21 days in New Zealandstarting in April?
 

We plan on leaving LA around April 21, spending 21 days in New Zealand. Haven't made plane reservations yet...what is a good fare (2 seniors)? Best airline? We plan on driving visiting both islands. Hope to stay in B&B's, farms, keeping cost down. Any suggestions. Our first trip "west", we go to Europe but husband said "no more trips to Europe until we see New Zealand"!! Hope to hear from you seasoned travelers.

Hi sasi!

Not a seasoned traveler, but my hubby and I are also planning a trip to NZ, and also OZ. We're leaving Denver around April 10th, we only have about 6 days in NZ, and I thought renting a campervan looked like a cost efficient alternative to rental car and accomodations. I've had several friends tell me that Quantas is worth the extra $ on the long flight from LA. I'm open to any and all info as we feel this is the trip of a lifetime!

Can't help much with fare info from the US, as we always travel to NZ from the Middle East. We purchase around-the-world tickets, which enable us to visit NZ, the US and then circle back from which we came. We've flown on Qantas, Air New Zealand and United (don't think they're flying to NZ from CA anymore though). Our most recent flight on Air New Zealand from Auckland to LA was a bit of a disappointment service and food wise(Business class), but I'd certainly fly them again. I haven't flown Qantas in several years, so can't help there.

Have you determined how long you wish to stay on each island? What areas you might want to visit? What type of activities interest you? Are you flying into Auckland and beginning your trip there, or flying to Christchurch?

I can recommend a good car rental company that you might want to look into - Nova - www.rentacar-newzealand.com. They provide instant online quotes. We've used this company on three trips to NZ and have been very happy with their service.

I'd be happy to provide recommendations on places to stay, things to see in certain areas, etc. If you can provide a tad more info on what you're interested in and what places you'd like to see, we Fodorites might be a bit more helpful.

Don't overplan your itinary. Some of the guidebooks suggest you can spend days in certain places (Napier for example), I found Napier warranted about a day at most, whereas places like the Coromandel Peninsula are often overlooked. Book your ferry crossing and car hire in advance. Work out a rough driving itinary, be prepared to be flexible and then just take the rest as it comes. In most places you'll have no trouble finding accomodation to meet your budget. You'll love it!

Thank you all for your replies. We have booked our flight, LA to Auckland direct on Qantas, good price I think - $900, direct flight. Now we are 4 seniors going, from April 19 to May 10. We plan on staying at b & bs, farm stays as much as possible. We would like to make as many reservations as possible before leaving, especially since we need two rooms. Looking for recommendations for great places to stay, not too expensive. We will be renting a car and visiting both islands. We particularly like scenery so will only stay in or near cities as necessary. We have planned many trips to Europe using Fodors, love this site, and hope that it helps us thru this new part of the world! Looking forward to hearing from all of you. Sasi