If you’re planning a trip to New Zealand, you’ll quickly discover that this tiny country has a ton to see. Renting a car is certainly an option, but with all of the different cities you’ll want to visit, you’ll be changing hotels almost nightly. Who has the time (or the budget) for that? And, depending on how quickly you’re on the move, it may not be the most convenient option.
Enter the coolest, most efficient way to explore New Zealand: Campervans. It’s like your self-guided cruise ship on wheels. Unpack once and you’re done, and you’ve got your transportation and your lodging all in one. And they’re quickly increasing in popularity, so if you’ve got a New Zealand trip coming up soon, you’ve better reserve yours fast.
Aside from some of the obvious benefits we just mentioned, let’s explore some of the other awesome advantages of renting a campervan on your New Zealand trip:
You’ll get to see more
There is no check-in or check-out hotel schedule to follow, so you can stay in a particular as long as you want or leave when you’re ready. If you’re not traveling alone, you can take turns driving while someone sleeps so there isn’t any wasted time. This means being able to fit things into your itinerary that you may not have otherwise had time for, and it means having the time to stop along the way for any unexpected, interesting sights that you want to check out.
You’ll have everything you need on the go
The amenities you’ll have will vary by the specific campervan you reserve, but it’s not uncommon to have a full-sized bed, comfy lounging area, and a small cooking area. Some campervans even come equipped with Wi-Fi!
Lots of sleeping options
When you’re ready to settle in for the night, you have a lot of options for where you’re allowed to park. This includes camping sites, national parks, caravan parks, and so on. Many campervan accommodation areas are completely free of charge, which means you can save a bundle on your vacation overall.
Different from motorhomes
The campervans you commonly find in New Zealand are not the same thing as motorhomes, though they offer a lot of the same conveniences as motorhomes. They are much smaller than motorhomes and therefore, easier to manage; they are usually just the size of a regular car or a minivan. These small vehicles comfortably fit everything you need for a comfortable lodging experience! Motorhomes are also available for similar itineraries in New Zealand, and could be a better option for larger families.
Travel easily from one island to the other
Another neat benefit of campervans? If you’re visiting both the North Island and South Island, many campervan rentals will allow customers to bring their cars (no unpacking required) onto the ferry to their next destination. Once they’re there, they can simply hop into their campervan and continue their journey! This is definitely not something you can do with a full-sized motorhome.
Now, just getting to New Zealand: that’s kinda the tricky part. Unless you live in Australia, you’re probably pretty far from New Zealand, but there are still plenty of flights daily worldwide to New Zealand. You can fly via Hawaiian Airlines from the United States. If you live near Los Angeles, (or connect in LAX) you can fly also directly with a couple different airlines; American Airlines just launched their direct service to New Zealand in 2016. CheapFlights.com is a great tool for finding the best flight for your trip.
Have you ever traveled through New Zealand in a campervan? We’d love to hear about your experience!
