How to Rent a Car in New Zealand.

If it remains mandatory, the driving license is not sufficient and must be accompanied by an overseas driver’s licence sometimes referred as “International Driving License” if you don't come from an English's speaking countries.

This simple English translation of your driving license will be required to rent a car and can be requested by the local authorities during road controls. I'll explain how to rent a car in New Zealand by addressing practical issues such as the choice of model, the appropriate insurance and even the ferry crossing.

Kiwipal also provides a comparator and an online booking service where you won't pay any travel agency fees.

But if you're essentially looking for advice about New Zealand's driving code, you should also read our special guide which explains how to drive on the left side of the road (UK citizens, Australians, Japanese, Indians... don't need advice on this subject, but there are also some differences they should discover before the departure).

And if you still hesitate between renting a car or a camper van, you can check our Bible of the motorhome in New Zealand to make yourself an idea.

All major brands such as Hertz, Avis or Europcar are present in New Zealand, but their reservations rates are quite high. Fortunately, you can greatly reduce your rental car budget, thanks to the local companies recommended by Kiwipal.

Kiwipal provides a free comparator which aggregates all the best car rental companies in New Zealand. You can book your vehicle by yourself, without paying any travel agency fees because Kiwipal does not add a commission to the final price!

You naturally want to pay the cheapest possible price for your car rental, but there are limits not to cross. Of course, renting an old Japanese car with a half a million kilometers' counter is available at an unbeatable price, but is it reasonable?

Saving ten dollars per day in exchange of your safety and your comfort is not a good idea. And generally, the cheapest cars always have a high fuel consumption, which means that you lose at the pump what you won on the rental price.

In reality, there is a considerable difference of quality between a $30 and a $45 per day rental. While on holiday, do you sincerely want to drive 3000 km with a car which is even less comfortable than the one you use in your country to go to work?

If you are not aware of that, please note that people drive on the left in New Zealand.

The steering wheel is on the right in the cockpit, and if the speed pedal, brake and clutch are not reversed, however, the driver will change the speed using its the left hand.

Although there are manual gearboxes in New Zealand, I strongly recommend to only rent cars with an automatic transmission.

Why should you complicate your life during holidays with additional difficulties?

The small city cars like the Toyota Corolla Hatch are perfect for couples without children, provided you travel light with two small suitcases maximum (the size of the trunk being just sufficient to contain them). They are easy models to drive and park anywhere.

These cars are more suitable for families with children, but as it is one of the most requested models (New Zealanders are taking holidays too) it is essential to book far in advance to get good rates. The large trunk is practical and you have enough space to store some extra hikes equipment like shoes.

The increased comfort, better grip and excellent visibility are accompanied by a carbon signing more important! The 4x4 wheels leave no one indifferent, but insofar as the relief of the country comes down to a succession of hollows and bumps, this type of gear is by far the most fun to drive in New Zealand.

Although more expensive, it is especially recommended for people who are driving on the left for the first time.

Cheap cars equipped with automatic gearboxes are obviously consuming more fuel, especially in mountainous regions where it is often necessary to use the first speed of the vehicle. Once again, the cheapest model penalizes you at the pump, and it is better to rent a recent car, even if you have to pay ten dollars more a day for it.

To estimate your budget gasoline (or diesel), you can consult the website “Price Watch” which display the pump prices for every fuel types available in New Zealand.

A simple rule of three with the total distance and the average fuel consumption should give you a good idea of the budget to predict.

Do not hesitate to increase the estimated price by 10% if you visit the South Island because gasoline is more expensive in remote areas and the car uses more fuel due to the mountain terrain.

Do not reproduce my mistake, and please consider the capacity of the trunk of the car when you compare the models on the Kiwipal's comparator. If a car is designed for five passengers, this doesn't mean that you'll have the place to store five suitcases... That's why you must measure the size of your luggage and compare with the size of the trunk before the booking.

Anyway, between motels, laundromats and hotels that offer dry cleaning, there is no reason to be loaded unnecessarily. Accept the idea to wash your clothes in New Zealand during your trip and you will be able to significantly lighten your luggage. Remember that your car will consume less gasoline if your luggage is light!

Finally, I also suggest you keep some empty space to keep your trek shoes easy to access between two walks. You won't drive with dirty shoes, so this is a good idea to put them in a plastic bag you will keep in the trunk.

The GPS proposed by rental companies costs a few dollars per day and is useful but not essential in New Zealand. The road network is so simple that the use of a GPS may seem superfluous: you will sometime the GPS' numeric voice informing you that you must turn left in 50 km!

