We have just booked our airline ticket for a 3 1/2 week touring New Zealand. We have already booked the majority of the hotels and are now in a state of shock.

Checking car rental websites, the lowest rate we could find for renting a car in north or south island was $60.00 dollars a day!!!!

We had expected weekly rates - does anyone have any advice on renting a car for

2 weeks in Auckland
and
1 week in Christchurch

We have not budgeted these fares; is this what we will have to pay?

Any advice is most appreciated!!!!

Thank you.

I am researching renting in the same locations. I just checked for Auckland using www.rental-car-in-new-zealand.com which then somehow took me to edit.travel.yahoo.com where I was able to put in our dates and I got quotes from a variety of car rental companies. Hertz only showed daily rates (but they were about $30-$40), but Avis and Budget both had weekly rates. The weekly rate for a compact was about $270 by the time you got done with taxes and all. Seems a bit less than what you are finding. I also found some similar rates on www.carrental-newzealand.net which took me to a UK site so the quotes were in pounds. Don't know if ANY of this is helpful, but maybe some places to start. Post back if you find anything better since we will be in the same boat soon !

We're leaving for the South Island in two weeks so I've really researched the rental car prices. Sorry, I don't think you can find low prices there but the way I made a difference in the total price was by using a smaller car company called NZ Rent A Car. Its website is www.nzrentacar.net. Our friends used this company and were very pleased with both the car and service. Our rental price is $59 a day for an automatic mid-size but the Excess Damage Waiver fee is only $8.00 a day. Be aware that all companies charge this extra fee which is a amount they charge if you get in an accident even if it is no-fault. The larger companies charge at least $21 or more per day. It'n not that much a big deal if you are only renting for a day or two but one of our rental periods is 10 days so the amount would huge over the base cost of the per day rental fee. On the advice of our friends, I first got an online price quote and then called them directly to ask about the EDW fee and he gave me a discounted $8 a day rate if you called him directly. That was a big help price-wise. Hope I've helped. Have a great trip!

We used Maui last year and were pleased with their service. If you plan to rent the car for 10 or more days, they will pay a one-way car ferry fee. You have to pay the foot passenger rate.

Check their website to make sure they still offer this option.

Lee Ann

The main Rental companies are quite expensive ( Avis, Budget, Thrifty etc ) but there are quite a few cheaper companies.
Check out this page (http://www.nzs.com/travel/transportation/rentals/cars/) and you will find loads of options.

Hope you find something suitable.

No cars are manufactured in New Zealand. They are all shipped in from Japan and other distant locations. The purchase price of a new car is much higher than in the United States. To recapture the cost of the car, the rental must be much higher.

Have you tried a search engine like travelocity or yahoo?

Try renting a smaller car, eg a Ford Focus, which you'll appreciate on the windy mountain roads.

Also, there are often good prices with the majors if you try a membership discount such as Costco, AAA, or your airline.

Does your credit card cover Collision Damage? Erube's information in the Excess Damage waiver being mandatory is not correct,someone sold him/her a line of goods. I have always waived it.

The purchase price of Toyotas are much higher in NZ because it is so much farther away than the U.S.?

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, ONE AND ALL

I have printed out ALL your suggestions and will start the research tomorrow.

I'm not so overwhelmed by the cost now - I know whatever it cost, the opportunity to see NZ for the first time will be worth every penny!~ We had considered a tour but NEVER would we have had such a diverse itinerary.

Thank you again.

The same thanks from me! I agree - we thought about tours, but are really looking forward to doing exactly what we want and being able to be flexible. I'm a little nervous about driving on the "other" side of the road, but am told by a friend of mine who has lived in New Zealand (and married a Kiwi) that we'll get the hang of it fairly quickly. Guess it can't be any worse than Chicago rush hour !

Another way to save if you are spending a few days in Auckland and Christchurch, is to not rent a car for the days when you see the city sights. You can see almost everything by foot or public transit if you pick the right hotel.

Just wanted to add that I have rented cars in Los Angeles, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand and when currency conversions are taken into account, they all work out to be pretty much the same price.

You will find you pay pretty much the same price for most things here in NZ ( restaurants, accommodation, entrance fees etc ) but when you do the sums, you should come out on top!

www.nzrentacar.net seems to have some good prices and they were very prompt at responding. The only downside to them over Budget or Avis seems to be that they require a 10% deposit to hold the car. But since the total rate they gave me for a 5 day rental in Auckland was $180 (that's NZ dollars not US), even if that deposit is nonrefundable, that's not bad.

I have made a 10 day reservation for a Toyota Corolla with http://www.ezirentcarhire.co.nz

I got a quote of NZ $560 for 10 days with no one way costs. We pick up our car in AKL then drop off the car in Rotorua, pick up another in Christchurch and do the final drop off in Queenstown. This is the only company I found that would allow it without any charges.

They did hold 10% for deposit. I am hoping they are reliable!

Vandy

thank you for all the great advice; I'm sure we'll lock in a good deal. The whole trip has already broken our budget but we feel every penny will be worth it.

Someone said how expensive rates are everywhere now; so true. Guess I was looking for those $110 a week rates we had last year in the states. Guess they are gone!

I'm sure we'll find some good weekly rates!

Thanks again everyone; I am checking out every website you all suggested.

Never been to NZ but have read some ghastly stories about people who were in car accidents with uninsured drivers (insurance is not compulsory in NZ)and needed long hospital stays or even medical travel home and were not adequately coverd by their own insurance. If you are driving, don't rely on a hire firms insurance in total, ensure you have sufficient cover of your own that will get you home in an air ambulance if necessary. OK it is a worse case scenario but for a little insurance you have peace of mind.

Muck

ALF, I think Barbara's point is valid. Toyota's Camry and Avalon models are manufactured in the US, and in fact I think most rental cars on offer in America are US-made. A lot of cars on NZ roads (including the Camry) are made in Australia, but the cost of shipping from Melbourne would be only marginally less than from Japan. Visitors who complain about prices in the lightly- populated Antipodes need to reflect on economies of scale. Everything that feeds into the price of a rental car, not just its purchase price, reflects this dismal principle.

Neil,
Yes, I agree with you that higher prices in NZ/Oz vs. U.S. are commonly centered around economies of scale. And yes, I do know that some Toyotas are manufactured in the U.S. and Oz, but my post was an attempt to point out that I really don't think that the higher cost of car hire is primarily due to the greater distance to import the cars.

In the US you do not have to purchase any insurance, in NZ you are purchasing mandatory insurance, (not including the excess collision damage).

I'll bet the tax paid on a new vehicle is much much higher in NZ.

Be aware that when you go to the smaller car companies you are renting an older vehicle, and probably will rely on Auto club if there are any breakdowns. Just be aware.

My parents are going to NZ in jan and they found they got cheaper prices on renting cars in NZ by phoning the companies directly. Saved a couple hundred NZ dollars compared with the Internet prices