The easiest way to book a car rental in Timaru
Great value rental cars from Timaru’s most trusted car hire providers
Car rental rates in Timaru / Te Tihi o Maru
The port city of Timaru / Te Tihi o Maru is situated on the Pacific coast of New Zealand’s Canterbury region and is a popular launching point for trips to the beautiful Caroline Bay. Timaru is located roughly half way between Christchurch / Ōtautahi to the north and Dunedin / Ōtepoti to the south.
VroomVroomVroom makes searching, comparing, and booking your rental car in Timaru easy. Choose from reliable and affordable car hire options supplied by New Zealand’s leading rental car brands.
YOU’RE IN GOOD COMPANY
Here’s what VroomVroomVroom customers think
- 16 Aug 2026james t.Booked: Toyota RAV4 or similarChristchurch International Airport
- 30 Oct 2026mark f.Booked: Mystery Car or similarWellington International Airport
- 14 Aug 2026carl m.Booked: Mazda CX-30 or similarAuckland City
- 16 Sep 2026cameron w.Booked: Kia Seltos or similarNew Plymouth Airport
- 17 Aug 2026frank c.Booked: Mitsubishi Outlander or similarQueenstown Downtown
- 13 Sep 2026sally a.Booked: Kia Stonic or similarAuckland Airport
- 06 Sep 2026brendon a.Booked: Hyundai Tucson 2w.d. or similarQueenstown Airport
- 01 Sep 2026paul k.Booked: Nissan Xtrail Aw.d. or similarAuckland 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.
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Quick facts on hiring a car in Timaru
| 🚗 Vehicle types | Car and SUV. |
|---|---|
| 🔑 No. of depots | One car rental depot in Timaru. |
| ✅ Rental brands | Avis. |
Car models commonly available in Timaru
Mazda vehicles for hire in Timaru
Mazda 3
5
5
2 small
ProvidersAvis
Mazda CX-30
5
5
3 small
ProvidersAvis
“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
Timaru daily rate data
We do not have enough historical rental rate data for Timaru to display this chart. This doesn't mean vehicles are unavailable, so please enter your pick-up and drop-off dates to compare current rental car availability and prices in Timaru.
Historical daily rate pricing information is data from actual bookings made using our search engine in the previous 12 months.
Next 7 days rates are obtained from searches in our reservation system for a 3 day rental duration, by an Australian resident aged between 30 and 69 years old, with a pickup and return time of 10:00 am on the indicated pick up date. Rates and vehicle availability may change without notice.
Prices are in NZD and include all mandatory fees for the rental and exclude credit card surcharges and extras.
While we make reasonable efforts to provide accurate and reliable data, the data is provided ‘as is’ and errors or other defects may occur. For more information, click here: Terms and Conditions.
Rates are in NZD and were last updated on 31 October, 2026
Timaru Airport car hire
Are you flying into Timaru?
If you’d prefer to have a hire car when you land, you may opt to pick up at Timaru Airport (TIU) instead. To start comparing rates in the airport, simply input “Timaru Airport” in our search form.
Regional airports near Timaru
Car rental depots in Timaru
Find a convenient car hire depot on the map below.
Avis Timaru City
N/A8 King Street (South Island)
Mon–Fri 08:00–17:30, w/e 09:00–17:00
Frequently asked questions
On hiring a car in Timaru
What is the cheapest car rental in Timaru?
The cheapest car rental in Timaru is a Compact car from NZD $167 per day, for a 3-day rental with pickup between 1 and 7 November 2026. Enter your travel dates in the search form and compare live rates from New Zealand’s most respected rental car providers.
Why are there no hire cars in Timaru at certain times of the year?
Our data shows that Timaru, along with other isolated cities in New Zealand, book out of rental cars during peak seasons (i.e., school holidays and major town events) because of the limited amount of rental cars available by providers in the area. We recommend always booking well in advance for this location.
Can I hire a car in Timaru and return it to Timaru Airport?
If there is an available car from Avis you can collect from the Timaru City depot and return to the Avis depot at the airport. For this scenario, you must ensure you have entered in the correct details for the pickup and drop off times so the airport staff are available for when you return the vehicle, or they may provide you with after hour drop off information.
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