Car Rental New Zealand 101: A Personal Experience

When I was preparing for my trip to New Zealand I knew I wanted to visit many of the sights that each of the main islands have to offer. I needed a way to get around without having to rely on the schedules of public transportation or itineraries from tour groups, so I pondered the idea of getting a car rental New Zealand because it would allow me to go wherever I wanted to without wasting precious time. Vacations feel short enough as it is so I wanted to make the most of my trip!

Car rentals in New Zealand are also very affordable especially when you consider the fact that you are in control and you don't have to worry about catching buses or following a specific schedule. The internet makes it easy to do so many things these days and I was able to land myself a great New Zealand rental car without even leaving my house. Find great deals on car rentals.

I knew that I would be flying into Auckland and I learned that I could actually be picked up by the rental car company. Awesome! Shortly upon landing and gathering my luggage I was able to meet my driver and my rental car out by the curb. After I got into the car I first had to thank them for picking me up and then we made our way to the rental car office to do paperwork. This process was just as easy as it was to reserve the car via internet. I did have to show them a couple of things for identification purposes, but that is to be expected and the whole process was quick and painless. Within minutes I was able to take off in new vehicle and find my own way using the road maps that I had. Did I mention the gas tank was full?

The most difficult time I had with my rental car New Zealand was getting the hang of driving on the left side of the road. That was something I had to get used to but it actually felt quite natural after a short time. Perhaps the best thing about having my own rental car was the fact that I could stop, rest and eat at my own convenience.

The South Island was still on my list of things to do and see so after about a week of touring with my rental car in New Zealand, I began my journey south. You’re probably wondering how I got my rental car from the North Island to the South Island right? Well, I contacted the rental car company that I obtained the car from and they booked a ticket for the Inter-islander Ferry out of Wellington. Just a couple of hours later I was able to drive my rental right off the ship and continue my journey. I didn't even know that was possible.

Upon my arrival on the South Island of New Zealand, I opted to head for the coastlines because they are gorgeous. I'm afraid to live on a coast, but I love to visit them! I clearly remember not ever wanting to leave. From there, I stopped in Dunedin and Christchurch for a short time to see what the cities had to offer. My rental car would need to be returned soon as my vacation time was rapidly coming to an end. I was a bit nervous about the process of returning the vehicle, but that ended up being just as easy and quick as when I had originally obtained the car. One of the employees even drove me back to the airport so I didn't have to worry about transportation.

I will never forget my trip and exploring with my rental car. New Zealand has two beautiful islands and I was happy I got to visit both of them. Rental car service was a breeze and I had such a great time exploring a new place. I think renting a car was a great choice because I just don’t think I would’ve seen as much if I had been trapped on a tour bus for days. I highly recommend exploring New Zealand by rental car and I can hardly wait to go back and see some of the other things that I missed. There never seems to be enough time when it comes to vacations!