why it is one of the most popular travel road trip destinations in the world. Unlike Australia, this isn’t a large country, but it is a nation that packs a huge amount of unique experiences into two gorgeous islands.
Whether you rent a car in Auckland, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch or Queenstown, Airport Rentals will find the best deals for you by bringing together top car rental brands that you can compare and choose from. You can then narrow down the options with our handy filters, create a shortlist based on your preferences for features like transmission type, number of seats, vehicle size, and rental car brand, and sort by price so you can quickly review the cheapest available rental cars in your chosen destination.
If you have any questions about the reservation process, we are available 24/7 via phone, so don't hesitate to get in touch with one of our friendly team members.
Hiring a car in New Zealand
There are cars available for rent at most airports, including major destinations, like Auckland International Airport and smaller locations, like Gisborne Airport. Renting a car from the airport is a convenient way to get on the road quickly. However, renting from an airport can be more expensive, due to taxes that the rental companies incur. You can compare an airport pickup to a city center pick up with our powerful search.
While it is straightforward to hire a car in New Zealand, there are some small details that you'll need to know. For example, if you're planning on travelling from the North Island to the South Island (or vice versa), you'll need to make sure your chosen car hire company allows ferry crossing in their vehicle. If you want to drop off your car in a different location that you picked it up in, this is definitely possible with most car rental suppliers.
![Road level view of a car driving towards some hills.]()
New Zealand car rental companies
You will find all of the big name car rental companies in New Zealand, including Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar and Thrifty. However, there are also plenty of local car hire brands, including:
- Discount Car Rental
- Drive NZ Car Rentals
- Ezi Car Rental
- Ezu Car Rental
- Go Rentals
- Rad Car Hire
Picking up and dropping off your rental car
If you have hired a car from an airport, the rental counter will either be located inside or opposite the terminal. You rental car will be located onsite, making it one of the quickest options for getting on the road. In some cases, you will need to catch a free shuttle bus to a nearby depot to collect your check-in and collect your vehicle. Instructions for this will be provided when you book. When hiring a car from a city depot, you will need to make your way to the address by car, public transport, or a rideshare/taxi service.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, you will need to return your rental car to the same location you picked it up from. Some rental companies allow for after-hours returns, but this is not always the case. Rules around returning your vehicle outside of business hours will be available in the terms and conditions, which you can read during the booking process.
Top tips for driving a car in New Zealand
If you're travelling from Australia to New Zealand, you won't have too much trouble adjusting to driving conditions. New Zealand has fairly well-maintained roads—perfect for a road trip in a hire car. In some rural areas though, you can expect narrower and winding roads than what some international visitors are used to, so be extra cautious.
Here are a few things that you will need to remember in order to have a safe car hire experience on NZ roads:
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Always drive clockwise on Roundabouts. Also known as turning circles, these are a major feature on New Zealand roads, replacing traffic lights at many intersections. The key to successfully navigating a roundabout is to remember to always drive clockwise and give way to traffic coming from your right. Just before you exit the roundabout, indicate to the left to signal that you’re about to turn off.
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Don’t use a mobile phone while driving your hire car. Handheld operation of a mobile phone (whether for calls or texting) isn’t permitted while you’re at the wheel of a New Zealand car, even if you’re stopped at a traffic light.
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Speed limits in New Zealand are posted in kilometres per hour. The usual speed limit in urban areas is 50 km/h, while on motorways or the open road, the limit is usually 100 km/h. Any New Zealand rental car will have a speedometer which is also in km/h.
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There are a few toll roads in New Zealand, including heading north from Auckland and south from Tauranga. You can pay for these in advance, or within 5 days of driving on the toll road. Talk to your car rental supplier before you set off about whether you are likely to encounter tolls and the best way to pay for them.
![A sheepdog herding sheep across the road.]()
Popular road trips in New Zealand
Ready for an epic New Zealand road trip? There are sections of highway in major cities around the country designated as touring routes, which highlight a particular feature of a region or take you on an incredibly scenic journey between attractions. Most are a few hundred kilometres long and could be driven with your New Zealand car hire in a day but are best stretched over several so you can explore in-depth.
![An oceanside country road with a small bridge.]()
Twin Coast Discovery Highway
This is a ring route around the most beautiful parts of Auckland and Northland. A great one for those who love the beach!
Pacific Coast Highway
This route will take you past some amazing parts of the eastern North Island. Pick up a car hire from Auckland and head down to Hawke’s Bay. Our highlight? The Coromandel Peninsula.
Thermal Explorer Highway
This is a long one which covers a lot of the upper North Island and includes not only geothermal hotspots like Rotorua but also the Waitomo Cave system where you can float in a tyre underground, and the majestic Tongariro National Park and its three mountains.
Surf Highway 45
This is pretty self-explanatory—it’s for those who want to catch a wave. Drive your rental car and follow the Taranaki coastline past some of the country’s best breaks.
The Forgotten World Highway
This is a heritage trail which also includes scenery for a pretty and interesting route through the lower North Island. Natural history buffs will enjoy this car hire NZ experience.
![A stunning scenery of vineyards in Napier.]()
The Classic New Zealand Wine Trail
This covers both the lower North Island and upper South Island, where you find the best wine growing regions including the famous Marlborough. Wine lovers, this is where you should be—just make sure there’s a designated driver!
Top of the South Wine Trail
This is a little more focused and does not include the ferry trip. It covers Wairarapa and Marlborough with some lovely towns along the way—Hanmer Springs and Kaikoura are beautiful places to spend a night or two during your car hire NZ adventure.
Alpine Pacific Triangle
This is short but sweet, covering a range of tourist highlights all within two hours of each other. The North Canterbury region has everything from wineries to whale watching.
Great Alpine Highway
A very scenic route for your rental car road trip from Christchurch. This heads cross-country to the West Coast, through the impressive Southern Alps via Arthur’s Pass.
![A road leading into snow capped mountains.]()
Canterbury Pacific Trail
This follows the coast of Canterbury from Kaikoura to Waimate and includes the resilient city of Christchurch, the “little England” of the Pacific. Beaches and beautiful braided rivers abound.
Inland Scenic Route
This is an alternative to State Highway 1 which bypasses Christchurch to take you through some rural and alpine areas including Geraldine and Mt Hutt ski area.
Southern Scenic Route
This really ups the ante in terms of scenery, showcasing the best of the best in New Zealand. Highlights include Lakes Manapouri and Te Anau, and the stunning Milford Sound. With or without the help of local knowledge, you could spend many days here!
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