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Great value rental cars from Queenstown’s most trusted car hire providers
Car rental rates in Queenstown / Tāhuna
Located upon the shores of Lake Wakatipu / Whakatipu Waimāori, in the southern reaches of New Zealand’s South Island, and set against the dramatic Southern Alps, Queenstown / Tāhuna is justifiably famous for both its beauty and outdoors life. Queenstown is about a three and a half hour drive from Dunedin / Ōtepoti and around six hours by car from Christchurch / Ōtautahi.
Getting on the road in Queenstown is easy with VroomVroomVroom. By using our easy to use search to find a competitive car hire rate from our selection of well respected car hire provider, you can book your car in as little as a couple of minutes.
Economy Car
View offerTravel 11 Jun - 14 Jun 2026
from NZD $49/day
Compact Car
View offerTravel 11 Jun - 14 Jun 2026
from NZD $50/day
Compact SUV
View offerTravel 11 Jun - 14 Jun 2026
from NZD $51/day
Intermediate SUV
View offerTravel 11 Jun - 14 Jun 2026
from NZD $57/day
Standard SUV
View offerTravel 12 Jun - 17 Jun 2026
from NZD $60/day
Fullsize SUV
View offerTravel 11 Jun - 14 Jun 2026
from NZD $64/day
Fullsize Passenger Van
View offerTravel 12 Jun - 17 Jun 2026
from NZD $86/day
Premium Passenger Van
View offerTravel 12 Jun - 17 Jun 2026
from NZD $162/day
Rental rate prices displayed are NZD and were available in response to a search at 12:01 am on June 09, 2026 by a New Zealand resident aged between 30 and 69 years old, for the specified travel dates, with a pickup and return time of 10:00 am. Rates and vehicle availability may change without notice. Use our price comparison tool to get current rental rates. Rates include all mandatory fees for the rental and exclude credit card surcharges and extras.
Rates are in NZD and were last updated on 09 June, 2026
YOU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY
Here’s what VroomVroomVroom customers think
- 13 Feb 2026william n.Booked: Hyundai Imax or similarQueenstown Airport
- 28 Apr 2026jamie c.Booked: Toyota Corolla Hybrid or similarWellington Airport
- 24 Feb 2026andrea w.Booked: Polestar 2 or similarAuckland Airport
- 25 Apr 2026dorothy a.Booked: Mystery Vehicle or similarChristchurch Airport
- 28 Mar 2026ngarangi w.Booked: Mystery Car - Petrol/Diesel/EV or similarRotorua Airport
- 02 Jun 2026shane t.Booked: Kia Stonic or similarWellington Airport
- 29 May 2026patrick s.Booked: Mitsubishi Outlander or similarAuckland International Airport
- 29 May 2026brian w.Booked: Toyota Corolla Hybrid or similarChristchurch Airport
We ask users of our booking service to review it after they've completed their reservation. We present a selection of reviews on this page. Our review scores are calculated by averaging the scores of all the reviews that we collect. We don't publish reviews that violate our guidelines. To learn more about guidelines and our reviews generally, visit Terms and Conditions.
Learn more about our reviews.
WE COMPARE CAR HIRE
Unlock Queenstown with car hire made simple
VroomVroomVroom makes comparing car hire quick and easy, getting you great rates from New Zealand’s leading rental providers, including Apex, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, and Thrifty.
