The car vs campervan debate, and a few of the best campervan rental companies

A campervan parked by the beach at dawn — *Waking up to beach sunrises in a* *Big Little Camper*

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New Zealand’s main attractions are its landscapes and outdoor activities, and a campervan will get you closer. Whether it’s camping in Aoraki/Mount Cook and falling asleep to the sounds of rock and ice falls on the mountain peaks surrounding the campground, or camping at a beach at the end of a long gravel road where there’s no one else around, van life in New Zealand makes a lot of sense.

I had my own campervan for a while, which is when I fell in love with the lifestyle. I don’t mind skipping showers if it means spending more time camped out in national parks, closer to the trails and the beaches.

Somewhere along the line I sold my campervan and I have yet to pick up another one — mostly because the cost is so high. These days, I get more excited about booking unique cabins and glamping places. I still stay in campgrounds, but I just drop the seats in my station wagon and sleep in the back, on a hiking mattress. It works just fine, and I can stay at the many DOC campsites and even occasional freedom camping sites that allow non self-contained vehicles.

There is a strong allure in the campervan lifestyle in New Zealand, and it drives a thriving industry in campervan and motorhome rentals. If you’re thinking about renting a campervan, there’s a good chance you’re doing the maths on the daily rates and seeing that you could rent a car and stay in budget accommodation for the same price.

So, is it all worth it? This is my take, with a few recommendations for the best campervan rentals in New Zealand.

The short version

Do I think renting a campervan is worth it if you’re paying more than $600 a day for a ‘budget’ campervan (looking at JUCY here)?

Honestly, not really. High prices are worth it if you’re in a motorhome and get to travel with luxuries like a toilet and shower on board, but if you’re in a JUCY campervan, it’s hard for me to think of that as a good deal.

I’m a frequent traveller and don’t mind roughing it, though (I now just camp in the back of my car because buying a campervan has become so expensive).

It’s different if this is your once-in-a-lifetime trip, and if the price tag isn’t a deal breaker. If money wasn’t an object, I would be out there on the roads in a campervan every weekend, it’s that much fun.

If you’re somewhere in the middle, and have a reasonable budget but want to feel like you’re not paying a premium to be unwashed for weeks at a time, it helps if you can be flexible. Those mega high prices are really only for two months of the year, in the peak summer season.

I do think a campervan trip is worthwhile at a slightly lower price point.

Rent a campervan from mid-March onwards and you can still have an epic time, with beautiful weather, for as little as a third of the price.

Top campervan rental companies

Motorhome Republic is the easiest place to compare campervan prices across rental companies
For smaller campervans, Matt and Dans campervans, Epic Campers, and Big Little Campers are all awesome, locally owned companies with comfortable van designs.
For slightly larger vehicles, Kia Ora Campers is owned and operated by a local family. I haven’t rented with them but they get great reviews.
If you want a larger vehicle, Wilderness Motorhomes or Kiwi Motorhomes are both premium, locally owned options (Kiwi Motorhomes has the added bonus of no branding on their vehicles, so you can fly under the radar).
JUCY Rentals have a range of vehicles and more flexible drop off points, but you will stick out like a sore thumb everywhere you go (and renting with JUCY can be very hit or miss. More on what that means below).

Renting a car vs. a campervan in New Zealand

A view of a road in Mount Cook, New Zealand, as seen from inside a vehicle

The main difference between campervans and car rentals is that campervans give you more freedom and a more adventurous style of travel.

New Zealand is different from places like the United States or England, in that there aren’t that many big towns. You can drive for hours in some places without coming across a hotel or other facilities, so the best thing to do is camp.

Plus, no one is flying halfway around the world to visit New Zealand cities.

On the West Coast of the South Island for example, some of the best places to stay are close to the walks and beaches — away from the (frankly uninspiring) towns like Greymouth or Westport.

Staying somewhere like Gentle Annie’s Seaside Campground (one of my all time favourites) means you get to experience more of the wilderness and have access to more walks.

I am a huge fan of the van lifestyle in New Zealand, and I have many friends who also swear by it — some are on their third campervan, they love it so much.

There’s an important difference there, though, and that’s that locals don’t need to pay for campervan rental costs, which can be exorbitant.

