Published
New Zealand campervan hire: key facts
- Daily price: median NZD 224 from Auckland, NZD 228 from Christchurch and NZD 340 from Queenstown for a 7-night return hire (checked September–October 2026)1.
- Cheapest months: winter pick-ups from May to August 2027, at medians of NZD 143–180 a day from Auckland and Christchurch1.
- Peak months: January 2027 pick-ups cost NZD 380 a day from Auckland and NZD 395 from Christchurch; February 2027 costs NZD 584 from Queenstown1.
- One-way hire: Auckland to Christchurch adds about NZD 150 to a return hire; Christchurch to Queenstown about NZD 7401.
- Hire length: a median of 11 days, for bookings made through our websites (pick-ups January 2023 to September 2026)2.
- Booking ahead: a median of 50 days before pick-up2.
- One-way share: about one hire in three (32%) is one-way2.
- Visitors: about 3.7 million overseas visitor arrivals in the year to August 20263.
How much does it cost to hire a campervan in New Zealand?
A campervan costs a median of NZD 224 a day from Auckland, NZD 228 from Christchurch and NZD 340 from Queenstown for a 7-night return hire, across pick-up months from October 2026 to September 20271. For a week, that comes to about NZD 1,570 from Auckland, NZD 1,600 from Christchurch and NZD 2,380 from Queenstown.
From Auckland, the middle 80% of quotes ran from NZD 70 to NZD 504 a day, depending on the van, the company and the month; from Christchurch, NZD 69 to NZD 5001. The type of van matters as much as the city: a budget van from Auckland had a median price of NZD 98 a day, a mid-range van NZD 190 and a premium van NZD 335. Prices change daily; to see today’s prices, compare campervan hire in New Zealand.
| Campervan hire companies, vans and prices by pick-up city, 2026–27 (NZD a day) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick-up city | Companies | Vehicle types | Median (NZD a day) | Middle 80% of quotes (NZD a day) | Budget median (NZD a day) | Mid-range median (NZD a day) | Premium median (NZD a day) |
| Auckland | 24 | 135 | 224 | 70–504 | 98 | 190 | 335 |
| Christchurch | 26 | 142 | 228 | 69–500 | 83 | 203 | 342 |
| Queenstown | 13 | 71 | 340 | 181–659 | 315 | 338 | 406 |
Source · Our price checks, 15 Sep–12 Oct 2026
What is the cheapest month to hire a campervan in New Zealand?
May and June are the cheapest months to pick up a campervan: a median of NZD 150 a day from Auckland in both months of 2027, and NZD 143 from Christchurch in June1. From Queenstown, August is cheapest, at NZD 219 a day.
January and February, the height of the New Zealand summer, cost the most: NZD 380 a day from Auckland and NZD 395 from Christchurch for January 2027 pick-ups, and NZD 584 from Queenstown in February 20271. A January pick-up from Auckland costs about two and a half times as much as a June one.
Pick-ups within 90 days of our checks cost more than later ones: a median of NZD 268 a day from Auckland, against NZD 210; NZD 250 against NZD 220 from Christchurch; and NZD 401 against NZD 316 from Queenstown1. Those months run into the summer peak, so the gap is partly the season and partly the short notice.
Is Queenstown more expensive for campervan hire?
Yes. A campervan from Queenstown had a median price of NZD 340 a day, about 50% more than from Auckland (NZD 224) or Christchurch (NZD 228)1. The gap is widest for budget vans: NZD 315 a day from Queenstown, more than three times the NZD 98 from Auckland and the NZD 83 from Christchurch. In Queenstown a budget van costs almost as much as a mid-range one (NZD 315 against NZD 338).
Fewer companies keep vans in Queenstown: 13 companies with 71 vehicle types in our checks, against 24 companies in Auckland and 26 in Christchurch1. Queenstown was the pick-up point for 15% of the campervan and motorhome bookings made through our websites, against 42% for Christchurch and 41% for Auckland2. Starting in Christchurch costs about a third less, so compare campervan hire in Christchurch with campervan hire in Queenstown before you book.
How much is a one-way campervan hire in New Zealand?
A one-way hire costs more than returning the van where you picked it up. Auckland to Christchurch is the cheapest common route: it adds a median of about NZD 150 to a return hire of the same length (typically NZD 100–205), and 27 companies offer it1. Routes to or from Queenstown add much more: about NZD 740 from Christchurch to Queenstown, NZD 660 the other way and NZD 800 from Auckland to Queenstown. Only 3 companies in our checks offer Auckland to Wellington, at about NZD 1,800 more than a return hire.
