Spring Festival week at Auckland International Airport: summer light, busy arrivals, smart car hire
Mid February at Auckland International Airport means warm air hitting you at the sliding doors, long golden evenings, and arrivals halls full of families reuniting after the Spring Festival. The harbour is calm, pōhutukawa country is green, and everyone seems to be off somewhere with a boot full of bags. Between 11 and 18 February, car rental at Auckland International Airport is in hot demand, and the 120 listings we found averaged $1,964.25 for the seven nights. Queues at the rental desks swell fast once a couple of long haul flights land together, so book before you fly.
Sixt is the cheap story this week, with a Toyota Corolla Hybrid at $920.06 and a Geely Starray at $929.18, though it has only two listings, so they could vanish quickly. GO Rentals ($1,092 to $2,072), Ezi ($1,395.75 to $1,850.75) and Thrifty ($1,351.86 to $1,972.61) give you more choice at mid prices. Hertz and Alamo each have plenty of listings but wild swings, with Alamo running from $1,424.67 all the way up to $4,235. Check the cheapest from each before you commit, because the gap between the lowest and highest quote is almost five times.
Most of the fleet seats five (84 listings), which suits a couple or small family heading south to Waitomo or north to the Bay of Islands. If you're hauling four suitcases or travelling with a group, the 11 seven seaters and 7 eight seaters go first, so grab one early. Summer roads are dry and fast, but State Highway 1 out of Auckland clogs up on Friday afternoons, so pick up your car before lunchtime and get out of the city ahead of the traffic. A hybrid like the Ezi Toyota RAV4 at $1,409.75 gives you roomy comfort and decent fuel economy for the miles ahead.