When it comes to finding a hotel lost in the countryside, or find your way in town, the satellite guidance will save your valuable time. Paradoxically, the route is so simple in New Zealand that you could easily miss the next exit if the GPS was not here to remind you to turn.

Beyond three weeks of stay, however, I recommend not to rent the GPS, but rather to buy your own in a shop of Auckland or Christchurch. You can also use your own GPS (the cigarette lighter socket is often compatible), but you must have the New Zealand map installed, a map which is often more expensive than a brand new GPS.

Essential and mandatory in New Zealand, seats for babies or young children are to rent in options from the car rental companies at a price of about $25 for an entire stay.

Depending on your itinerary, your car might need snow chains during the winter months (their absence could lead to a $750 fine). But in practice it rarely snows in New Zealand and there are not so many travelers visiting the country during the low season. However, if you plan to explore the South Island from June to September, you must know that the SH94 (the only road to access the Milford Sound) may be prohibited to vehicles not equipped with snow chains.

Renting a car includes a basic insurance, but there are many cases where insurance does not cover the potential damages, starting with the broken windows or car theft.

This is why the New Zealand car rental companies offer additional insurances that increase the price of the daily rental of a few dollars, but cover the driver and the car a bit more.

If you plan to borrow a gravel road for example (they are very common in New Zealand as soon as you leave the speed highway), the glass breakage insurance is highly recommended.

If you are not familiar with the car rental, you must know that the franchise is the amount of money left at your charge after the repairs in case of accident.

You can accept to pay the rental at higher price to lower the franchise and in case of accident you might not spend a dime or only pay what remains of the franchise.

A well-insured vehicle allows you to travel with a free mind and to drive in a more relaxed manner.

You are not really on holiday if you are always worrying about something or if you drive with the fear to damage your rental car.

You are right to ask this question, but there are, alas, 99% chance that your local insurance company does not cover a car rental abroad.

If your own insurance company offer an extension to cover a car rental in New Zealand, it will always be more a more expensive than the complementary insurance from a New Zealand rental company. You can also forget your bank insurance. Most credit cards (including type gold ones) only cover you for a derisory amount in case of accident, and you will have to pay any expenses in advance, expecting to be refunded later by your bank.

The very principle of insurance is to protect against the unexpected.

Therefore, if someone does not see any good reason to be insured while traveling to the other side of the globe, then I do not see what we could say to convince him.

A gravel particle that cracks the windshield indiscriminately strikes the good or the bad driver (insured or not), and if New Zealand is a peaceful country with a low crime rate, car theft remains a possibility (statistically especially near Rotorua).).

Therefore, if you can, of course, save money on airline tickets, hotel nights, restaurants and activities, you should not do the same for an insurance that protects yourself and your family during a trip in New Zealand!

Anyway, Kiwipal's comparator will already help you to save a great deal of money on the car rental and it also offers discounts if you rent in advance.

Investing a small part of the money already saved subscribing a solid complementary insurance seems reasonable.

Your reflexes are at their lowest after a very long flight, and you need to recover strength and attention before driving in a foreign country. Therefore, I advise you to spend your first day visiting a city after a good night’s sleep. After hours in a plane cabin, fresh air is what you need.

Most rental companies offer a free shuttle service between your hotel and the deposit station usually located downtown or near the airport. If such a service is available, it will be displayed in Kiwipal's comparator, so please take some time to study the question before booking.

Before getting the vehicle keys, you must sign the rental contract and pay by credit card. That's not a problem, even if your fluency in English is rudimentary. The most annoying is to wait your turn if there are many customers queueing before you.

Unlike a motorhome rental where the rental agent usually takes the time to show you the vehicle in detail, the car rental companies often do the minimum. Feel free to ask questions even if the rental agent seems a bit rushed. Don't be shy and ask how the automatic transmission works, and what is the most appropriate fuel to fill the tank.

Even if you are an excellent driver, you should take your time before getting in the traffic. If you have never driven on the left side of the road, you'll need some time to acclimate yourself, just like the other passenger seated where the driver usually is.

As soon as you turn the key, some automatic cars move slowly even if you don't press the accelerator pedal. Do not panic, this is in fact a very convenient option to maneuver or leave a car park, but that can surprise you if you are not used to it.

Automatic gearboxes usually come with multiple positions on the gear lever. This is usually a basic choice between an economical or a sportive driving mode. The user's manual of the vehicle will give you an exact answer, but it's far easier to ask the rental company before taking the road.