About one in three bookings made through our websites (32%) is one-way, and Auckland to Christchurch is the most common route, at 29% of one-way hires2.
| One-way campervan hire in New Zealand: extra cost and share of one-way bookings by route | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route | Extra cost over a return hire (NZD, median) | Typical range (NZD) | Companies offering it | Share of our one-way bookings |
| Auckland → Christchurch | 150 | 100–205 | 27 | 29% |
| Christchurch → Auckland | — | — | — | 19% |
| Queenstown → Christchurch | 660 | Some quotes from 384 | 14 | 17% |
| Christchurch → Queenstown | 740 | 527–1,800 | 16 | 13% |
| Auckland → Queenstown | 800 | 470–1,323 | 15 | 10% |
| Auckland → Wellington | 1,800 | — | 3 | — |
Source · Our price checks, 15 Sep–12 Oct 2026; Our booking data, pick-ups Jan 2023–Sep 2026
A one-way hire between Auckland and Christchurch means taking the van across Cook Strait by ferry, so check whether the crossing is in your quote. Crossing times and ferry numbers are in our Cook Strait statistics.
How long do people hire a campervan for in New Zealand?
The median campervan hire booked through our websites lasts 11 days, and the middle half run from 7 to 17 days2.
Hirers book a median of 50 days before pick-up, and the middle half book between 23 and 95 days ahead2. About 9 in 10 of them live outside New Zealand. Stats NZ counted 3.71 million overseas visitor arrivals in the year to August 2026, including 1.60 million from Australia and 389,000 from the United States3.
When do most people hire a campervan in New Zealand?
For campervans booked through our websites, February is the busiest pick-up month, with 14% of the year’s pick-ups, and January to March together account for 40%2. June is the quietest month, at 4%. The busy months are also the most expensive.
What size campervan do people hire in New Zealand?
Four-berth and two-berth campervans are booked about equally: 31% of bookings made through our websites were for a 4-berth and 30% for a 2-berth, followed by 6-berth (15%) and 3-berth (14%) vans2. Another 8% were 2-berth vans with a shower and toilet, and 3% were 5-berth.
| Campervan vehicle types by number of berths, Auckland and Christchurch, 2026–27 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sleeps | Auckland (vehicle types) | Christchurch (vehicle types) |
| 2 or fewer | 65 | 70 |
| 3 | 17 | 18 |
| 4 | 38 | 38 |
| 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 or more | 13 | 14 |
| Total vehicle types | 135 | 142 |
| With a toilet and shower | 81 | 82 |
Source · Our price checks, 15 Sep–12 Oct 2026
Can you hire a campervan in Wellington, Picton, Nelson or Dunedin?
Only as a delivered van. None of the companies we compare keeps a depot fleet in Wellington, Picton, Nelson or Dunedin; 2–3 companies deliver vans there, at a median of NZD 550–596 a day1. That is more than twice the median from Auckland or Christchurch.
| New Zealand cities with delivered campervans only, 2026–27 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| City | Island | Depot fleet in our checks | How you get a van |
| Wellington | North Island | None | Delivered by a company based elsewhere |
| Picton | South Island | None | Delivered by a company based elsewhere |
| Nelson | South Island | None | Delivered by a company based elsewhere |
| Dunedin | South Island | None | Delivered by a company based elsewhere |
Source · Our price checks, 15 Sep–12 Oct 2026
About our figures
The prices on this page are medians of the daily rates quoted for 7-night return hires by the companies we compare, checked 15 September–12 October 2026; they leave out insurance to reduce the excess, one-way fees and extras. Booking figures come from bookings made through our websites, for pick-ups from January 2023 to September 2026.
More New Zealand facts & statistics
Campervan hire in New Zealand
References
- Motorhome Choice price checks: New Zealand campervan and motorhome hire, 15 Sep–12 Oct 2026Motorhome ChoicePublished 2026-10-12
- Motorhome Choice booking data: New Zealand pick-ups, January 2023–September 2026Motorhome ChoicePublished 2026-10-12
- Freedom Camping Changes (Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act)mbie.govt.nzPublished 2023-06-01 · Retrieved 2026-10-14
