Renting a camper or car in New Zealand
New Zealand is a beautiful destination where you can best travel with your own car or camper. It is easy to drive here yourself, there is little traffic and the roads are well maintained. Keep in mind that you must apply for an international driver’s license in your home country. With an international diver’s license you can drive in New Zealand for 12 months. Read more about what it is like to drive in New Zealand on the preparation page. While driving you will notice that the landscape changes every 10 minutes, a really wonderful experience! But now you have to ask yourself: How am I going to travel? Below you will find an overview of different options to hopefully make the search easier for you.
The first important question you must ask yourself is, do you want to rent a campervan or a car? There are many benefits to renting a campervan. For example, the fact that you can stop and sleep (almost) anywhere, provided you have a toilet on board. Wild camping is not permitted if you do not have a toilet on board. If you are going to travel with children, a camper is also a good option. They have more freedom while driving, so they will be less bored. Are you not planning to camp? Then a car might be a good option for you. You will be able to drive faster and it will also cost less gas. If you take the ferry from the North Island to the South Island, this will also be cheaper with a car.
Rent a car
Would you like to have a car with you during your entire trip in New Zealand? Or do you only need it for a few days? It can easily be arranged in many places in New Zealand. You can rent cars from places with an international airport but also in several small towns. Cars are available for rental in all sizes. For an accurate overview of the available rental cars in New Zealand click here.
Buy a car
If you are in New Zealand for a longer period of time, it may be cheaper to buy a car. Many people on a “working holiday” do this so there is sufficient supply. In many hostels and on Facebook pages you can find advertisements of people who sell their cars. TradeMe is also a good page for this, this is an online buy and sell website.
Rent a camper
You can rent a camper at multiple locations on the North and South Island of New Zealand. On the North Island you can usually rent it in Auckland and Wellington and on the South Island in Christchurch and Queenstown. It is also possible to pick up campervans from one location and return them to another, there are additional costs involved for this though. Once you have decided to rent a camper you still have many options. I have listed a number of rental companies below so that you can compare the different options and therefore hopefully make a good choice.
Jucy
Jucy is a fast-growing budget camper rental company. Their campers are ideal for adventurous travelers on a tight budget. They offer five different types of campers in New Zealand. All have a small kitchen with a fridge, sink and gas stove. Jucy offers campers for two, three or four people. The Jucy Cabana is the only one that does not have a toilet on board and with which you cannot go wild camping. None of the Jucy campervans have a shower. Find more information about Jucy campers here.
Hippie
Hippie Campers is also a budget camper rental company. This is the budget department of rental company Apollo, which focuses on larger RVs. Hippie campers is ideal for young adults, since you can rent from this company from the age of 18. Keep in mind that none of these vans have a toilet or shower, so you can’t go wild camping with these. All campers are equipped with a small kitchen with fridge, sink and gas stove. The Hippie Camper Drift is suitable for two people, the Hippie hilltop is made for three people and has a microwave and the Hippie Endeavor is suitable for four people and also has a microwave. Click here for more information about the Hippie campers.
Britz
Britz is a well-known name in the motorhome world with rental companies in America, Australia, South-Africa and New Zealand. Their RVs are ideal for people who are looking for comfort while traveling. The benefits of renting with Britz are as following: Britz guarantees the lowest price with the Britz Price Match guarantee. With every camper you get the “Tourism Radio” for free, this is a GPS-based system that gives you nice information about where you are driving. Last but not least, you can use shower facilities at all Britz locations in New Zealand for free. This way you can freshen up after a long day.
Most Britz motorhomes are made for four to six people, but they also have smaller options for two or three people. All RVs are equipped with a TV, shower and toilet, so you can go wild camping with these. All RVs have a kitchen with a refrigerator, sink, gas stove and some with a microwave. Read more about the Britz motorhomes here.
Maui
Maui motorhomes rents RVs with extra quality and luxury. They offer six different types or campers in New Zealand. They have RVs for two, three, four or six people. All campervans have a TV, shower and a small kitchen. They also all have hot water and all but one have a TV. Maui offers an “Express Return Pack” as an extra service. This means that you can return the camper without refuelling it, emptying the toilet and refilling the gas bottle. This is useful for people who hand it in just before their flight. Click here for more information about Maui.
Apollo
Apollo has luxury motorhomes with larger beds and luxury extras. These campers are suitable for people who want comfort while traveling. There are many advantages to rent at Apollo, such as: All campers are a maximum of 3 years old. Apollo offers a 5% discount if you rent your camper for more than 21 days. Together with the camper you get the ApolloConnect app, this helps you to find all campsites and sights on your drive. Apollo also offers a free 24-hour roadside assistance service. Finally, you can also get discounts at different campsites.
Apollo has a wide range of campers in New Zealand with no fewer than six different types. There are RVs for two, three, four or six people. You can make it as luxurious here as you want. Most of the campers have a toilet and a shower, pay attention to this if you are planning to go wild camping. All campers have a kitchen with a fridge, sink, gas stove and most have a microwave. Read more about the Apollo motorhomes.
Relocation
If you are traveling on a tight budget and you are looking for something cheaper, then this might be an option for you. Camper rental companies sometimes have to move campers between their own locations. Occasionally they ask travellers to do this for them. This way you can use the camper for free or for a small fee while you drive it to their other location. You do have a time limit so you can travel less freely. There is also sometimes a kilometer limit attached to it. You cannot book these deals far in advance, so it is a risk. It can of course also happen that there are no deals on your desired date. Companies such as Jucy, Hippie and Apollo participate in this. Look for their current deals on their websites.
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