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Motorhome rental costs in Wellington average between $75-$465/day for the majority of vehicles. Rates are dependent on demand, length of reservation and camper model.
Campervan travel is mainstream in New Zealand, and there’s ample RV infrastructure to meet demand. With abundant campsites, water refills and dump points, #vanlife is all too easy on the North Island.
One-way rentals are also an option with some travellers choosing to drive up to Auckland, Christchurch (South Island) or Queenstown (South Island).
Cabana
6-Berth Volkswagen Crafter
Path Explorer 6-Berth
Condo
4-Berth GEM Premium
6-Berth SAM Premium
Deluxe Sleepervan
4 1 Family Trail Finder
6-Berth Frontier
Platinum River
Rocket 2-Berth
Cabana
Rocket 2-Berth
6-Berth SAM Premium
6-Berth Frontier
Platinum River
Not all vehicles may be available. Use the search tool to check availability for your travel dates.
On average, you can expect to pay between NZD $75 to $465 daily for a campervan rental in Wellington (most fees included).
The cost of hiring a campervan in New Zealand depends on:
Campervan hire companies in Wellington offer three distinct vehicle types:
The low-cost campervan is a small, budget-friendly option with basic cooking facilities and a fold-out bed. Some come with high roofs so you can stand up inside.
The 4WD camper is a rugged off-road vehicle capable of cruising through remote bumpy tracks. While these hardy beasts let you go more places, you’ll have to put up with limited space and basic facilities.
The motorhome is a larger, more luxurious campervan, typically sleeping 4 to 6 guests. Fancy facilities may include an ensuite with a hot shower, a lounge with a TV, and a full kitchen. Although more spacious and comfortable, the motorhome is expensive to rent and refuel.
Note that in New Zealand, the term campervan is a catch-all phrase to encompass any kind of motorised camping vehicle.
Ensure your campervan has an official self-contained certification if you plan to freedom camp on the North Island.
Most campervan rental companies lower their rates during the off-season from April to September, making it the cheapest time to hire an RV in Wellington.
If you're flexible with your travel dates, it's worth comparing prices from different rental companies and booking in advance to get the best deal. Additionally, consider booking a campervan for a longer period of time, as rental companies often offer discounts for extended rentals.
Yes, you can. All the major cities in New Zealand, such as Auckland and Wellington in the North Island, Christchurch and Queenstown in the South Island, have depots located at the airport.
Several more companies offer their airport rentals as “serviced non-depot locations”, meaning that although they do not have a physical depot at the airport, they will arrange to bring the vehicle to you.
A decked-out campervan offers the most convenient, fun, and cost-effective way to explore the otherworldly landscapes of New Zealand’s North Island. Here’s why you should consider a camper over a hire car and hotel:
Affordable: A campervan covers your transport and accommodation expenses with one reasonable daily rate.
Save time: Instead of returning to your hotel every day, just roll on over to the nearest campsite and retire for the night.
Freedom: No need to craft a complex itinerary of tours and hotels. A campervan gives you the flexibility to explore the North Island on your own terms.
Stay close to nature: Forget staring at a stuffy hotel ceiling. With a campervan, you’ll be kicking back in a spectacular campsite while gazing up at the stars.
Convenience: All your everyday essentials will be right there when you need them. Fancy a hot shower and fresh clothes after a tough day on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing? No worries.
When driving around Wellington in a campervan rental, remember these important tips:
A campervan is the cheapest way to travel around the North Island. And by following these nifty money-saving tips, you’ll be able to reduce your daily expenses even further.
Avoid peak season: Like airlines, Wellington motorhome rental companies base prices on availability. Travelling outside peak periods like Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, and New Zealand school holidays will save you a tidy sum.
Book ahead of time: Getting in early gives you a better choice of vehicles and access to low daily rental rates. As they say, the early bird gets the worm.
Compare rental companies: A campervan comparison tool like CamperChamp can instantly compare the top Wellington rental companies. That saves you time and money.
Go small: A massive motorhome will cost a pretty penny to rent and refuel. Opt for a small, budget-friendly campervan to minimise your hire fees.
Added extras: The top rental agencies include extras like camping chairs and cooking gear, so you won’t have to purchase these one-off items yourself.
Extend your stay: Many rental companies offer decent discounts for extended stays of a week or more. Stay longer to save on your daily rate.
Stick to the north: Crossing over to the South Island will cost you dearly in ferry tickets, fuel, and one-way drop-off fees. Save the South Island for next time.
