Car Rental at New Zealand’s Regional Airports

Quick summary: New Zealand’s regional airports put you right in the middle of the country’s best scenery, and most have rental car pickups. Flying into Kerikeri for the Bay of Islands, Rotorua for geothermal country, Hokitika for the glaciers or Dunedin for the Otago Peninsula can save a day or more of driving from the main gateways. A short domestic flight and a rental car is often the most efficient way to see a single region.

At a glance
North Island	Kerikeri, Rotorua, Taupō, Tauranga, Napier
South Island	Nelson, Blenheim, Hokitika, Dunedin, Invercargill
By rail	Greymouth, at the end of the TranzAlpine
Best for	Seeing one region without a long drive
Booking	Small fleets, so book early in busy periods
Tours	Featured New Zealand tours

Compare car rental at Rotorua Airport

Which regional airports suit which trips?

Airport	Region	Tours	Car rental
Kerikeri	The Bay of Islands and Northland	Bay of Islands	Compare
Rotorua	Geothermal parks and Māori culture	Rotorua	Compare
Taupō	Lake Taupō and Tongariro	Taupō, Tongariro	Compare
Tauranga	Mount Maunganui and the Bay of Plenty	Tauranga	Compare
Napier	Art deco Napier and Hawke’s Bay wineries	Napier	Compare
Nelson	Abel Tasman and Golden Bay	Abel Tasman	Compare
Blenheim	Marlborough’s wineries	Marlborough	Compare
Hokitika	The West Coast and the glaciers	Franz Josef and Fox	Compare
Dunedin	The Otago Peninsula’s wildlife	Otago Peninsula	Compare
Invercargill	Southland, the Catlins and Stewart Island ferries	Te Anau	Compare

Why fly into a regional airport?

To spend your time in the region rather than on the road. Auckland to the Bay of Islands is a three-and-a-half-hour drive, but a short flight to Kerikeri puts you around 25 km from Paihia. Christchurch to the glaciers is a long day over the Alps, while Hokitika is around two hours from Franz Josef.

What about Greymouth and the TranzAlpine?

The TranzAlpine train crosses the Southern Alps from Christchurch to Greymouth. Collecting a rental car at Greymouth railway station lets you ride the train one way, then drive the West Coast south to the glaciers.

Compare car rental at Greymouth railway station

What should you know about regional pickups?

Fleets are smaller than at the main airports, so book early in busy periods, and check counter hours against your flight time, especially for late arrivals. One-way rentals from regional airports may carry higher fees. See one-way car rentals.

Which regional trips suit a campervan instead?

Longer loops such as Northland or the West Coast suit a campervan well. See the motorhome route legs and campervan or car rental?.

Frequently Asked Questions