Hiring a campervan isn’t necessarily cheaper than renting a car and staying in hotels. You could be looking at spending thousands of dollars on just a couple of weeks of campervan hire, which makes for a pretty expensive holiday.

The cost of campervan travel in New Zealand has climbed a lot and no longer means ultra-low budget travel. Even the fines for freedom camping illegally have gotten more expensive, while freedom camping spots have become more restricted.

There are still people who use a campervan to get around on a budget, but these people tend to be visiting New Zealand for longer and buy their own vehicle, to stay in cheap and free campsites.

If you’re visiting for 2-3 weeks and don’t have the time or wherewithal to buy a vehicle, renting a campervan is your only option.

It can be expensive to hire a campervan, especially if you’re travelling in the summer months — between November and March, availability is lower and prices are higher.

You might get better deals outside of those months, but then you have to factor in colder and wetter weather (which might mean paying for more premium campsites with hot showers) and less daylight for activities.

On top of your campervan hire costs, you have to budget for petrol (which is more expensive for heavy campers than it is for small hire cars), powered campground costs, and so on.

This can add up to more than the cost of car + hotel.

This is fine if you approach your campervan trip with the mindset that it’s about adventure and the overall experience, rather than cutting out accommodation costs.

If you really want to do New Zealand on a budget, or want to experience the camping lifestyle without the cost of a campervan, rent a car big enough to sleep in and go car camping. I drove a Snap Rentals car from Queenstown to Auckland over three weeks, and slept in the back of it many nights (and I will happily sleep in the back of my own station wagon on trips, too).

Car camping isn’t as comfortable as having a van bed — I sleep on my hiking mat in the back of the car — but it’s cheap, easy, and lets me stay in a lot of the same places I would in a campervan.

Things to consider when you’re renting a campervan

When renting a campervan, pick up and drop off locations are much more limited than rental car options. Often, you can only pick up/drop off in Auckland and Christchurch, which means you need to factor in time to get back to the drop off point.

With a rental car, you’re more restricted in where you can stay (rooms aren’t always available in more remote areas), but you can be more flexible with where you start and end your trip.
Campervans can cost twice as much, sometimes more, in summer.

A quick note on booking in advance

If you have decided to rent a camper in New Zealand, you should think about booking at least 4 months in advance for any dates between mid-December and late March.

Those are peak months — with the peak peak months late December to late January — and availability around those times will be limited.

If you’re travelling in the shoulder seasons or winter, you don’t need to worry so much. Around 1-2 months in advance would be fine for most companies.

The other thing to factor into your plans is the ferry between the North and South Islands. You’ll want to book that a couple of months in advance if you’re travelling in summer as well.

Other than those key details, you don’t need to worry about booking campgrounds in advance. I often book on the fly, the day before or sometimes on the same day, and I’ve never had an issue.

The pros and cons of travelling New Zealand in a campervan

Campervans can be big and clunky to drive on New Zealand’s roads. In New Zealand, locals can get impatient when caught behind lumbering campervans on narrow roads. The good news is, there are usually lots of passing bays, or safe spots to pull over and let traffic pass. This is a lot less stressful than having people attempt risky manoeuvres to get around you.

You need to be pretty organised and disciplined to keep it tidy. I guess the same could be said of a rental car (I have a talent for turning any space into a bomb site). But it takes a lot of energy to keep on top of campervan chores.

How much does campervan rental cost (and is it worth it)?

Campervan rentals in New Zealand can be expensive, especially if you want to travel in the warmer summer months.

The cost of campervan rentals in New Zealand varies widely depending on the time of year and the company. A budget campervan can cost around $100 in summer, or $50 in winter.

Between November and March, bigger campervans with more facilities can cost as much as $400 a day.

Another thing I would consider is that having a campervan doesn’t mean you won’t be paying for accommodation at all. You’ll probably end up staying in freedom camps less than you anticipate.

I usually use a combination of freedom camping and DOC campsites which are $15-$20 a night for a basic camp. You might also want to have a few holiday parks in the mix, to take advantage of facilities like hot showers and laundry.

So on average, I’d say to factor in $20 a night for campgrounds.