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Quick facts on hiring a car in Queenstown
| 🚗 Vehicle types | Car, Passenger Van and SUV. |
|---|---|
| 🔑 No. of depots | Seven car rental depots in Queenstown. |
| ✅ Rental brands | Apex, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and Thrifty. |
Car models commonly available in Queenstown
Popular rental car models in Queenstown last month
- % of BookingsModelPrice range last monthProviders
1
38%
5479
Toyota Corolla HatchCompact Car
5
5
1 large, 3 small
Rent withApex
2
13%
5050Kia StonicCompact Car
5
4
1 large, 1 small
Rent withThrifty
3
13%
161161
Mazda 3Compact Car
5
5
1 small
Rent withBudget
4
13%
3535
Mitsubishi ASXCompact SUV
5
5
2 large, 3 small
Rent withApex
5
13%
118118Suzuki SwiftEconomy Car
5
4
1 small
Rent withThrifty
Audi vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Audi Q7 AWD
5
5
2 large, 2 small
ProvidersSixt
BYD vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Byd Sealion 6Hybrid
5
4
3 small
ProvidersEuropcar
Ford vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Ford Everest
7
5
4 small
ProvidersAvis, Budget, Europcar, Thrifty, Hertz
Ford Ranger Wildtrak
5
4
4 large, 6 small
ProvidersAlamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar
Ford Transit
9
5
3 large, 3 small
ProvidersSixt
Honda vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Honda Cr-v Awd
5
4
3 small
ProvidersEuropcar
Honda Zr-v Sport
5
4
2 small
ProvidersEuropcar
Hyundai vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Hyundai Imax
8
5
3 large, 4 small
ProvidersApex
Hyundai Santa Fe
7
4
2 small
ProvidersHertz, Apex
Kia vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Kia Carnival
8
5
4 small
ProvidersAvis, Budget
Kia Carnival or Hyunda Imax or Toyota Previa
8
5
2 large, 1 small
ProvidersThrifty, Hertz
Kia Niro HybridHybrid
5
4
1 large, 1 small
ProvidersThrifty, Hertz
Kia Seltos
5
5
1 large, 1 small
ProvidersThrifty, Hertz
Kia Sorento
5
5
5 small
ProvidersAvis, Budget
Kia Sportage
5
5
2 large, 2 small
ProvidersThrifty, Hertz
Kia Stonic
5
4
1 large, 1 small
ProvidersThrifty, Hertz
Mazda vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Mazda 3
5
5
1 small
ProvidersBudget, Avis
Mazda CX-30
5
5
2 small
ProvidersBudget, Avis
Mitsubishi vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Mitsubishi ASX
5
5
1 large, 1 small
ProvidersAlamo, Apex, Enterprise
Mitsubishi Outlander
5
5
5 small
ProvidersAvis, Budget, Thrifty, Hertz, Europcar
Mitsubishi Pajero
7
4
4 small
ProvidersEuropcar
Polestar vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Polestar 2Electric
5
4
1 large, 2 small
ProvidersThrifty, Hertz
Ram vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Cupra Terramar V 4Drive AWD
5
5
2 large, 2 small
ProvidersSixt
Skoda vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Skoda Kodiaq
7
5
2 small
ProvidersThrifty
Subaru vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Subaru Outback
5
4
3 small
ProvidersEuropcar
Suzuki vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Suzuki Jimny
4
3
2 small
ProvidersEuropcar
Suzuki Swift
5
4
1 small
ProvidersThrifty, Hertz, Alamo, Europcar, Enterprise
Suzuki Swift HybridHybrid
5
4
2 small
ProvidersEuropcar
Toyota vehicles for hire in Queenstown
Toyota C-HR
5
4
1 large, 3 small
ProvidersAlamo, Enterprise
Toyota Corolla
5
5
1 large, 1 small
ProvidersAlamo, Enterprise
Toyota Corolla Hatch
5
5
1 large, 3 small
ProvidersApex
Toyota Corolla Hybrid
5
5
1 large, 2 small
ProvidersSixt
Toyota Highlander AWD Hybrid
5
5
2 large, 2 small
ProvidersSixt
Toyota RAV 4 AWD Hybrid
5
5
2 large, 2 small
ProvidersSixt
Toyota RAV-4 HybridHybrid
5
5
1 large, 1 small
ProvidersThrifty, Hertz
Toyota Rav4Hybrid
5
5
2 small
ProvidersBudget, Apex
Toyota RAV4Hybrid
5
4
3 large, 2 small
ProvidersAlamo, Enterprise
Toyota Rav4 4w.d.
5
5
4 large, 3 small
ProvidersApex
Toyota Rav4 Gx HybridHybrid
5
4
3 small
ProvidersEuropcar
Toyota Rav4 HybridHybrid
5
5
5 small
ProvidersAvis
Toyota Yaris
5
5
1 large, 2 small
ProvidersAlamo, Enterprise
Showing 10 of 13 vehicles
Other vehicles for hire in Queenstown
12 Seat Bus
12
4
12 large
ProvidersThrifty, Hertz
Chery Tiggo 4 Ultimate
5
4
2 small
ProvidersEuropcar
Mystery Car
5
4
1 large
ProvidersAlamo, Budget, Europcar, Enterprise
Premium DC 4WD Lid Canopy
5
4
2 large, 2 small
ProvidersThrifty, Hertz
VW Tiguan All Space AWD
7
5
2 large, 2 small
ProvidersSixt
“Or similar” refers to how our rental providers classify cars. Please be advised they cannot guarantee that a specific car model will be available. Partners categorise similar models into “vehicle groups” and confirm availability on this basis. Our team are available to contact the depot on your behalf where you are picking up your vehicle to enquire what models are available under the vehicle group you booked. Please contact customer support for further information.