Return to Wellington: If you drop your campervan off in Auckland, you’ll get stung with a hefty one-way drop-off fee. Most budget travellers prefer to return their campervan to the pick-up point. Weigh up the options to see what works for you.
Plan a rough route: There’s no need to draw up a strict itinerary. A rough circular route lets you minimise backtracking and save on fuel.
Refuel strategically: Speaking of fuel, petrol doesn’t come cheap in New Zealand. Use the GASPY mobile app to pinpoint the most affordable service stations in your area.
Cook: Eating out also isn’t cheap in New Zealand. Good thing you’ve got a kitchen in the campervan. Unleash your inner Masterchef to save.
Find free camps:A slew of scenic free campsites lie scattered around the North Island.
Hit the trails: New Zealand is a world-class hiking destination, and the North Island’s breathtaking trails won’t cost you a dime.
New Zealand has notoriously fickle weather, and the North Island is no exception. Come prepared for all conditions any time of year and expect four seasons in one day.
Wellington is one of the windiest places in the country due to its precarious position near the Cook Straight—the locals call it “Windy Wellington.” Pack a windproof jacket.
The best time to explore the North Island in a campervan is summer (Dec-Feb), when you can expect warm balmy days and relatively pleasant nights. However, these agreeable temperatures make summer the peak travel period, so you’ll have to contend with higher prices and thicker crowds.
Autumn (Mar-May) is an awesome time to explore in a campervan, especially at the start of the season when the weather’s still reasonably warm. Although colder, April and May see the foliage transform into earthy hues of yellow and brown. Check out Hawkes Bay for the best leaf-peeping action.
Winter (Jun-Aug) gets rather chilly throughout most of the North Island. Snow blankets the high-altitude mountains but is rare in the lowlands. Rent a campervan with a heater to stay comfortable, or head to Northland for warmer weather. Ski resorts like Whakapapa and Ohakune open from June to October.
Spring (Sep-Nov) sees the flowers bloom and landscapes adopt luscious emerald-green hues. The ski resorts continue to welcome punters until late October, while the weather gets much warmer come November. Melting snow makes rivers roar into action, perfect for white-water rafting. Horticulturalists should check out the Taranaki Rhododendron and Garden Festival.
As New Zealand’s most populous island, a broad range of fun-filled shindigs takes place throughout the year. The biggest North Island festivals and events include:
Northern Bass (December, Mangawhai)
Rhythm and Vines (December, Gisborne)
One Love (January, Tauranga)
Art Deco Weekend (February, Napier)
Splore (February, Auckland)
Balloons over Waikato (March, Hamilton)
Earth Beat Aotearoa (March, Kaipara Harbour)
Beach Hop (March, The Coromandel)
Pasifika Festival (March, Auckland)
Homegrown (March, Wellington)
Womad (March, Taranaki)
Matariki (June, Nationwide)
World of Wearable Art (September, Wellington)
Hobbit Day (September, Matamata)
Three days let you see Wellington’s highlights without rushing about. You could spend more or less time depending on your interests.
As for the North Island, allow one to two weeks for a leisurely campervan adventure. As it’s relatively compact, you don’t need a lot of leave to enjoy a well-paced holiday. The drive from Auckland to Wellington, for example, only takes eight hours.
Two weeks gives you sufficient time to see most highlights and enjoy activities like boat cruises and hikes. One week means you’ll need to be more selective about where you visit and skip a few spots.
Is it worth combining the North and South islands into one epic, trans-New Zealand trip?
It’s viable, though most campervan travellers prefer to stick to one island at a time. Once you add on the Picton-Wellington car ferry and pricey one-way drop-off fees, combining both islands becomes an expensive endeavour. Besides, there’s plenty to see in the north for one trip.
Despite being a small city, narrow streets and compact urban planning make parking in Wellington a bit of a chore.
An hourly fee of $5 applies to almost all 3,300 on-street parking spaces in the city centre from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday. Rates outside the CBD are lower—budget $3 to $4 per hour. On weekends, on-street parking between 8 am and 8 pm costs $3 per hour (public holidays are free).
The Wellington City Council has published a handy parking fee map. Pay for parking with coins or debit/credit cards at the machines near each bay.
Most metered on-street parking has a time limit of 120 minutes, though some of the more sought-after spots only allow 30 minutes.
