Information about multi-island hire in New Zealand

If you’re planning a New Zealand road trip in a rental car that involves both the North and South Island, before you book your hire car, it’s important to be aware of the rules and regulations around a multi-island rental. Simply put, in many — although not all — cases you can take a rental car on the ferry, but the rules do vary between providers.

While we cover how to take a rental car between New Zealand’s islands, it’s a good idea to be familiar with the rules themselves first. Only some car rental providers allow inter-island travel, and individual policies can vary depending on the length of rental, with a minimum rental period of six days being common. In other cases, providers may offer multi-hire deals, wherein you can drop off your rental car at one ferry terminal, and collect another rental vehicle at the other, while others still require you make two separate rental car bookings.

Where does New Zealand’s inter-island ferry run?

The inter-island ferry services run between Wellington Ferry Terminal on the North Island and Picton on the South Island, with the trip taking around three hours.

Wellington

The car ferries that travel between the North and South Island leave Wellington Ferry Terminal from a couple of terminals on the western side of Lambton Harbour. The Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferry departs and arrives from Bluebridge Terminal around 2.5 kilometres from Wellington CBD, and the Interislander Ferry uses Kaiwharawhara terminal around two kilometres further to the north.

Bluebridge Terminal opens at 5:30 AM daily, with closing times varying between 8:15 PM and 1:45 AM depending on the day and season. While there are no car rental kiosks inside Bluebridge terminal, rental depots in Wellington and Interislander Terminal are just a shuttle ride away.

Interislander’s Kaiwharawhara Terminal is open daily from 6:30 AM to 6:15 PM. You’ll find car rental depots for Dollar, Hertz, Thrifty, and Europcar right inside the Interislander terminal, while Avis and Budget are about four kilometres away on Victoria Street.

Picton

Turn left along Auckland Street from Picton city centre to reach the Interislander passenger terminal, about five minutes away from Picton Railway Station. To check in your vehicle for the ferry trip, drop it off at Interislander’s vehicle check-in area on Lagoon road. Just beside the Interislander terminal is Bluebridge’s ferry dock on Waitohi Wharf, and coming from the city centre, you’ll find their check-in terminal just after the roundabout entering Lagoon Road.

Interislander’s office is open from 4:30 AM to 10:15 PM daily except Monday when it opens at 8 AM. Avis, Apex, Budget, and Europcar offer on-site pickup and drop-off for rental cars, while Dollar, Hertz, and Thrifty offices are located at the Interislander passenger check-in, about three minutes south of the terminal by the parking lot.

Bluebridge is open daily between 5:45 AM and 8 PM, with the exception of winter weekends between May and October when it’s open from 8 AM to 6 PM. If you’re coming from the North Island and collecting a new vehicle for your road trip, head to the Dollar, Hertz, and Thrifty car rental desks at Auckland Street or arrange a terminal pickup with your provider.

Ferry operators

Some rental car providers have partnered with ferry operators Interislander and Bluebridge to better facilitate vehicle transfers and offer onboard amenities including meals and access to exclusive passenger lounges. All Interislander and Bluebridge ferries welcome rental vehicles — but confirm with your provider if their rental cars can be taken aboard based on your itinerary.

Interislander

Interislander carries passengers, freight, and vehicles between Wellington and Picton four times a day. Their Wellington-Picton trips start at 8:45 AM and end at 3:30 AM, while Picton-Wellington trips begin at 9:30 AM and end at 2:30 AM. Their fleet consists of two ships named Kaitaki and Kaiārahi, each with different capacities. Kaitaki or “Challenger” carries up to 1,000 passengers, and Kaiārahi or “leader” can accommodate a maximum of 550 passengers.

Bluebridge

Bluebridge is a passenger and vehicle ferry with various onboard amenities, including entertainment areas, private cabins, and buffet lounges, all to keep you occupied for the three-hour trip between islands. Bluebridge sails four times daily, with trips to Picton starting at 2 AM until 8:30 PM and trips to Wellington ongoing between 2:30 AM and 7:15 PM, subject to changes with season. Their two ships are named Livia and Connemara, both carrying up to 500 passengers, with Livia a 2025 addition to Bluebridge’s fleet.

Can I take my rental car on a ferry?

Yes, depending on the provider and your trip itinerary, it’s possible to take your rental car on a ferry. Europcar prohibits ferry crossovers for their rental vehicles completely, however some providers, including Alamo, Apex, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Ezi, and Sixt, will let you make one booking to cover your entire North-to-South Island trip by ferry, whether you’re travelling one way or driving back to your origin island. Dollar, Hertz, and Thrifty require a different car per island for one-way trips, which means if you want to drive from Auckland to Queenstown, you must book one car from Auckland to Wellington Ferry Terminal and another car from Picton Ferry Terminal for the drive to Queenstown.