Vehicle models are subject to provider availability
Queenstown Airport car hire
Are you flying into Queenstown?
Consider collecting your vehicle from the airport. We work with a range of car hire providers at Queenstown Airport (ZQN).
Local expert tips for hiring a car in Queenstown
Weekends can be busy
Many tourists visit the Queenstown Lakes District — especially over the holidays. So keep your cool and just be patient. Also, always leave room for cyclists and allow extra time for your trip.
Keep an eye on your speed
Always keep an eye out for road signs, and on open roads and highways the travelling speed is 100 km/h unless otherwise stated.
Drive on the left side
Remember to keep to the left hand side of the road in New Zealand, and you are not permitted to use your mobile phone while driving.
Watch the road
The highways surrounding Queenstown can be challenging, with tight bends and corners. Note that from April to October, ice and snow can affect the roads.
Check the weather
If you’re heading to the mountains, note that the weather can change suddenly, and it’s best to check the weather forecast and highway conditions beforehand.
Parking in Queenstown
Usually, parking in the town centre is priced between $1-$2 per hour, but take note that Queenstown’s parking spaces fill up quickly. Illegal parking fines cost between $40-$60.
Car rental depots in Queenstown
Find a convenient car hire depot on the map below.
Apex Queenstown Airport
View details4.5 (29)Mon–Sun 8:00 AM - 5:29 PM32 Lucas Place, Frankton, South Island
Apex Queenstown City
View detailsNo reviewsMon–Sun 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM26 Shotover St, South Island
Avis Queenstown City
View detailsNo reviewsMon–Sun 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM68-70 Stanley Street (South Island), South Island
Budget Queenstown
View details2.2 (1)Mon–Sun 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM68-70 Stanley St, South Island
Dollar Queenstown Downtown
View detailsNo reviewsMon–Sun 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM1-7 Earl St, St Peters Close, Queenstown, North Island
Hertz Queenstown Downtown
View detailsNo reviewsMon–Sun 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM1-7 Earl St, St Peters Close, Queenstown, North Island
Thrifty Queenstown Downtown
View detailsNo reviewsMon–Sun 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM1-7 Earl St, St Peters Close, Queenstown, North Island
Frequently asked questions
On hiring a car in Queenstown
How much does it cost to hire a car in Queenstown?
Prices start at NZD $49 per day for an Economy Car, up to NZD $100 per day for an Intermediate SUV. Get a live rate for your planned dates and desired vehicle in Queenstown.
How much does it cost to hire a Minivan or People Mover in Queenstown?
If you’ve got a crowd, but don’t need something as large as a bus, then a 7-seater or 8-seater Minivan hire might be your best option. A Minivan costs between NZD $86 and NZD $162 per day. Check for a live rate by entering your desired car hire dates in Queenstown.
What is the highest-rated hire car in Queenstown?
The highest-rated rental car in Queenstown is Toyota Rav4 4w.d. or similar, based on ratings by our customers within the last 12 months.
What is the highest-rated car hire provider in Queenstown?
Apex is the highest-rated car hire provider in Queenstown, based on ratings by our customers.
Is it cheaper to book a weekly car rental in Queenstown?
The per-day rates of some rental cars may fall if you book for a longer rental period. Prices often change around daily, three-day, five-day and seven-day periods. Also, note that the selection of rental cars available in Queenstown may be more limited if you are looking for a long-term car rental, so it’s best to compare a few different booking durations first.
Can I pick up a rental car in Queenstown and return it to another location?
Yes, just untick the “Return to the same location” option in our search form and select your preferred return location. Take note though that there will be a one-way fee charged by the car rental provider in your booking, and that will be included in the prices we compare for you.
Have a question we haven’t answered?