If you’re planning on travelling in the summer months, book well in advance.
You’ll get cheaper prices after Easter, from May onwards, up until around October.
If you can, try to avoid paying for excess reduction. Your travel insurance should cover excess reduction as part of your policy, and if it doesn’t you can usually add it for a one-off fee that’s less than the daily cost of excess reduction most campervan rental companies offer.
Campervan relocations can be a good way to travel for cheap, but you’ll be very limited in what you can do.

The initial price you see probably won’t be the price you end up paying. On top of the base price, you need to factor in excess reduction/insurance, any add ons (you might have to pay for extras like tables, heaters).

Here are some other costs to factor into your campervan hire:

The cost of the gas in your campervan — some rental companies require you to fill up the gas bottle before returning the vehicle.
Petrol
If you have a diesel vehicle, you might also need to pay road user charges (RUCs)
Toll roads

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The best campervan rental companies in New Zealand

As a disclaimer, I haven’t rented from every campervan rental company in New Zealand, so I can’t definitely say which option is the best. But, I used to work for a campervan company (JUCY) so I have some insider knowledge.

Having tried out a few rental options, and travelled in a van a lot myself, I have a few thoughts on which rental companies are the best. Let’s get into it.

A quick note on self-contained vs non self-contained: If you want to have the flexibility to freedom camp, make sure you’re hiring a self-contained vehicle. This means a campervan needs a fixed toilet and a green certification sticker.

Wilderness Motorhome Rentals

Pros:

Locally owned
No road restrictions
Beautifully kitted out motorhomes

Cons:

Only Auckland and Christchurch pick up/drop off

Wilderness Motorhomes is probably the best of the more luxurious campervan options.

Their motorhomes come in a range of sizes, but they are all equipped with high end amenities. If comfort is a priority for you, the beds and bathroom facilities in a Wilderness vehicle might suit you.

I’ve never travelled in a Wilderness motorhome — I’m too chicken to drive a vehicle this size.

One of my colleagues at Jucy used to swear by Wilderness though. She had high standards of luxury (without good showers, the Jucy vans didn’t cut it for her) but Wilderness met all of her needs.

Another great thing about Wilderness is that they really encourage you to explore. Wilderness has a no roads restriction policy, so you can get as far off the beaten track as you want.

Also, the New Zealand family behind Wilderness comes from Thames, which is (nearly) where I grew up (I went to high school there).

Kiwi Motorhomes

Pros

Family/Maori owned and operated
A small fleet of motorhomes (around 35) which means there is a real focus on quality.
The motorhomes are unbranded, so you can travel around a bit more stealthily

Cons:

Higher price range
Only Auckland and Christchurch pick up and drop off

Another premium and luxury option is Kiwi Motorhomes.

I haven’t rented from Kiwi Motorhomes (again, far too much of a chicken driver to take on these big vehicles) but I have spoken to the owner, Leon, and he was a very genuine guy. (In his email signature, his job title is Fun Manager).

If you’re looking for more comfort and very well kitted out motorhomes, I would confidently recommend booking with Leon and his team.

They can offer more bespoke/custom rental packages; including anything from E Bikes, standard mountain bikes, portable Wi-Fi modems, smart TV’s, portable gas BBQ’s, Boogie boards, children’s attachable bike seats, flexible one way hire options, children’s & adult board games, DVD’s if they aren’t streamers and are one of the very few motorhome rental businesses that is small pet friendly.

The family owned and operated aspect means you’ll get a more personalised service — they really care about providing quality and care.

JUCY Rentals

Price range: Varies wildly from $35 for the cheapest model in low season, to $350 a day for the same camper in high season. Check prices here >>

Pros:

Can pick up and drop off at Queenstown, as well as Christchurch and Auckland
Range of sizes, from small to mid-sized campervans.

Cons:

No longer family owned and operated
Can be a chaotic operation, so expect some niggles when picking up your van and occasionally on the road

Full disclosure — I used to work full-time for Jucy, and I still work with their marketing team writing articles for their website on a freelance basis (take a look at their blog!).

I might be slightly biased, but I can say that I’ve been on multiple trips with Jucy campervans and loved all of them.