For medium-term parking, try the Freyberg Car Park and Clyde Quay Car Park—both allow up to four hours. Long-term parking of up to 12 hours is available at the following locations:
Oriental Parade
Kent Terrace
Cambridge Terrace
Thorndon Quay, Hutt Road
Kelburn Parade
Salamanca Road
Glasgow Street
The council also operates multi-storey car parks in the city centre and waterfront district, which cost $5 per hour. Pay attention to your height restrictions before entering.
Limited space, high parking fees, and narrow streets prompt many campervan travellers to use Wellington’s Park & Ride service. Uncovered car parks near Metlink railway stations offer free all-day parking. The system operates on a first-in-first-served basis, and spaces are limited—get in early.
Wilson Parking has a wide range of car parks around the city, with prices ranging from $3 to $7 per hour. The Parkopedia website is a valuable resource for locating car parks and comparing rates.
Unfortunately, Wellington doesn’t have any large day-use car parks intended for motorhomes.
Travellers in self-contained campervans can stay overnight for free for a maximum of 4 nights per calendar month in two specially designated zones:
The southern end of the Marina Car Park at Evans Bay
The Te Kopahou Reserve Car Park (20 minutes outside the city)
However, these spots tend to fill up fast—especially in peak season—and free camping is prohibited elsewhere in the city. If they’re full, you can stay overnight at one of the city’s two serviced campervan parks:
Alternatively, campervan travellers can stay overnight in the Barnett St car park for a fee of $30 per 24-hour period.
The New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) doesn’t charge entry fees for its national parks. That means all three North Island national parks—Tongariro, Whanganui, and Egmont—are free to enter.
However, you’ll still need to pay for optional tours, ticketed attractions, and most campgrounds.
The DOC offers five distinct campground categories, with fees varying depending on on-site facilities. Expect to fork out anywhere between $8 and $23 per adult per night for a site.
Some basic campgrounds are available for free to self-contained campervans. Free camping within a national park is generally only permitted where signage explicitly states so.
Planning to spend several nights in DOC campsites?
You might be better off investing in a DOC Campsite Pass. For $95, you get a 30-day pass granting entry into almost all DOC campgrounds.
With both the pass and individual bookings, a half-price discount applies to children aged 5-17 and kids under 5 stay for free.
Though some DOC campsites run on a first-in-first-served system, others require reservations through the DOC website (even if you have Campsite Pass).
The North Island has a plethora of picture-perfect campgrounds. Here are some of our campervan-friendly favs:
A driver must have a full, unrestricted car license to rent a campervan in Wellington. Non-English licenses must be accompanied by an International Driver’s Permit (IDP).
Most campervan hire companies don’t want to do business with drivers under 21. There are exceptions, however, such as JUCY, which rents vehicles to drivers aged 18+ and/or with an Australian Green P licence or restricted New Zealand license. Expect to pay a young driver surcharge.
Yes, many companies have depots in both the North and South Islands and allow one-way trips.
If planning this type of trip, you will need to pay the cost of the ferry. Our support team can help with your booking.
Additional one-way fees may apply. The comparison tool will automatically factor this into your total.
The city of Wellington is very pro-camping and enables freedom camping in a certified self-contained vehicle at several sites in and around the city. For all motorhome camping in Wellington and surrounds, there are council and DOC (Department of Conservation) campgrounds with varying levels of amenities, many of which are at no or low cost.
You can park overnight in a few car parks within the city, though without any services, or for $15–$90 (NZD), you can reserve a spot at a full-service holiday park within the city centre. Do note that reservations are encouraged at peak travel times.
Most campervan rental companies in New Zealand require the driver to be 21 years of age or older to access their full range of vehicles.
Some companies will rent to drivers between 18 and 21, but only certain models may be available. In those cases, additional insurance may be required.
Enter the driver’s age into our search tool and we will filter available vehicles to match.
If you wish to go freedom camping in New Zealand, your vehicle must be self-contained and certified.
This means you must be able to live in the vehicle for 3 days without needing additional water or needing to dump the waste.
In addition, the vehicle must have:
The vehicle must have been checked by a qualified officer to ensure that it meets these requirements. Self-contained motorhomes have a sticker displayed on the vehicle proving their certification.
New Zealand has plenty of options for camping available. These range from privately owned holiday parks to DOC (Department of Conservation) campsites.
A stay at a holiday park will usually cost between $30-50 (NZD) per night, depending on the area. A stay at a DOC campsite can range from $5-15 per person per night.
DOC campsites can be a little more basic. However, many do have amenities available. These include toilets, showers, rubbish bins and communal kitchen facilities in some cases.
Note: policies vary from supplier to supplier. Always check the T&Cs for your rental.
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