Your adventure
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BLC Guides
Hiring a campervan in New Zealand? Our useful ‘how to’ guides will help you get the most out of your trip.
Booking is simple
Choose your dates
Select camper & insurance
Pay a 20% deposit...
And the balance on pickup
No question too big
or little
Are the rental campervans suitable for freedom camping?
All our campers are certified ‘self-contained’. This means they can use designated freedom camping spots throughout New Zealand, because they carry a ‘fixed’ toilet, water and grey water tanks.
Hot tip: Popular freedom camping spots in New Zealand fill up quickly, and can’t be booked. We recommend arriving nice and early for the best chance of getting the spot you want. Find out more here and here.
I’m looking for a budget campervan hire in NZ, how do your rates compare?
We’re not the cheapest, or the most expensive. By keeping things simple, there’s less that can go wrong. They’re permitted to use designated freedom camping spots throughout New Zealand, saving you money on camping grounds. You can take advantage of off-season discounts.
Can I park my campervan anywhere?
Technically… yes. But each local council has its own rules. Places like the Coromandel are strict and hand out large fines for freedom camping in certain areas. So we recommend staying at designated freedom camping spots, Department of Conservation, and private family-owned campsites.
What type of licence do I need to hire a campervan in New Zealand?
Most campervan rental companies in New Zealand accept drivers 18 years and over who hold a full Driver’s Licence as long as it’s in English. If not, you’ll need an International Driver Permit or a Certified Translation of the home country Driver Licence, together with the home country Driver’s Licence.
To help you stay safe on New Zealand roads, please visit Drive Safe New Zealand.
Hot tip: If you need a Driver’s Licence translation urgently (even within 1 hour), we recommend using an NZTA approved service like Global Translations.
How much to rent a campervan in New Zealand?
Pricing is based on seasons in New Zealand – typically highest from the Mid-December to February peak travel season. Prices range from NZD $200-$400 per day. We offer discounted rates for longer trips of 14, 21 or 28+ days.
Hot Tip: Looking for campervan rental deals? Our campervan rentals can be as low as $80 per day during winter (June, July & August) – if you don’t mind some sub-zero temperatures in the South Island. And we’ll throw in a complimentary winter upgrade package to keep you cosy.
Can I cancel my campervan rental booking?
When you book your campervan, you’ll pay a 20% non-refundable deposit up-front. Following this:
a) If cancelled within 35 - 20 days of the agreed pick-up date: we’ll refund 50% of the total hire fee.
b) If cancelled within 19 - 7 days of the agreed pick-up date: 25% of the total hire fee refunded.
c) If cancelled within 6 days of the pick-up date, or on the agreed day of pick up: No refund on total hire fee.
Hot tip: Think you may need to cancel? Hey, we know things don’t always go to plan. Just drop-us an email as soon as you can, do our best to come up with a solution as long as it's outside our 35 day cut off.
How much is campervan insurance?
When you book a campervan with Big Little Campers, it comes with standard insurance. This means you pay a $5000 bond when you collect your campervan. Or choose our premium insurance upgrade, to reduce the bond down to $0, for a daily charge of $35. (The bond is the most you’d be liable to pay in case of any accidental damage.)
Click for more information about campervan insurance.
Can I add additional drivers to my reservation?
Sure thing, we don’t charge extra for this. You’ll just need to provide the additional driving license at pickup.
Hot Tip: Driving a campervan in New Zealand can be challenging at times, take regular breaks and share the drive! Oh, and keep left!
Can I drop my rental campervan anywhere else in New Zealand besides Auckland or Christchurch?
No. You can pick up and drop off your campervan from our Auckland or Christchurch Airport locations.
Hot tip: We often need to transfer campervans between Auckland and Christchurch and offer hires for as little as $1 per day. We might even pay for flights, ferry and fuel if we urgently need to relocate a campervan.
Can you pick me up from the airport?
We don’t offer a shuttle service. But we’re close to both international airports and it’s typically a short Uber ride of less than NZD$10.
Hot tip: Go for a local rideshare service such as YourRide. Unlike Uber, drivers for this network of local taxis can pick you up from directly outside the arrivals terminals of Auckland or Christchurch airports.
Which campervan is right for us?
We offer two types of rental campervan in NZ. The Big One and Little One. Both designed to maximise space, comfort, and drivability.
The Big One has internal standing room and a kitchen inside the campervan. The Little One has a kitchen that slides out from the rear of the campervan.
Depending on your budget and time of the year (in winter, you may prefer having an indoor kitchen or need more space for gear), both have plenty of room for two people, while the Big One can squeeze in a 3rd. Both campervans also seat three people.
Hot tip: The Big One lets you cook inside the van in the evening without being ravaged by sand flies or mosquitos!
