Car hire in New Zealand

crockpot

Morning

Planning our next trip to Nz, and as internal and international flights have gone up, thought inside of doing internal flight, do car hire instead. One way rates were too much, one way charge more than hire charge it`s self!!

So thought of hire for whole trip.

Can anyone recomend anyone?

Had a look at www.rentalcar.co.nz and much cheaper than booking it on say ebookers or with an international firm.

Standard price includes insurance but £500 excess, pay £85 for a £200 excess and £140 for nil excess on basic price on a months cover.

Also as a months rental do you think it`s worth asking for a discount? rental is per day, and same for 1 or 100?

Also anyone driven from Auckland to Napier?

Looked in web and driving times vary from 4 1/2 to 7 hours!!!

Thank you

Incapuppy

I can't really help much other than to say that when I have looked in brochures at self-drive holidays the price of car/campervan rental did appear to be banded, ie: x amount per day for 1-10 days rental, cheaper per day for 11- 20 days rental, cheaper still for 21 days + rental.

crockpot

Hi

stilllooking at rental cars- do not go till Jan.

Been looking at www.gorentals.co.nz has anyone been with them?

If you go for an older car, some realy cheap deals plus no breakdown guarntee

lauraza

Hi I've done that drive before, but stopped for a night each in Hamilton, Rotorua, Taupo then a night in Napier before dropping car in Palmerston North and getting the Transcenic train back to Hamilton, where I was based.
http://www.tranzscenic.co.nz/

I went with Thrifty in a Suzuki Swift, classed as a compact but was a spacious 5 door, would recommend them.

Any questions you have feel free to PM me, I'd recommend a couple of hotels and if you're in Napier - Mission Winery and Marineland with the penguin recovery workshop as well as the Art Deco tour.

The drive from Auckland to Napier would be more like 7 hours - Hamilton to Rotorua is about 1hr 30, Rotorua Taupo 2 hours, then around 2-3 to Napier. All the journey has a great view and is v.relaxing!

If you also have time, the Coromandel Peninsula and also Raglan on the West coast is lovely.

LillyJ

Have you driven in NZ before? Distances on the map can be very misleading indeed as something that would take you 3 hours up the motorway here could be a whole days driving or more in NZ!
I used to live there and spent many a fed up hour in the back of my parent's car stuck behind sheep having not passed a petrol station or a loo for hours on end!

crockpot

Yes I have driven in Nz before,I have family out there.

Thanks lauraza,but will be staying with family in Napier.

Think we will start driving and plan to get at least as far as Hamilton, but would rather get to Routora or Taupo if we can. Have driven before and had not problems getting a motel, already checked no big events are on.

We are a family of 4 with 2 boys in child seats so are going for a medium sedan. will have another look at thrifty.

TomsMom

Try getting a quote from http://www.salamandatravel.com We have used them twice now and each time they were cheaper than going direct to the car hire companies. Their service was excellent and they use reputable companies such as Thrifty etc.

nearlyrich

We picked up a 10 year old car in Auckland just by the airport, I can't remember the name sorry, they picked us up from the airport in a people carrier. It was a lot cheaper than a new car from an international firm and it was completely reliable and comfortable. We did almost three weeks in it and we covered most of both islands in it and I would agree that distances seem further it's because the roads are not motorways and most journeys are on mainly one carriageway in each direction with passing places every so often. Having said that we were not rushing, I spend most of my life racing up and down UK motorways, unless I stuck in a traffic jame LOL and we did NZ at a fairly relaxed pace.