Jucy was started by two New Zealand brothers who are very dynamic and travel oriented. The Jucy campervans are true to this style, with plenty of details that have been carefully thought out to maximise your time on the road.

There’s nothing subtle about the bright green campervans, so forget trying to blend in at campgrounds. If you don’t mind the paintwork though, you’ll get to enjoy compact campervans that are relatively easy to drive, yet come with plenty of amenities.

The flagship Jucy Condo has enough space inside to stand up in, and a really well equipped kitchen that includes a fridge and plenty of storage space.

You can fit up to four people in the Condo, and while it’s more of a squeeze, I did a trip with two friends (3 of us in total) and we were pretty comfortable, both at night and during the day while driving.

Understanding freedom camping

*A freedom campsite in Dunedin (it’s just a carpark by the train station)*

One misconception you may have, is that once you’ve rented a campervan, your accommodation costs are taken care of. That is only partly true; freedom camping sites exist, but for several reasons, which I’ll get into, you should expect to only freedom camp some of the time. At most, half of the time, and realistically, around one third of the time.

For the most part, freedom camping in New Zealand means staying in authorised free-of-charge camping areas designated by local councils. They can range from grassy reserves to a few parking spaces in a car park; following tightening restrictions on freedom camping in recent years, it more often seems like the latter option, with a limited number of spaces in a car park by the beach, or close to the centre of town. Parking outside of designated freedom camping spots (even just one space over from those allocated for campervans) means risking a fine of $400 or more, with the rules enforced by local council officers who do the rounds in the early morning, issuing tickets to anyone parked illegally.

Most freedom camping sites require that vehicles are self-contained (with a toilet, water, and rubbish facilities on board) but there are some that allow non-self-contained vehicles, and others even allow tents. However even the most permissive sites have other restrictions, such as not allowing freedom camping in the peak summer months, or for a limit of one night only. In other spots you might need to arrive after 5pm and leave before 9am.

Limited spots in each designated area means that in the busy summer months, you’ll need to arrive early to secure your spot in a freedom camp. Some places only have a few parks available for campervans and they fill up quickly. You can’t reserve your spot — if you want to pop out in the evening to explore, you might lose your park. This competition for spaces is most intense around popular destinations like Queenstown. Oddly enough, having a campsite booked can actually mean more peace of mind, knowing you’ll actually have a place to park that night.

Because freedom camping comes down to bylaws set by local councils, rules vary from place to place. In Christchurch city, for example, freedom camping is fairly ‘free’ – aside from certain areas, self-contained vehicles can camp overnight more or less anywhere. Freedom camping used to be a lot more like that, with a real freedom to park overnight anywhere, but due to an increasing moral panic about travellers crapping in bushes, rules have tightened significantly over the years. Queenstown used to have a similar rule, where people could camp overnight more or less anywhere but on 1 December 2025 new laws came into effect.

It sounds like a lot to keep track of, but the app Campermate typically lists any restrictions for each freedom camping site, and reviews from other campers often note any key details (like whether spots fill up early in the afternoon, or whether or not drinking water is available). When you arrive at the freedom camping site, there are usually signs clearly marking where you can legally camp, and any restrictions.

These tighter rules mean freedom camping isn’t always going to be a reliable option when travelling, especially in more popular areas. Expect to use the odd freedom camp – maybe one every three nights or so – but I wouldn’t rely on having a free overnight park every night. In any case, freedom camps often don’t have a supply of drinking water, or facilities like rubbish bins (if you’re lucky, there will be a toilet. Don’t expect it to be in perfect condition). You’ll want to stay at a holiday park every now and again anyway, to make the most of hot showers, rubbish and recycling facilities, laundry, and other amenities. In between, you can throw in stays at DOC campgrounds, which are usually a mid ground between free camps and holiday parks, with basic toilets and a water supply, but rarely showers.

Booking a campervan from private renters

Peer-to-peer van sharing services can be a great way to find unique campervans, and you can find great deals, too.

Quirky Campers

Quirky Campers specialises in handcrafted campervans which have been lovingly created by independent owners.

If you want to find a campervan that is unique and luxurious, with a distinct style, you might find your perfect van life wheels through Quirky Campers.