Cheap car rental in New Zealand (South/North Island)
Rent a car in New Zealand and explore North Island and South Island with utmost ease at the cheapest prices offered by VIPCars. Where with public transport you will have to wait for the schedules and for every time you need to travel around taxis are not a convenient option either, a car rental allows you the freedom to make your own travel decisions to save a lot of time as well as effort. With a car rental, you can discover the nooks and crannies of both islands with the utmost convenience.
Note: You won’t be allowed to take your car rental on a ferry to either of the islands.
Our 3-step booking- Search, Compare & Book is quick and easy, where you can apply filters to your search and only see the results relevant to your trip type. You can also make an offline reservation for a car rental in New Zealand with our 24/7 customer support.
Why rent a car in New Zealand
- New Zealand is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and comprises spectacular and diverse natural beauty - spiky mountains, pristine trout-filled lakes, beautiful beaches, and active volcanic zones. All of which are located far apart from each other!
- With so much to cover, a car rental in New Zealand is the best way to cover most of what you want. Most experienced travelers rent a car for traveling around for years as it is considered one of the best ways to travel. It is also advised to rent a car in NZ well in advance to save more, so book your vehicle right away with VIPCars for maximum benefit! enjoy your travel
Car rental deal-types for NZ | Long-term, monthly, weekly,& one-day NZ car rentals |
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Most popular rental car-types | Vans, economy, minivans, SUVs & luxury car rentals |
Car Rental Companies in New Zealand
VIPCars has an association with some of the topmost car rental brands in New Zealand. We offer a platform where you can compare several suppliers and select the one best suits your requirements. With the deal you select, you also get inclusions such as Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Theft Waiver (THW), local taxes, breakage assistance, unlimited mileage, etc.
Following are some of the topmost car rental companies in New Zealand providing quality cars:
Europcar
Hertz
Thrifty
Jucy Rentals
Go Rentals
Ace Rental Cars
Enterprise
National
Sixt
Alamo
Types of Car Hire in New Zealand
We offer the widest variety of car rental types in New Zealand with the help of our partner suppliers. Hence, no matter if you are a business traveler looking for a luxury car rental in New Zealand, an adventurer pinning for an SUV, a road trip fanatic searching a minivan or a 4x4 for some off-road adventure, or looking for an open-air experience with a convertible car rental we have it all.
Below mentioned are the car rental categories for New Zealand you can consider reserving according to your trip type.
- Minivan
A multi-people carrier, it can seat 8 to 15 people and hence comes with even more luggage space and more amenities.
- SUV
If you are traveling with equipment for Ski or other gear for some adventure on a beach or a national park, an SUV rental is highly recommended.
- Luxury
A luxury car rental in New Zealand is mostly opted by business travelers. Simply, travelers looking for the utmost comfort can utilize the features of a luxury car.
- Convertible
A convertible car rental in New Zealand is best for coastal drives when you wish to travel as a couple or a small group of up to 4 people.
Tips for renting a car in New Zealand
Struggling with questions like 'What do I need to hire a car in New Zealand?’ here we are covering some basic essentials that every renter – no matter the nationality – will need to possess to successfully rent a car in New Zealand.
The minimum age to rent a car in New Zealand is 21 years. Some suppliers may charge extra for drivers under 25.
- Travelers who are visiting NZ from US/Aus, for less than a year are allowed to drive on their native DLs. After a year you will need to procure a license issued by the NZ government to keep driving on the country roads.
- If your Driver’s License (DL) is not printed in the Roman alphabet, you will need to present an International Driving Permit (IDP) for renting a car in New Zealand.
- For most suppliers, the driver’s license has required to be valid for more than a year.
- Most suppliers only allow you to rent a car if you have an active credit card in the name of the main driver.
- Though a credit card is a mandatory document that almost every supplier asks for, if you don’t have a credit card contact us for further assistance.
- A credit card also comes handy because some companies also provide vehicle insurance extendable to rentals, which is quite helpful in case you don’t have auto insurance.
Car hire pickup & drop-off locations in New Zealand
New Zealand - 'Home to Middle Earth’ as the Lord-of-the-Ring-fanatics call it - is truly magnificent. Whether it is North Island or South Island, the wide network that VIPcars.com offers, lets you pick-up a vehicle almost anywhere in either of the islands.
The following are the most popular car rental locations in NZ. (The full list of the car rental locations can be accessed on our search form):
One-way car rentals in New Zealand
and Multi-Island Rentals
With VIPCars, one-way car rental in New Zealand is possible, where you can pick up your rental car at one location and drop it off at any other location within the same island.
Our New Zealand car rental suppliers only allow domestic one-way car rentals. If you have any queries as to what are the conditions for renting a car in New Zealand, you can refer to the 'Supplier Rental Terms’ in the search result page along with the cars.
Major attractions in New Zealand: Explore
NZ in a Rental Car

The Mackenzie Country
The Mackenzie Country - its snow-capped jagged peaks as a backdrop to turquoise lakes has been providing the inspiration for numerous postcards.

Aoraki Mount Cook
Aoraki Mount Cook is the country's highest peak. Another region where mountain encounters water with striking effect is Fiordland National Park.
Tips for Driving a Car Rental in New Zealand
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Driving lane
You must drive on the left side of the road, and overtake on the right.
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Mobile phones while Driving your Car in NZ
Using mobile while driving is an offense in NZ, you will have to park your car somewhere to do so.
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Driving a rental car during winters in NZ
Snow and ice make roads slippery, so make sure that you have proper snow chains for your travels. You can request it at the time of car rental booking.
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Wear a Seat-belt at all times
A gentle reminder, do wear a seatbelt for your own safety and use proper restraint systems for children and toddlers.
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Speed limits while driving in New Zealand
Look out for the speed limit signs on the sides of the roads; these signs usually have a red ring in which the speed limit is written. Also, take note that in NZ Speed limit is measured in km/hr.
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Drinking Driving
It is highly suggested to not drink and drive for your own safety and as the regulations are quite strict in New Zealand, you may get booked for it.
FAQs - Car Hire New Zealand
To book a cheap car rental in New Zealand make sure to make the reservation well in advance. The earlier you book the cheaper the rates for car rentals are. As VIPCars offers guaranteed cheapest car rental prices, so make a booking through us to avail the maximum benefit.
You will need a Driver’s License (DL), an International Driving Permit (IDP) if your DL is not in the Roman alphabet, and proof of identity to rent a car in New Zealand. You will also need a credit card in the main driver’s name to pay the security deposit and a Confirmation Rental Voucher at the rental desk to make a pick-up.
Auckland, Queenstown, and Christchurch are some of the most popular locations for car rentals in New Zealand. Renters mostly prefer to rent cars at the airports of these mentioned cities.
Car rental suitable for you would totally depend upon your trip type. Economy car rentals in New Zealand are preferred by travelers on a certain budget as these cars are cheaper, if traveling in a bigger group rent a van/minivan. And if you are to travel around the mountainous regions SUV rentals are perfect. For people looking for the utmost comfort, luxury car rental in New Zealand is the most suitable type.