Hit the road for the 2027 New Year with Christchurch Airport car hire
The January sun is well and truly baking the Canterbury Plains by the time the 2027 New Year Long Weekend rolls around, and the asphalt at Christchurch Airport is shimmering in the heat. You have seven glorious days to burn, which is exactly the sweet spot for pointing your nose south toward the deep blue of Lake Tekapo or the wild West Coast glaciers. Locking in your Christchurch Airport car rental early is the smartest move you will make, because 92 available vehicles might sound like a lot, but they evaporate fast when the school holidays are in full swing.
If you are hunting for cheap rental cars Christchurch Airport, Thrifty is playing hardball with the absolute lowest price of the week at $957.09 for a zippy Suzuki Swift. Europcar sits right behind them on average across the board, making them a brilliant backup if the Thrifty lot runs dry. A smart booker takes those numbers, ignores the flashy $2,639 top-end models, and grabs a solid Compact or Standard car to keep the holiday budget firmly in the black.
You will be spoilt for choice with standard petrol cars making up the bulk of the 92-vehicle fleet, though grabbing a hybrid like the Toyota Corolla Hybrid from Ezi for just $1,059.75 will save you serious coin at the pump on those long alpine passes. Five-seaters are the obvious majority here, so families needing seven or eight seats need to pounce quickly before that limited pool vanishes. Throw your heaviest bags in the back before you drive off, make sure your air conditioning is cranked to handle that fierce afternoon Canterbury heat, and head straight for the open highway.