When you book a rental car to cross between the North and South Island, ensure that you choose a schedule which coincides with your rental depot’s opening hours — not all depots are open 24 hours a day.

Which rental car providers allow their cars on New Zealand’s inter-island ferry?

Some rental car providers allow their rental cars to be taken on New Zealand’s Cook Strait Ferry with few conditions, while others require the trip is a round trip, or do not allow their cars on the ferry at all. Below is a brief rundown of the providers that allow rental cars aboard the ferry, please see the per-provider summary below or check provider Terms and Conditions for specific details.

Before you book a rental car across New Zealand’s islands, check to see if your rental provider has a depot or kiosk in your destination. Contacting your provider directly helps you understand how they treat inter-island travels and lets them assist you with choosing the best car for your trip.

Alamo

If you rent a car from Alamo, you can take your vehicle on a ferry with at least three days’ notice, and you need to inform Alamo of your itinerary beforehand. For one-way rentals where you drop off your vehicle at a different depot, Alamo will charge a relocation fee up to NZ$1,500 excluding GST. Please see their Terms and Conditions for further details.

Apex

Apex offers roll-on roll-off ferry services, meaning you can use the same rental car across both the North and South Island. Apex has partnered with Interislander and Bluebridge, so it’s important that you book your vehicle crossover with these ferry operators only. For inter-island travels via ferry, you must book ferry tickets and your rental car at the same time, as your total booking charge will include the ferry travel costs.

Avis

Avis lets customers take their rental car on a ferry between North and South Island, or you can also create a multi-leg itinerary and book a different car for each island.

Budget

When you hire a car from Budget, only one booking is required, so it’s possible to hire a car from Auckland Airport in North Island to Queenstown, South Island with a single booking. If there’s no vehicle available for your multi-island itinerary, you need to make separate rental car bookings for each island and take the ferry as a foot passenger.

Dollar

Dollar allows multi-island travel by ferry, however you must create two bookings if your trip ends on a different island from where you started. Dollar can charge one-way fees of up to NZ$1,000. Return itineraries that cross the Cook Strait require only one booking, with the customer shouldering the vehicle’s ferry transport costs.

Enterprise

Enterprise allows their rental cars on ferries, and whether you’re going on a return trip or one-way drive across New Zealand, you can arrange a road trip across North and South Island with the same vehicle with a minimum hire period of 24 hours.

Europcar

Europcar vehicles are not allowed on Cook Strait ferries. For multi-island itineraries, you need to return your rental vehicle to its respective depot, or arrange a one-way rental to and from each ferry terminal. In the latter case, you need to advise Europcar of your ferry timing so they can check that there will be a vehicle available for you to pick up upon your arrival. Also be sure to check that your arrival time falls within Europcar’s office hours, as otherwise, you’ll only be allowed to collect or return your rental car the next day.

Ezi

Ezi allows inter-island travel by ferry and requires customers book their ferry tickets with Ezi directly.

Hertz

Hertz does not allow one way rentals between the North and South islands, , meaning you’ll need to make separate bookings for each island. If you’re planning a return trip, ferry crossover is permitted.

Sixt

Sixt allows their rental vehicles on ferries across Cook Strait, requiring that ferry tickets be booked separately through Interislander or Bluebridge.

Thrifty

Thrifty vehicles are permitted to be taken on the Inter-island ferry, on the condition that it’s a return trip — meaning that you plan to take the car back to the island you rented it from. Thrifty does not allow their cars to be taken on a one-way trip between New Zealand’s North and South Islands. One way trips require two separate bookings.

FAQs for taking a hire car on the ferry

Should you book early?

Yes. As there is limited space for vehicles on the Cook Strait ferries, VroomVroomVroom recommends that you book well in advance. Depending on the provider, you may need to book ferry tickets and your rental car together or cover ferry costs separately.

Why do you need to tell your rental provider that you’re taking the ferry?

Most providers will ask for your ferry crossover details to help them secure your vehicle before you arrive at the ferry terminal. Such transport hubs can get hectic, so informing your provider of your travel itinerary, including your car rental and ferry schedule, will give them enough time to prepare your vehicle before you arrive.

Can you take electric cars on the ferry?

All vehicle types, including electric cars, are allowed on Cook Strait ferries. When you book tickets for your vehicle, the ferry operator will ask for its vehicle and fuel type as a safety protocol, and instruct you to avoid rapid charging a few hours prior to your schedule. Please contact Interislander or Bluebridge directly to know the particulars of taking an electric car on their ferries.

Can you charge a car on the ferry?

For the safety of everyone onboard, ferry operator Islander has advised against charging electric vehicles on the ferry. Before you take your electric vehicle onboard, ensure that it’s powered enough to reach nearby charging stations after you disembark in Picton or Wellington.

Are there special rules for taking a rental car on the ferry?

Please note, approval for any special multi-hire deals is subject to:

Want to know more? Check out our page on travelling between the North and South Island.