Posts Tagged rental cars
Where to Find a Rental Car in New Zealand
For many Americans, as well as a lot of other travelers around the world, a trip to New Zealand is the trip of a lifetime. New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It’s geographic isolation has made it a perfect setting to film Hollywood blockbusters that require exotic locations, and the variety of geography and climate, as well as the flora and fauna, make it fascinating for visitors of all types.
One of the best ways to see New Zealand is to rent a car. However, since you’ve never been there, how do you know how to find the best deal and situation? This article will give you some tips on finding a rental car in New Zealand.
Most of the big, international rental car conglomerates operate in New Zealand. That means companies like Avis, Budget, and Hertz all have multiple offices in-country. This is a benefit in two ways: one, you can make reservations on those companies’ websites, or by calling them from your home country before you leave. Two, thanks to the free-market economy, competition helps keep prices low.
You will find rental car offices for those companies in most cities in New Zealand. Hertz, for example, has offices in 28 of the biggest cities. And if you know New Zealand, you’ll know there aren’t even 28 “big” cities to begin with.
There are also local companies that will rent you a car. Some of these include Ace Tourist Rentals (Auckland freephone: 0800 502 277), Pegasus Rentals (Auckland 09 358 5757), and Trusty Car Rentals (Christchurch 03 366 6329). Another one, Maui Tours (Auckland freephone: 0800 651 080), specializes in renting recreational vehicles (known as “caravans” in New Zealand).
Often, the smaller companies will be more willing to work with a traveler on price breaks. Rental cars that are sitting idle in the parking lot are not making anyone any money, but the bigger companies can absorb that idleness better than the smaller companies can, giving them less incentive to make a deal.
Some of the local companies will also offer additional deals. Maui Tours, for example, which has offices in Auckland on the North Island and Christchurch and Queenstown on the South Island, will give you free passage on the Interislander ferry (from Wellington to Picton) with rentals of 10 days or more. You can also find deals on one-way rentals that may include one ferry crossing, as well as transportation to and from the airport.
Renting a car in New Zealand over a longer term, such as a full month, will give you better price breaks than weekly, and especially daily, rentals. That goes for recreational vehicles as well.
And what the heck, as long as you’re taking the “trip of a lifetime” to New Zealand, you may as well stay a month and enjoy it!
Tags: auckland, car rental, car rentals, new zealand, north island, queenstown, rental cars, south island, tours, travel, trip to new zealand, wellingtonRelated posts
New Zealand’s South Island
Natural, untouched beauty! That’s what New Zealand’s South Island is all about. The South Island is home to the Southern Alps and some great skiing and snow boarding opportunities.
Christchurch is the busiest city in the South Island and also offers an international airport, with flights connecting directly to a lot of overseas destinations. The Sumner Beach, Gondola, Avon river and Cashmere hills are the main attractions in Chistchurch. The city centre is always busy with trams running frequently making it a great place to hang out!
Dunedin with it’s Cadbury’s factory and Queenstown with it’s adventure attractions are the other two cities that can’t be missed in the South Island. Queenstown also has bungee jumping opportunities, jet boats and ski dive opportunities. Milford sound tours also leave from Queenstown, and are highly recommended. Stewart island can also be visited by ferries leaving Invercargill.
Most cities in the South Island are well connected by Trans Rail and that’s perhaps the most convenient way to travel. Alternately, rental cars can also be booked and a drive along the West Coast is highly recommended. Getting to the South Island from the North Island is possible by either catching the Interislander ferry from Wellington or a Sounds Air flight from Wellington airport. Domestic flights run by Air New Zealand and other airlines also connect most other cities in the South Island to Wellington.
Tags: attractions, flights, milford sound, new zealand, north island, queenstown, rental cars, skiing, south island, stewart island, tours, travel, wellingtonRelated posts