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If you are fortunate enough to take a trip to New Zealand, your flight will most likely land at Auckland International Airport, which is the main airport in all of New Zealand. This airport is located in a small suburb called Mangere, located just 21km south of Auckland.
This airport is located in a small suburb called Mangere, located just 21km south of Auckland. Although it is not in the capital of New Zealand (which is Wellington), this is the only airport in the country that receives a large volume of international flights, the others only receive a couple per week.
Something that many tourists who arrive at this airport choose is to rent a car right here since there are a large number of agencies available. Here you will find internationally renowned companies, such as AVIS, Budget, Hertz, Sixt and Thrifty among others.
The best thing to do is to book a car online so you make sure you get the one you want and start enjoying driving on the road as soon as you start the trip.
As surprising as it may sound, there are not a large number of car rental agencies in New Zealand. Anyway, do not panic, you will undoubtedly find one that suits your needs and the perfect car for your type of trip. If you choose not to rent at the airport and do it in downtown Auckland or Wellington, the best thing you can do is rent the car at a local agency. If you prefer to rent it from an international agency then do it at the airport since you will save time and there they have a standard price. In downtown, you will find better prices and advice from locals that will undoubtedly help you on your trip. The currency of this country is New Zealand Dollar, and it is the only one that is accepted in small agencies (as well as in most restaurants or stores), so you should have that or credit cards.
When planning the trip by car, keep in mind that you will have to go at a slow speed and with caution if you have never driven in this country. New Zealand's diverse terrains make the roads often narrow, hilly, winding, and have hairpin turns. There are only a few highways outside the main cities. Most roads have only one lane in each direction, you can also find gravel roads, so keep your eyes open at all times. You must know that in New Zealand you drive on the left side of the road and in vehicles, the driver's seat is on the right. If you are used to driving on the right side, this can be difficult to remember, especially when entering traffic, so the first few days you will have to repeat it like a mantra in your head.
Other tips are:
One of the best car rental agencies in Auckland is GO Rentals. It has a 4.7-star rating on Google and is the most chosen one by tourists who travel from different parts of the world. You can reserve the car through their website without any inconvenience, or do it personally once you arrive. It has a large fleet, including electric Tesla cars, for those who want to travel the country taking care of the environment. They also have other types of cars from Toyotas to Ford, Fiats and Chevrolets so there is one for everyone. All cars are relatively modern or new, at least from the last 7 years so by renting here, you make sure you get a good quality car. You can also find this company in Wellington, so no matter where you are in New Zealand, you will have an office of them willing to help you.
Another good company located in the city of Wellington is Apex Car rentals, with a rating of 4.4 stars, where the comments highlight how simple the process of renting a car is and the security and confidence that the agency provides. The advice given by the employees is unique, so if it is your first time in New Zealand you should definitely go to them.
A must-do if you are in New Zealand by car is the road from Hokitika to the city of Haast, a popular road for visitors who want to stop to see the glaciers of New Zealand, it is 278 km long on the map and It may appear to be a short trip of 3 hours, but in reality, it will take at least 4 hours since you must go at a low speed due to the insecurity of the road (gravel, curves, etc.). Fear not though, thousands of people make that trip every year and there aren't many accidents. Lovers of movies and series should take a trip to Hobbiton, which used to be the filming set for the scenes of the hobbit village and the Shire in the famous movie The Lord of the Rings.
