Can you drive a rental car on New Zealand's gravel roads?
A legal gravel road is not the same as covered damage. Check the operator, the exclusions and the particular road before you book.
≈30,000 km
of unsealed road in New Zealand (Waka Kotahi, June 2024). Of the 9 operators we checked:
- 3permit gravel roads
- 1permit, but exclude damage
- 3publish nothing
- 2prohibit them outright
The four answers
Best for the renter → worstThese are published positions, not a ranking. A permitted road can still carry exclusions; an unpublished position is not permission.
01 · Permitted
Terms expressly allow sealed, metalled or gravel roads. General exclusions for overhead, underbody and water damage still apply.
Source: apexrentals.co.nz Verified 2026-09-03
View the full nine-operator comparison
| Operator | Road policy | Underbody evidence | Named restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Car Rentals | Permitted | Underbody exclusion is published. | Skippers Road (Skippers Canyon), Ninety Mile Beach, Te Paki Stream, Macetown Road, Matukituki Road beyond the Treble Cone turn-off, Glenorchy–Paradise Road, Beaches and foreshore, Unformed and paper roads |
| Avis New Zealand | Permitted | Underbody exclusion is published. | Skippers Road (Skippers Canyon), Ninety Mile Beach, Beaches and foreshore |
| Budget New Zealand | Permitted | Underbody exclusion is published. | Skippers Road (Skippers Canyon), Ninety Mile Beach, Beaches and foreshore |
| Ezi Car Rental | Not published | No underbody exclusion is published. This is not confirmation of cover. | Ninety Mile Beach, Skippers Road (Skippers Canyon), Tasman Valley Road, beyond the Mt Cook picnic area, Deer Park Heights, Glenorchy–Paradise Road, North of Colville, Coromandel, Ski field access roads, Beaches and foreshore, Unformed and paper roads |
| GO Rentals | Permitted, damage excluded | Underbody exclusion is published. | Ball Hut Road, Skippers Road (Skippers Canyon), Ninety Mile Beach, Te Paki Stream, Macetown Road, Beaches and foreshore, Unformed and paper roads |
| Hertz New Zealand | Prohibited | Underbody exclusion is published. | Ninety Mile Beach, Skippers Road (Skippers Canyon), Macetown Road, Tasman Valley Road, beyond the Mt Cook picnic area, Beaches and foreshore |
| JUCY | Prohibited | No underbody exclusion is published. This is not confirmation of cover. | Ninety Mile Beach, Ball Hut Road, Skippers Road (Skippers Canyon), Beaches and foreshore, Unformed and paper roads |
| Omega Rental Cars | Not published | No underbody exclusion is published. This is not confirmation of cover. | Ninety Mile Beach, Te Paki Stream, Skippers Road (Skippers Canyon), Macetown Road, Glenorchy–Paradise Road, Beaches and foreshore |
| Snap Rentals | Not published | Underbody exclusion is published. | Beaches and foreshore |
Road explorer
Routes that need a closer look
These examples have a public source confirming an unsealed section. They are not recommendations, route-condition advice or permission under a rental agreement.
Marker positions are approximate and are not permission under any rental agreement.
Gillespies Beach Road
DOC says part of the approach is narrow and unsealed. Drive conditions can change.
Rental-company terms: No operator in this comparison names this road specifically. General gravel rules still apply.
What the labels mean
Permission, exclusions and named roads are separate questions
New Zealand has roughly 30,000 kilometres of unsealed road. Plenty of them lead to places people specifically come here to see. So the reasonable assumption is that a rental car may drive on a legal gravel road. For some operators that is exactly right. For others it is the most expensive assumption of the trip.
This is the sharpest genuine difference we found between New Zealand operators, and no comparison site shows it. Avis, Budget and Apex expressly permit gravel: their terms require only that you use a road 'properly formed and constructed as a sealed, metalled or gravel road'. Hertz's current terms do the opposite and list unsealed roads as a Prohibited Use. On Hertz, a prohibited use means you lose the benefit of any protection you purchased and are liable up to the full value of the car. JUCY is equally strict: its excess cover 'will not apply if the vehicle is driven in off-road conditions', and its definition of off-road expressly includes any unsealed road.
GO Rentals lands in the middle, and is unusually clear about it: legal named gravel roads are fine, but underbody damage is not covered and you pay for all of it. Since gravel damage is overwhelmingly underbody and windscreen damage, that distinction does more work than it first appears to.
Then there is the group that publishes nothing at all. Ezi, Snap and Omega have no gravel or unsealed-road policy on their websites. Their only surface-related rule is the catch-all against driving anywhere 'not officially designated as a road'. We have not inferred a position for them, because there isn't one to report. If you are planning gravel driving with these three, get it in writing before you collect the car.
Frequently asked questions
05 questionsWhich New Zealand rental companies allow gravel roads?
Avis and Budget permit them explicitly, requiring only a road 'properly formed and constructed as a sealed, metalled or gravel road'. Apex uses the same wording. GO Rentals permits legal named gravel roads but excludes underbody damage. Hertz's current terms and JUCY both prohibit unsealed roads. Ezi, Snap and Omega publish no position.
Is gravel road damage covered by excess reduction?
Usually not, even where the road itself is permitted. Gravel damage is typically underbody damage or a chipped windscreen, and underbody is excluded by Apex, GO, Avis, Budget, Hertz and Snap regardless of which tier you bought. GO Rentals does not exclude glass or tyres at any tier, which sets it apart here.
What is the difference between 'unsealed', 'gravel' and 'metalled'?
In New Zealand usage they overlap. 'Metalled' means a road surfaced with compacted gravel or crushed rock, and it is the term Avis, Budget and Apex use when permitting these roads. 'Unsealed' is the general term for any road without a tar or chip seal. Hertz's older agreement permitted 'metal' roads while its current terms prohibit unsealed ones: the same surface, opposite conclusions. That is why the document version matters.
Will my travel insurance cover the gravel road excess?
Check the policy wording carefully, because this is a common gap. Some third-party excess policies exclude claims arising on unsealed roads, which is precisely the risk you would be buying the policy for in New Zealand. Ezi notes on its own site that 'some policies may not cover you if you drive your rental car on unsealed roads'.
How should I drive gravel roads if my rental allows it?
Slow down well before you would on seal, brake and steer gently, and leave a long gap behind other vehicles. Most windscreen damage comes from stones thrown by oncoming or leading traffic. Watch for washboard corrugations on corners, and do not correct sharply if the rear steps out. If the surface deteriorates into a track rather than a road, turn around: at that point you are outside every contract regardless of operator.
Price monitor
Keep an eye on your rental price
Planning a trip or already booked? We check every matching Ezi car daily and email you each change.
Monitor Ezi pricesFree· No account needed· Unsubscribe anytime