Hopeful_Odysseus

Like Melissa5, my husband and I are going to South Island in mid-Oct. for our 25th anniversary for a 2 week vacation before moving on to a Tahitian Princess Nov. sailing. Since he's indulging me with the cruise, he has asked I indulge him on South Island by traveling in a campervan. Does anyone have any experience with campervan rentals? I have enjoyed reading responses to Melissa5's itinerary requests; I'm sure I'll have some of my own as we plan. But I'd like to know general opinions on campervans rentals and where in South Island having a campervan is the biggest advantage. Do you have to overnight in campgrounds or are you able to just pull over in national parks, etc. at will? We visited New Zealand about 8 years ago and have decided to concentrate on South Island this time, looking forward to enjoying the natural areas and doing many day hikes. Thus my husband's interest in the camper vans! Any info and experiences will be appreciated. Thanks!

mlgb

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=3

Hope that link posts okay. If not do a search on "camper van" and "campervan". There has been a lot of discussion on this.

I can only relay the experience of my boss. His normal car was a Lincoln Continental. He turned in the campervan after one day and got a passenger car, because he was uncomfortable driving on the other side, on narrower winding roads. Just something to consider.

ALF

We owned a campervan and traveled around both Islands for about a half-year. I think that it is a great way to see NZ. If you only have 2 weeks, you can cover so much more ground by saving the time you would have spent packing/unpacking checking in/out of hotels. Plus, you don't have to eat out all the time.

I would hire a smaller van-based camper, which will be just fine for a couple. It handles easily along narrow or winding roads, parks easily, and is reasonably economical, petrol-wise. The only drawback is that most of these do not have a toilet.

You can certainly stop along many roadsides overnight, but we generally stayed in the ubiquitous Holiday Parks that are found in just about every town. They are inexpensive, and you can plug in, use the communal dining facilities, and ablution block for showers/toilets. We also enjoyed meeting travelers around the dinner table, an experience that few hotel-travelers will get.

GBZ

Here is something I put together about campervans v car hire. It may help a bit.

http://www.newzealandatoz.com/motorh...dcarrental.php

Campervans and Motorhomes are a very popular way of seeing New Zealand. There are many campervan/motorhome companies to choose from from top of the line new vehicles to older “sleepervans”(vans with a bed and basic camping equipment in the back) During the peak season (December to the end of February) campervans and motorhomes are nearly always fully booked , so forward bookings are a must. November and March and also very busy so it is advisable to book during these months. The rest of the year you could just turn up and you will find something. During the off season many rental companies are open to price negotiaton, as there are plenty of vehicles sitting around not getting used, including cars.
There are lots of campsites to stay at (which are all of high quality), or you can just “free camp”. You can stop in rest areas around NZ, and stay the night as long as there are no signs stating “no camping” or similar messages, and you are not in anyones way, for free. It is not illegal, as the police would rather see you sleep than drive sleepy. Campervans and motorhomes let you stay in some beautiful remote parts of NZ. There are lots of places to stop and rest for the night. During the summer season there are thousands of motor homes on New Zealand roads and you will find plenty of new friends from all over the world having the New Zealand campervan adventure.

New Zealand has all the major car rental companies and you can get new cars and near new cars for top daily hire prices. There are so many car hire companies ranging up and down the price range and size (from around $15 per day upwards) If you hire cheaper cars and stay at the many backpackers or hostels around NZ you can get a cheaper package than a campervan/motorhome, but you are not as flexible.
Cars are also as popular in the peak season, just about to the same level as the campervans and motorhomes. Booking is advisable during the peak seasons.

Car vs motorhome would depend on your budget and the degree of comfort you require. The motorhome option is a very popular choice with travellers and a fun way to see beautiful New Zealand, so that would be my choice.

din071

I seriously cosidered a campervan tour of the sth island but was eventually turned off due to the hidden costs. The insurance excess was very expensive, even in the event of a non-fault accident and the extra cost to reduce this excess can prove expensive. There is also a $3.00 per 100km charge levied for diesel tax (should you have a diesel campervan). As I was travelling alone I opted for the cheap car/motel option. There were lots of campervans on the road so it is obviously a great and flexible way to see some fantasic scenery, just be aware that there may be extra charges. Enjoy.