Road Trip New Zealand – From Christchurch to Auckland
On the road with a hire car
Many people choose to do this by hire car, and they make a good decision. The country is vast and having a car gives you flexibility. One of the classics when landing in Christchurch is the tour to Auckland, or vice versa. You should plan a good fourteen days for it, better still three weeks. Because on the way there are not only geysers, mud pools, rainforests and the sea, but also many interesting people. But that’s a separate article.
Car-free across Cook Street
This is about the specifics of renting the car – because if you are travelling by car between Christchurch and Auckland, you have to cross the sea, more precisely the Cook Strait, which separates the North Island and the South Island. Basically, this is no problem thanks to the modern ferry traffic. On the approximately three-hour crossing between Wellington and Picton, there is – in calm seas, which is rarely the case – much to discover. Also, it is possible at all car rentals to book the one-way trip between both places without any extra charge. But normally, one will not cross with the rented car but will get a new car in the booked category on the respective other island. Both hire cars thus remain on the island on which they were also booked.
Inform in time
For the crossing itself, leaving the car behind is an advantage, as capacity can be tight, especially during the peak travel season from October to March. Nevertheless, a timely planning of the tour is necessary so that a suitable vehicle is available at the rental station on the other island at the right time. The chosen hire car company will organise this – but for this purpose, they have to be informed not only about the arrival time but also about the planned itinerary. If possible, this should be done at least two to three weeks before the start of the trip.
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Road Trip New Zealand - From Christchurch to Auckland