Omega, for whatever reason, was much better than what I used the first time I visited NZ. On price,…read morethey were lower than anyone else. The car they offered didn't have a ton of bells and whistles, but it got the job done and had good gas milage. They had offices all around NZ meaning that it was practical to have a nice road trip picking up here and dropping off elsewhere. I would note that throughout New Zealand, rates for renting a car vary widely depending on where you pick up and drop off, so shop around and consider your plans. I was able to get a great rate by going northwards (apparently the prevailing direction is south, so taking a car in the opposite direction helps the company out and they help you out). Additionally, given all the hazards in NZ, I would definitely get insurance. The wifi and GPS options probably aren't needed if you can get a sim card and if your phone or device will give you a location. There aren't a ton of roads here, so you probably won't get lost.

I rent a car for 3 weeks via Omega. 17,60$/day (March 2017) and 15$/day for the insurance…read more Price is really good then. I was welcome by a nice guy. When I took the car eveything was ok until I realize at my hostel that there were nothing to hide my stuffs in the back of the car. I went back and they changed my car as I explained that I planned to let my car for few days while tramping. They were really nice and comprehensive. And above all the rent is cheap. I hope it will be the same in Auckland !

Best local business to rent from for your South Island road trip. The facilities are just outside…read morethe ChCh airport, but they conveniently offer a hassle-free, complimentary shuttle pickup from the Air NZ check-in area. It picked up PROMPTLY upon clicking the 'Ready to Collect' link on an email they sent around the approximated arrival time listed in my booking. The SUV we rented, a Nissan X-trail (basically a Rogue w/ 4x4 capabilities), was not brand new, but it was in perfect working condition, the rates 30-40% cheaper than Enterprise at the airport. And that included an additional driver, unlimited mileage, and $0 excess insurance, booked 2 months in advance. The service guys were a bit curmudgeonly, but perked up some after giving them my undivided attention. Note: Your United States driver's license will do in NZ; no need to acquire an IDL. Drop-off was a breeze. The shuttle driver kindly looked up the beginning and end mileage when requested at the time of drop off and before driving us back to the airport for our departure flight. 1500 road miles+ around the South Island to make for such a gratifying journey!

My second time renting with Apex, and my first experience with an airport location of theirs…read more Shuttle service was fast for both pick up and drop off, and the checkout and checkin process was rapid and done by friendly and attractive staff. Wouldn't ever consider renting from another company in NZ. Prices are unbeatable.

The Toyota Yaris I hired for 3 days was great. Great fuel economy and very pleasant to drive. One…read moresnag was not knowing you have depress the clutch pedal before starting the car. There was no warning or notice issued from staff or information provided with paperwork. That wasted a lot of time. I'm now going to assume every manual car produced after 2010 is like this. : ) Cheers, Mark Bradley

Anzed Rentals is the current award winner for the traveller voted Best Car Rental Company in New…read moreZealand, and it's easy to see why. We called for our pick up from the airport and Teddy was there in three minutes. He took us back to the office and went over the features of the car while we were inside the vehicle. He explained all of the insurance options but didn't pressure us into anything. He also loaned us a cooler, a few CDs and outfitted us with maps. It's the most personal & thorough service I've had with a car rental company. Color me impressed.

We picked up a late model Toyota Corolla in Christchurch with the aim of driving it around the…read moreSouth Island of NZ and leaving it in Picton.We were required to give them a $400 security deposit as we were paying with a travel money card rather than a credit card. Omega were very helpful, not requiring extra payments to ferry the car back to Christchurch as we have found with other rental companies. The cost per day was $35 with an optional extra $18 per day for a no-excess insurance cover which we took. We didn't hire GPS and used our phones instead. All of this worked really well. I felt a bit guilty on returning the car because in one car park I accidently dropped a front wheel into a hole and scraped the underside of the air dam on the front of the car. Omega were completely cool about this and gave us back our $400 without question. We highly recommend this company.

This Snap Rentals at Christchurch was my drop off location…read more This was an easy location to find as it's very near the airport with frequent shuttle service. Drop off process was very easy and quick. Make sure you're in between 8am-530pm, or else you'll need to schedule your drop off. The friendly staff member only asked me if the gas was full, and if there were any issues. Nope! All good! I drove my Mitsubishi Outlander all the way from Queenstown, and survived the rain and heavy snow (and also surviving driving on the right side for the first time ever). Probably the only annoying thing was the built up ice blocking the car's sensors and hearing and seeing the alerts pop up the whole drive to the next town. I highly recommend using Snap Rentals as it is definitely the most affordable as you can rent a solid SUV for the price (or even cheaper price) of a small economy car from other places. Don't let the low reviews here on Yelp and other internet sites deter you from using Snap. You can learn from them to avoid it. Overall, I'll most likely use Snap Rentals again on my next New Zealand adventure. Though I found it odd they didn't have an airport counter at Christchurch. That's okay cause I know the airport shuttle is located on the far end of the airport.

Worst customer service ever. I have sent numerous emails to discuss my experience in relation to a…read morebattery that was defaulted and took five hours to repair yet I was only two kilometers away and no one would assist. I was still charged full day of hiring and insurance on this day. No one wants to discuss this matter with me ​​​​​​​​​

The Christchurch International Airport is the largest airport on New Zealand's South Island, though…read morestill smaller than Auckland's airport. Despite being an international airport, it only services around ten international routes, so the majority of flights are domestic. I flew on a domestic route, and getting through security was quick and efficient--no more than 15 minutes. Once inside the terminal, the airport is easy to navigate with plenty of seating areas. The seats are noticeably more comfortable than what you find in many U.S. airports--well-cushioned rather than the thin plastic chairs you usually see. There are also a handful of food options around the gates, along with free Wi-Fi and water fountains near the restrooms for refilling bottles. For my rental car return, the shuttle dropped me off at the terminal in under 10 minutes, which was very convenient. If you're flying into the South Island, chances are you'll use either this airport or Queenstown's, and overall, Christchurch Airport is clean, straightforward, and stress-free to travel through.

I believe every airport in New Zealand is clean, orderly, and efficient, and the Christchurch…read moreAirport is no different. Seems like we arrived at the terminal coming in from the side way from our rental car shuttle drop off, and that's exactly the domestic terminal. Checking in, dropping off luggage, going through security, and heading to the gate were exceedingly fast. Too fast! Could've spent more time sightseeing. There are several stores, and food options. Got a long macchiato and a sausage roll. Overall, a really nice airport that's not too big even with both international and domestic flights. It's really spacious, and many interesting artworks. The airport staff were very nice and orderly.

Thanks for coming to our rescue when original rental car company stuffed up. Really nice vehicle,…read moresuper easy check out, check in. Next time I will refill car myself due to admin fee ;-) also need to have record of noted pre damage please.

Nice enough people at their location and their affiliate, the Sudima Hotel, across the street from…read morethe airport where after-hours dropoff/pickup occurs. However, be sure to check your billing as you may encounter mistakes as I found. Thankfully I kept documentation of charges and was able to win a dispute with my credit card company.