Before turning the key, take the time to study the dashboard to familiarize yourself with the controls, including the windscreen wipers and the flashings whose positions are reversed in New Zealand (if you are not driving on the left side of the road in your own country).

The fuel level mentioned in the rental contract must be respected. Do not assume that the renters will be tolerant about it! If you return the vehicle with insufficient fuel, the renter may charge a penalty or even ask you to refuel the car in a gas station!

You may not have to clean the car body before returning it, but basic cleaning would be nice! If some dirt or dead flies on the windshield are acceptable, a deplorable state will irritate the renter and he might be fussier while checking the vehicle.

However, the interior of the car and the trunk must be clean and empty. Make sure you have not forgotten anything and check several times under the seats and in the different compartments. If you have stained the seats, or caused any damage, the amount of compensation will be deducted from the deposit which is to be refunded by a bank transfer, few weeks after the end of the stay.

You must plan a reasonable time to return the car, especially if you have to go to the airport afterward: you can't take any risk to miss your plane.

Booking the ferry on the Internet is not difficult at all, but you must decide in advance whether you want to make the crossing with your car rental (parked on board), or if you prefer to rent a different car on each island? Both solutions have their advantages and disadvantages.

The main advantage concerns the organization of your stay in New Zealand: with only one car booking to do, you do not waste your time in the rental stations.

However, the one-way rental fees are a bit more expensive, because the rental company will often have to repatriate the vehicle by its own means.

However, if you start your trip at Christchurch, your car rental will be cheaper if you plan to restitute the vehicle at Auckland.

This is because you will drive the vehicle up to the North Island, where most travelers start their trip in New Zealand and where more cars are needed.

Boarding your car on the ferry presents no difficulty. Just plan to be ready for the boarding at least one hour in advance. The ferry team will assign you a place to park the car on board. You won't waste time to register your luggage and you won't have to recover them on arrival, as they travel in the trunk of your car.

For the rental companies, this represents a direct benefit because it will be easier to repatriate the vehicle to its starting point. The booking might be a little bit cheaper, but the economy is relative ...

Because if you return the car before boarding the ferry, it implies that you rent another one on the other island. If the procedure drags a little bit (which is often the case during the high season), you can easily lose several hours in the rental station, and will anyway undergo the baggage registration procedure before boarding the ferry.

You will pay a bit less, of course ... but you will lose a precious time.

There is no perfect solution, it depends if you prefer to save money or win time to visit the country. Some people even decide to return the vehicle immediately upon their arrival in Wellington, in the hope to save money by visiting the city on foot or by bus.

But without a car, you will save money, of course, but unfortunately you will lose time and will visit fewer locations! For years, I changed my rental cars to reduce the price of the ferry, but I now consider that boarding the vehicle for only $NZ 135 greatly simplifies the organization of the stay.

You have all the cards in hand, but from my experience it is better to keep the same car from one island to another (if you are happy and want to keep the same model for the whole stay, why changing?). However, if you want to save 135 dollars, you can consider booking a different car on each island.

Under these conditions, it is better to avoid any intermediaries and you should book online without paying travel agency fees. Moreover, the money you save allows you to get additional insurance and to increase the quality of your stay by doing more original activities in New Zealand.

This article was essentially focused on the practical aspects of the car rental. I purposely left out the New Zealand's driving code and the advice to drive on the left side of the road. But I invite you to consult a great Kiwipal guide that address these two topics in detail, because there are some characteristics in New Zealand you need to learn.

Travelers often ask me what is the best rental company recommended by Kiwipal. It's a simple question, but the answer is tricky because there are many criteria to consider. In fact, it is a good idea to search check local rental companies with cars of at least five years old. You can trust Kiwipal's comparator to find the best compromise.

Some of you are probably hesitating between renting a car or a motorhome. I cannot answer such a complex issue in a few words, but since you are now well informed about the car rental, how about reading our practical guide about motorhome? You will have all the cards in hand to make the right decision.

After all these questions of budgets, car rental and ferry booking, we should end on a lighter note. You will spend many hours on the roads of the country, and I recommend driving with music!

The radio programs in New Zealand are incredibly bad. You should travel with your own music stock on your smartphone a tablet.

The best solution is to check first that the car model you want to rent has an USB port or an audio jack input on its dashboard. But you could even use an FM transmitter to broadcast your own signal to the car stereo.

This will be the last word on this subject. I give the mike to our friend Ben who has his own Question & Answer section below where he helps travelers. He is unbeatable and you can ask him any advice about car rental and New Zealand in general. Have a nice trip!