Christmas morning at Christchurch: a summer road trip starts here
Christmas Day at Christchurch International Airport feels quiet and sunlit. Long summer light spills over the Canterbury Plains, and the Southern Alps stand sharp and white on the western horizon. Families who flew in overnight push luggage trolleys past the car park while the kids ask whether the beach is close. Most people travelling in this 25 December to 1 January window are bound for Akaroa, Kaikōura, Hanmer Springs or the long road to Queenstown. If you are lining up a Christchurch International Airport car rental for that week, your booking choices count for more than usual because it is peak season.
Alamo is the only supplier in the data, with 15 listings averaging $1,918.26 for the seven nights, so your savings come from picking the car, not the company. The mystery Special car at $1,505.27 is the cheapest way out of the airport, with the Toyota Yaris at $1,520.79 and the Toyota C-HR at $1,550.34 close behind. If you don't mind being surprised by the model, book the Special and spend the difference on fish and chips on the Kaikōura waterfront.
All 15 cars seat five, and the mix runs from eight standard petrol cars to four hybrids, two diesels and one electric. A hybrid Corolla at $1,566.17 takes the long Canterbury straights and the mountain passes in its stride, while the Ford Ranger Wildtrak at $2,527.50 earns its keep if you are hauling bikes or fishing gear. The roads are busy over the holiday week, and the drive back to Christchurch on 1 January can be slow, so leave extra time before you return the car to the airport.